Vocabulary Exercises for Advanced Learners of English

Vocabulary exercises for advanced learners of English that can give them practice in using English idioms and phrases in the right context.

Fill in the blanks in each of the sentences below with an idiom or phrase of your choice.

• Tim is …………………….. He is able to do almost any type of job satisfactorily.
• Han’s only grandson was the ………………………………
• Many able-bodied young men were forced to leave their families and ………………..during the war.
• Mr. Lee had to ……………………..at the office when his partner was ill.
• Hanif has been as bad-tempered as ……………..all morning.
• Karen …………………………..for the post office because she had an important letter to post.
• The murder was carried out …………………..
• Sean’s visit was quite a ……………………. No one had expected it.
• She dropped a …………………………..about her secret marriage to her roommate.
• Their friendship was ………………before it could develop.
• Don’t ………………………….. Get to the point!
• Please ……………………………and don’t meddle in other people’s affairs.
• I know that this is hard work, but it will pay off in the end. Don’t forget, there is ………………………..
• You have to try; don’t you know that ……………….
• At the last moment, Dane ………………….the tournament.
• The ……………criminal accused his accomplice of instigating him to commit the murder.
• Douglas is a ………………….He looks exactly like his father.
• Susan looks a little …………………….. today. Is she ill?
• Our gardener really does have ……………………. Everything he plants seems to grow so well.
• Sneha did not ………………….seeing him again.
• Mr. Napier is as pleased as a …………….over the success of his new project.
• You’ve got to swallow your medicine……………………….
• We’ll travel together from Singapore to London, and from London to Paris, I’ll …………………
• The two new classmates do not …………………….each other.
• The arrogant young man …………………………… of his attractiveness to women.
• Surprisingly, the busy executive was able to forget about work and ……………….. at the party.
• The poor farmer and his wife lived ………………..
• Don’t ……………that same problem. Can’t we change the subject to something more pleasant?
• The lazy student ended up doing ………………..when he completed his schooling.
• The antique grandfather clock in Jack’s home is just a …………….. It doesn’t work.
• “Don’t mix around with those …………….. hooligans!” Mother warned Peter.
• I could not ………… of the strange map and vague instructions he had left for me.
• It is useless to …………………….. You can’t change what has been done.
• “You must be ……………………… How can you think that I will let you in without a ticket?” asked the ticket collector.
• Felicia was at a ……………………when her colleagues surprised her with a cake on her birthday.
• You have to ………………for the mistake you made.
• Shane felt like a ………………………at the party because she didn’t know anyone there.
• He was sent off the field for …………………….
• “You’d better …………………….when auntie Agnes comes to visit,” said mother.
• “I know you are angry about what happened at work, but that is no reason to ………………the children,” Isabelle told her husband.
• Life is no…………………….
• Poor Jane is always the …………………. Whenever something goes wrong, she is always blamed.
• Mr. Christopher …………………in order to get his daughter the position of Vice President at the firm.
• His actions were ………………his words.
• He ………………..the advice his friend had given him.

Answer Key

• an all-rounder/ a jack of all trades.
• apple of his eye
• take up arms
• keep the ball rolling
• a bear with a sore head
• made a beeline for
• in cold blood
• bolt from the blue
• bombshell
• nipped in the bud
• beat around the bush.
• mind your own business
• no gain without pain
• nothing ventured, nothing gained
• backed out of
• chicken-hearted
• chip off the old block
• off colour
• green fingers
• bargain on
• dog with two tails
• at one go
• go it alone
• see eye to eye
• was cocksure
• let his hair down
• from hand to mouth
• harp on
• donkey work
• white elephant
• good for nothing
• make head or tail
• cry over spilt milk
• out of your mind
• loss for words
• face the music
• a fish out of water
• foul play
• mind your P’s and Q’s
• take it out on
• bed of roses
• scapegoat
• pulled some strings
• at odds with
• kept in mind