Idioms — The Jargon Is Strong With This One
Grammar: Idioms
Free ESL grammar exercise on idioms themed around the jargon is strong with this one. Printable worksheet from classplan.ai.
What's on this worksheet
A Level 6 (proficiency) ESL grammar exercise on work, practising idioms. The worksheet has a short reading excerpt, a grammar reference and graded practice items.
From the reading
Somewhere between 2010 and now, the English language suffered a workplace incident. Meetings began requiring participants to circle back, move the needle, and boil the ocean — all before lunch. The best communicators have always known this was a double-edged sword.
Grammar: Idioms
- What is an idiom?
- A fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be guessed from its words. Boil the ocean means attempt something impossibly large, not heat water.
- Idioms are fixed
- Move the needle ✓ — you cannot swap 'needle' for 'dial' or 'pointer'. The words are locked together.
Sample items
- The new campaign didn't ______ at all — sales figures stayed flat for the entire quarter.
- Management asked the agency to ______ and avoid every format the brand had used before.
- The consultant's presentation was impressive, but the team suspected it was all ______.
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