| Type | Definition | Examples |
|---|
| Coordinating | Joins equal items | and, but or, nor, for, yet, so |
| Subordinating | Joins dependent clause | because, since, when, if, although |
| Correlative | Used in pairs | either...or, neither...nor, both...and |
F — For
A — And
N — Nor
B — But
O — Or
Y — Yet
S — So
| Conjunction | Use |
|---|
| because / since / as | Reason |
| if / unless / provided | Condition |
| when / while / before / after | Time |
| although / though / even though | Contrast/Concession |
| so that / in order that | Purpose |
| so...that / such...that | Result |
- A = used before words starting with consonant sound: a book, a university (u-sound
like 'yoo'), a European
- An = used before words starting with vowel sound: an
apple, an hour (silent 'h'), an honest man
Note: It's the SOUND, not the letter that matters!
Use 'the' when:
- The noun was already mentioned: I saw a dog. The dog was brown.
- The noun is unique: the sun, the Eiffel Tower, the moon
- Superlatives:
the best, the most difficult
- Rivers, mountain ranges, deserts, oceans: the
Nile, the Himalayas
- Musical instruments: play the piano
- Nationalities used as
nouns: the Japanese, the French
Don't use any article with:
- Proper nouns generally: India, Ravi, Mount Everest
Languages: English, Hindi
3. Sports: play cricket
4. Meals: have breakfast
5.
School/college/hospital (when functioning): go to school
6. Abstract nouns used generally:
Life is beautiful. Love is pure.
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meaning of
individual words.
Example: "Burn the midnight oil" does NOT mean burning oil at midnight — it means
working late at night/studying hard.
A
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Above board | Honest and open; transparent |
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush | It's better to be satisfied with what you have than risk losing it for something better |
| A bolt from the blue | Something totally unexpected and shocking |
| A hard nut to crack | A difficult problem or a difficult person |
| A man of straw | A weak or indecisive person; a person of no substance |
| A nine days' wonder | Something that causes excitement for a short time but is soon forgotten |
| A penny saved is a penny earned | Saving money is as good as earning money |
| A picture paints a thousand words | A visual representation is far more descriptive than words |
| A piece of cake | Something very easy |
| A slap on the wrist | A mild punishment; lenient rebuke |
| A white elephant | A possession that is useless and expensive to maintain |
| All that glitters is not gold | Things are not always as attractive or valuable as they appear |
| Alpha and omega | The beginning and the end; everything |
| A cash cow | A product/service that makes a lot of money |
| A ball park figure | An approximate or estimated figure |
| At home | Comfortable and relaxed |
| At one's wits' end | To be completely unsure of what to do next |
| At sixes and sevens | In a state of confusion or disorder |
| At the drop of a hat | Immediately; without hesitation |
B
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Back to the drawing board | Starting over from the beginning |
| Bark up the wrong tree | To pursue the wrong course of action; to accuse the wrong person |
| Bated breath (with) | In anxiety and excited anticipation |
| Beat a dead horse | To continue discussing a topic that has already been resolved |
| Between Scylla and Charybdis | Forced to choose between two equally bad alternatives |
| Between the devil and the deep sea | Between two dangers; in a dilemma |
| Bite the bullet | To endure pain with patience; to accept something unpleasant |
| Bite the dust | To die; to fail completely |
| Break a leg | A superstitious way to say "Good Luck" to a performer |
| Burn one's fingers | To suffer as a result of interfering in others' matters |
| Burn the midnight oil | To work very late into the night |
| By fits and starts | Irregularly; in short periods, not consistently |
| By hook or by crook | By any means necessary; fair or unfair |
C
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Call a spade a spade | To speak frankly and directly without sugarcoating |
| Cat and dog life (lead a) | To live a life full of constant quarrels |
| Chew the cud | To think deeply; to ponder |
| Come off with flying colors | To succeed brilliantly; to pass with distinction |
| Cook the books | To falsify financial records |
D
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Die in harness | To die while still working; to continue working until death |
| Don't give up the day job | You are not good enough at something to do it professionally |
E
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Every dog has his day | Everyone has a period of success or luck sooner or later |
| Everything but the kitchen sink | Almost everything has been included |
| Excuse my French | Please forgive me for using strong/rude language |
F
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Fabian policy | A policy of avoiding direct conflict and delaying decisions |
| Feather one's own nest | To make money in an unfair way using one's position |
| Finding your feet / Finger licking good | Becoming more comfortable in a new situation |
| Fire and brimstone | Fearful or severe penalties; harsh threats |
| Fire and fury | Intense anger and destructive force |
| First and foremost | Most importantly; before anything else |
| Fishy | Doubtful; suspicious; not genuine |
| Fixed in your ways | Unwilling to change normal habits or routines |
| Foul play | Unfair action; cheating; unlawful killing |
G
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Give a dog a bad name and hang him | Once a person loses reputation, they continue to be suspected |
| Go at each other hammer and tongs | To argue or fight with great determination and force |
| Go to the devil | To tell someone to go away; be off |
H
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Have a card up one's sleeve | To have a secret advantage or plan in reserve |
| Hear it on the grapevine | To hear information through informal/unofficial channels (rumors) |
| In high spirits | Very happy; in a cheerful mood |
| In the heat of the moment | Overwhelmed by intense feelings during a tense situation |
I
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| If wishes were horses, beggars might ride | Wishing for something doesn't make it happen |
| In high spirits | Very happy and excited |
K
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Keep one at bay | To keep danger or difficulty at a distance |
| Kill two birds with one stone | To accomplish two tasks with one action |
L
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Laugh one's head off | To laugh very heartily |
| Leave no stone unturned | To try every possible means |
| Let the cat out of the bag | To reveal a secret unintentionally |
| Like a cat on hot bricks | Very nervous and restless |
| Lock, stock and barrel | The whole of everything; entirely |
M
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Make a clean breast of it | To confess everything; to admit guilt |
| Make hay while the sun shines | To take advantage of opportunities when they exist |
| Miss is as good as a mile (A) | A narrow miss is still a miss; degree of failure doesn't matter |
N
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Not a spark of decency | Having no manners or good behavior |
| No avail (to) | Without any result; uselessly |
O
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| On tenterhooks | In a state of suspense and anxiety |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely; almost never |
| One swallow does not make a summer | One instance is not enough evidence to draw a conclusion |
| Out of the wood | Free from difficulties and danger |
| Over the moon | Extremely excited and happy |
P
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Play second fiddle | To take a subordinate role; to be less important |
| Put a spoke in one's wheel | To obstruct or hinder someone's plans |
| Put the cart before the horse | To do things in the wrong order |
R
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Rain cats and dogs | To rain very heavily |
| Rank and file | Ordinary people; the general membership |
| Read between the lines | To understand hidden meaning |
S
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Shot in the arm | An act of encouragement; a boost |
| Speak of the devil | Said when a person you were just talking about suddenly appears |
| Spread like wildfire | To spread very quickly |
| Step into someone's shoes | To take someone's place; to assume their role |
T
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Take a leaf out of one's book | To imitate or follow someone's example |
| Take to one's heels | To run away quickly |
| The gift of the gab | The talent for speaking; eloquence |
| The devil's advocate | To present a counterargument for the sake of argument |
| Through thick and thin | Under all circumstances; in good and bad times |
| To add fuel to the fire | To make a bad situation worse |
| To balance the books | To ensure money spent equals money received |
| To be snowed under | To be very busy with work |
| To bell the cat | To face the risk; to do something risky for the benefit of others |
| To cook the books | To falsify or manipulate financial records |
| To die in harness | To continue working until death |
| To get the sack | To be dismissed from a job |
| To go to the devil | To tell someone to go away |
| To hold a brief for | To argue in favor of; to be retained as legal counsel |
| To move heaven and earth | To make the greatest possible effort |
| To set the Thames on fire | To do something sensational or extraordinary |
| To throw dust in one's eyes | To deceive or mislead someone |
| To work your fingers to the bone | To work extremely hard |
| Tooth and nail | With all possible effort and strength |
U
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Under his thumb | Under his control; dominated by someone |
| Under the weather | Unwell; feeling slightly sick |
W
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|
| Wash one's dirty linen in public | To discuss private matters before strangers |
| A wee bit | A very small amount; a little |
| Whole nine yards | Everything; the complete amount |
| With a high hand | Using authority in a harsh, oppressive way |
| Your guess is as good as mine | To have no idea about something |
| Yellow press | Sensationalist newspapers that publish exaggerated stories |