Present Tense: Definition, Structure & Examples
Tenses demonstrate the time of action in sentences usually performed by or centered around the
subject of the sentence. The actions are called verbs. Verbs change according to tenses and other
issues. As verbs are the most important elements of English sentences, tenses also carry paramount
importance in English grammar.
Tenses are mainly categorized into three types.
1. Present Tense
2. Past Tense
3. Future Tense
Present Tense
Each of the types of tenses has four different forms.

Present Indefinite Tense

Present Progressive (Continuous) Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
Examples of Present Tense
Present Indefinite Tense
The present indefinite tense, also known as simple present tense, denotes a stative or habitual or
eternally true action.
Generally, simple present tense is used to indicate an action which happens – always, regularly, every
day, daily, normally, generally, usually, occasionally, sometimes, often, rarely, frequently, nowadays,
naturally, seldom, constantly, never, every week, every year, once a year, on a week, at times, at
present, now and then, or all the time.
Structure:
Subject (third person singular number) + verb in simple present form + s/es + . . . . .
Subject (all other kinds) + verb in simple present form + . . . . .
Note: When ‘be’ verbs work as the main verb in a sentence, they are different from the above
structures.
Number
Singular
Plural
First
I am a good cricket player.
We are good cricket players.
Second
You are an irresponsible person.
You all are always irresponsible.
Third
The earth is smaller than Jupiter.
Junk food is not good for health.
Person/
There are some stative verbs that are usually used in simple tenses whether present or past or future.
The stative verbs are:
Have
Hate
Appear
Smell
Sound
Understand
Need
See
Want
Own
Know
Hear
Like
Taste
Believe
Love
Seem
Wish
Examples:
o
I know Billy Bob.
o
He understands it.
o
They love swinging in the park.
o
Some people do not believe in God.
o
I usually wake up at 6:00 AM.
o
He plays cricket, but his brother plays football.
o
Earth is bigger than Mercury.
o
The heat of the sun reaches the least to the polar.
How the Forms of Verbs Change in Different Types of Sentences
Affirmative
Interrogative
Negative
I sing on stage.
Do I sing on stage?
I don’t sing on stage.
We run behind the train.
Do we run behind the train?
We don’t run behind the train.
You are on the roof.
Are you on the roof?
You aren’t on the roof.
Allan writes well.
Does Allan write well?
Allan does not write well.
She hands out leaflets.
Does she hand out leaflets?
She doesn’t hand out leaflets.
They love dancing in the rain.
Do they love dancing in the rain? They don’t love dancing in the rain.
Present Progressive (Continuous) Tense
The present progressive tense is used to indicate the ongoing time (now). However, the stative
verbs do not usually take the form of present progressive tense even though they refer to the present
time.
Now, continually, perpetually, at this moment, at the moment, right now, this season, this year,
forever, etc. words or word pairs are usually signs that the verb in a sentence is in the present
progressive form. However, these signs are not necessary all the time for a verb to be of present
progressive tense.
Structure:
Subject + am/is/are + verb + ing + . . . . . . . . .
Example:
o
I am going to the college field.
o
He is coming here for some tips.
o
They are making a basketball ground.
o
Why are you working in that horrible place? (Interrogative)
o
Four teams are playing at this moment.
o
John is not joining the class today. (Negative)
This structure is also used to demonstrate future time.
Example:
o
Alex is leaving for Portugal.
o
I am going to complete my task.
o
We are leaving at 6:00 PM.
o
They are flying to Australia next month.
More Example of Present Progressive Tense
Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is used when one intends to indicate:
o
an action that occurred at a time which is indefinite and has its effect on the subject
o
or an action that occurred many times and has the possibility to occur in the
present/future
o
or an action that began in the past and still going on in the present.
Structure:
Subject + have/has + verb in the past participle form + . . . . . . .
The Present-Past-Past Participle Chart:
Present Form
Past Form
Past Participle Form
Shout
Shouted
Shouted
Read
Read
Read
Give
Gave
Given
Take
Took
Taken
Sing
Sang
Sung
Write
Wrote
Written
Wake
Woke
Woken
Cast
Cast
Cast
Lose
Lost
Lost
Example:
o
Alex has read the book through. (No time is indicated)
o
I have read this poem many times. (Not habitual but occurred many times in the past)
o
He has lived in this apartment for 15 years. (Still going on)
More examples:
o
Their event has not been approved this year. (Negative)
o
Have we really done so bad? (Interrogative)
Just, already, yet, just now, ever, lately, recently, etc. are some of the signs for present perfect tense.
Note: Already comes between have/has and the past participle; yet appears with a negative form at
the end of the sentence.
Example:
o
Alex has already reached there.
o
Alex has not reached yet.
o
I have already cleaned the house.
o
I have not cleaned the house yet.(Negative)
o
Has she already gone home? (Interrogative)
More Examples of Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Progressive (Continuous)
It is the least used form of present tense. Present perfect progressive tense is used to indicate an
action that began in the past and is still occurring in the present. Both present perfect and present
perfect continuous tense can be used to indicate this type of action.
Structure:
Subject + have/has + been + [verb + ing] + . . . . .+ for/since + time frame.
Example:
o
Alex has been reading for 3 years.
o
I have been sleeping since 10.00 AM.
o
Robert has been working in that shop for 6 years.
o
We have been living together for four years.
o
Have we really been waiting for a miracle for fifteen years? (Interrogative)
o
She hasn’t been doing her job well enough for the last 5 years. (Negative)
o
I have been writing articles on different topics since morning.
o
He has been reading the book for two hours.
o
They have been playing football for an hour.
o
She has been finding the dress since morning.
o
He has been studying in the library for three hours.
o
We have been shopping at this fair for two hours.
o
We have been watching a movie in this Cineplex for two hours.
o
You have been shopping in that market for three hours.
o
I have been singing different kinds of songs, especially modern.
o
I have been listening to melodious songs for an hour.
o
He has been traveling around the world for a month.
o
They have been playing cricket in that field for five hours.
o
The poet has been writing romantic poems for several hours.
o
The lyricist has been writing realistic songs since the beginning of his career.
o
Have you been listening to realistic songs since morning?
o
I have not been watching the cricket match for an hour.
o
Have you been preparing the assignment for two hours?
o
I have been helping him to do the task for an hour.
o
My mom has been cooking for three hours.
o
I have been watching the concert for an hour.
Present Tense Exercise with Explanation
1. The cyclist ________ he crossed the main street.
looked with caution after
was looked cautions when
had looked cautiously before
looks with caution after
Explanation: Past Perfect Tense + before + Past Indefinite Tense
2. The man waiting to take the test was very nervous. He ________ it before.
hasn’t taken
didn’t take
hadn’t taken
wasn’t taken
Explanation: For two previous activities, the one that occurred earlier than the other one will be
in Past Perfect Tense and the later one will be in Past Indefinite Tense.
3. An intensive search was conducted by the detective to locate those criminals, who
have had escaped
had escaped
are escaping
have been escaping
Explanation: As the criminals had escaped before the search; the sentence will be in Past
Perfect Tense.
4. Choose the correct one:
He spoke so well as if he would knew
He spoke so well as if he knew everything.everything.
He spoke so well as if he had known He spoke so well as if he was knowing
everything.
everything.
Explanation: Past Indefinite Tense + as if/ as though + Past Perfect Tense
5. I waited until the plane ________.
had taken off
did not take off
took off
had taken off
Explanation: For two contemporary past events, will be in effect for both events.
6. If everybody liked the same kind of tea, ________ only one kind of tea.
there would have been
there would have
there would be
would be
Explanation: 2 nd conditional formation: If + Past Indefinite Tense…..+ would/might
7. He went to bed after.
he will learn the lesson.
he would learn the lesson.
he learns the lesson.
he had learnt the lesson.
Explanation: Past Indefinite Tense + after + Past Perfect Tense
8. How much did you________ for the book?
paid
pay
paying
have paid
Explanation: Relative pronouns (who, how, what, why, when) + did + subject + present form of
verb + objects
9. It ________ a hot day, we remained in the tent.
was
having
being
had
Explanation: The example is in Simple Sentence. So, being will be used instead of be verb (am,
is, are, was, were).
10. Even as harvesting was going on________.
the rainy season began.
the rainy season was begun.
the rainy season had begun. the rainy season begins
Past Tense: Definition, Structure & Examples
Past tense also has four forms.

Past Indefinite Tense

Past Progressive (Continuous) Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Progressive Tense
Past Indefinite Tense
The past indefinite tense, also known as simple past tense, is used to indicate a finished or
completed action/task that occurred/happened at a specific point in time in the past. ‘A specific
time’ can be diverse and can cover a long period of time but it cannot be undeterminable.
Structure:
Subject + verb in the past form + . . . . . + adverb of time + . . . . .
Note: Adverb of time can also be at the beginning of the sentence. Other sentences can also refer to
that adverb and can use simple past tense.
Example:
o
Alex went to Mexico last year.
o
I ate a mango a few minutes ago.
o
He had an exam yesterday.
o
I used to travel around the world when I was fit. (It can also indicate a habit of the past
which is not a habit in the present.)
More: Past Indefinite Tense Examples.
Past Progressive (Continuous) Tense
The past progressive tense is used to demonstrate an action that was happening in the past for a
period of time in a particular context. The context can be a specific time or another action.
Structures:
Subject + was/were + verb + ing + . . . . . a specific time
Alex was sleeping yesterday at 6.30 AM
I was cleaning the dishes at around 5.30-6.30 yesterday.
When + subject + simple past tense + subject + was/were + verb+ing . . . .
When I went out, you were shouting from behind.
When Alex came, I was sleeping.
Subject + was/were + verb+ing + when + subject + simple past tense . . . .
You were shouting from behind when I went outside.
I was sleeping when Alex came home.
While + subject + was/were + verb+ing + subject + was/were + verb+ing . . . .
While I was sleeping, you were making noises.
While Alex was playing, I was sleeping.
Note: While can also be placed between the two clauses, and one of the clauses can be of simple past
tense.
More Examples of Past Continuous Tense Examples.
Past Perfect Tense
The past perfect is used to demonstrate an action that occurred before another action in the past.
There are usually two completed actions in the sentence; one happens before the other.
Structures:
Subject + had + past participle form of the main verb + before + subject + simple past tense . . . .
Alex had completed the task before the teacher asked.
I had bought a phone before you came here.
Before + subject + simple past tense + subject + had + past participle form of the verb +. . . .
Before I went to the office, I finished some business with her.
Before she went home, she had taken a test.
Subject + simple past tense + after + subject + had + past participle . . . .
Mark ate after I had bought him a bat.
I went to the office after I had finished some business with her.
After + subject + had + past participle + subject + simple past tense . . . .
After I had bought a phone, she came to the shop.
After she had gone, I came in.
Note: When can be used in place of before or after in any of the above structures.
More examples of Past Perfect Tense Examples.
Past Perfect Progressive Tense
The past perfect progressive tense is an extension to the past perfect tense and its structures. Past
perfect progressive is used to demonstrate an action which continued for a specific period of time but
stopped before another action.
Structure:
Subject + had + been + verb+ing + . . . . . + for/since + . . . . .+ before + subject + past simple tense
Alan had been playing cricket for 18 years before he retired.
Jack had been living in Sydney since 2010 before he moved to Melbourne.
Note: This tense can be replaced by the past perfect tense withdrawing for/since.
Past Tense Exercise & Practice with Explanation
1. The cyclist ________ he crossed the main street.
looked with caution after
was looked cautions when
had looked cautiously before
looks with caution after
Explanation: Past Perfect Tense + before + Past Indefinite Tense
2. The man waiting to take the test was very nervous. He ________ it before.
hasn’t taken
didn’t take
hadn’t taken
wasn’t taken
Explanation: For two previous activities, the one that occurred earlier than the other one will be in Past Perfect
Tense and the later one will be in Past Indefinite Tense.
3. An intensive search was conducted by the detective to locate those criminals, who
have had escaped
had escaped
are escaping
have been escaping
Explanation: As the criminals had escaped before the search; the sentence will be in Past Perfect Tense.
4. Choose the correct one:
He spoke so well as if he knew everything.
He spoke so well as if he would knew everything.
He spoke so well as if he had known everything. He spoke so well as if he was knowing everything.
Explanation: Past Indefinite Tense + as if/ as though + Past Perfect Tense
5. I waited until the plane ________.
had taken off
did not take off
took off
had taken off
Explanation: For two contemporary past events, will be in effect for both events.
6. If everybody liked the same kind of tea, ________ only one kind of tea.
there would have been
there would have
there would be
would be
Explanation: 2 nd conditional formation: If + Past Indefinite Tense…..+ would/might
7. He went to bed after.
he will learn the lesson.
he would learn the lesson.
he learns the lesson.
he had learnt the lesson.
Explanation: Past Indefinite Tense + after + Past Perfect Tense
8. How much did you________ for the book?
paid
pay
paying
have paid
Explanation: Relative pronouns (who, how, what, why, when) + did + subject + present form of verb + objects
9. It ________ a hot day, we remained in the tent.
was
having
being
had
Explanation: The example is in Simple Sentence. So, being will be used instead of be verb (am, is, are, was, were).
10. Even as harvesting was going on________.
the rainy season began.
the rainy season was begun.
the rainy season had begun.
the rainy season begins
Explanation: Sometimes principle clause and subordinate clause follow the same tense.
Future Tense: Definition, Structure & Examples
What is Future Tense?
Any action that is scheduled to happen in the future comes under the agenda of the future tense. Like
any other tense, Future Tense too can be detected by the verb form and the auxiliaries used.
Markers of Future Tense
Tomorrow
Years to come
Coming week
Ensuing year
Next
Next day
Coming month
Following day
Following
Next month
Coming year
Following week
Days to come
Next week
Ensuing week
Following month
Months to come
Next year
Ensuing month
Following year
Future tense also has four forms. However, one of the forms has no
practical use.

Simple Future (Future Indefinite) Tense

Future Continuous Tense

Future Perfect Tense

Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Simple Future (Future Indefinite) Tense
The simple future tense is used when an action is promised/thought to occur in the future. The
simple foreseen outcomes are stated in the future indefinite tense. "Shall/will'" marks the future
indefinite tense.
Structure:
Subject + shall/will + verb + . . . . . . . .
Example:
o
We shall move to another city.
o
He will come to New York tomorrow.
o
They will make a phone which has artificial intelligence.
o
It will rain in the coming hours.
o
There will be a hard few days ahead of us.
Note: In some cases, the present progressive tense can
promised/arranged/planned to take place in the future.
Example:
o
We are moving to Texas next week.
o
We are leaving at 6.00 PM.
o
They're going to do as you say.
o
Dan is meeting me at 9 AM.
o
I am hoping to see you soon.
More: Examples of Simple Future Tense
be
used
when
an
action
is
Future Continuous Tense
The future continuous tense is used when an action is promised/thought to be going on at a specific
time/context in the future.
Structure:
Subject + shall/will + be + verb+ing . . . . . . . .
Example:
o
I shall be sleeping at around 6.00 AM tomorrow.
o
They will be playing at this time tomorrow.
o
She will be watching TV when I come home.
o
I will be working in the office while you watch a movie.
More: Examples of Future Continuous Tense
Future Continuous Tense often adds an extra layer of politeness to normal speech. "Will you be
starting to decorate the room today?" is politer and considerate in a manner than the simple "Are you
starting to decorate the room today?" which sounds more like a command that is late to be followed.
Future Indefinite Tense vs Future Continuous Tense
The sentences in Future Indefinite Tense and Future Continuous Tense pose a very similar kind of
attitude and some may seem identical in manner. The major difference here is the tone that sets the
tenses apart. Let's compare the tone and attitude between them to get a clear idea about how they
differ.
Future Indefinite Tense
Future Continuous Tense
Ben will take the trash out. (Just decided)
Ben will be taking the trash out. (Previously decided upon)
Will you join us for dinner? (Invitation)
Will you be joining us for dinner? (Reconfirming possible previous
arrangements)
She will help decorate the
She will be helping to decorate the house. (A previous arrangement)
house. (Willing)
Future Continuous Tense often hints at possible pre-arrangements where the Simple Future Tense
indicates definite decisions, invitations, and willingness.
Future Perfect Tense
The future perfect tense is used to demonstrate an action which is promised to be done by a certain
time in the future. There is a certain definitive commitment in the Future Perfect Tense that most
future tenses tend to lack. This is because a certain point in type is mentioned. "Shall/will have"
before the Past Participle verb form is the definitive marker of all perfect tenses.
Structure:
Subject + shall/will + have + verb in the past participle . . . . . . . .
Example:
o
I shall have completed the assignment by Monday.
o
She will have cleaned the house before her father comes.
o
Alex will have submitted the tender by tomorrow.
o
Before I go to see her, she will have left the place.
o
They will have finished making the bridge by January.
More: Examples of Future Perfect Tense
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
Future Perfect Continuous or Progressive Tense expresses the action that will be continuing in the
future for a set amount of time that the speaker is sure of. The common backstory here would be the
speaker posits themselves in the future and foretells something that is bound to continue happening
for a certain period of time in the foreseeable future. "Will have been" is the marker of Future Perfect
Continuous Tense while the "for/since + time frame" at the end is the exclusive marker for all perfect
continuous tenses.
Structure:
Subject + will + have + been + verb + ing . . . . . . … + for/since + time frame
Examples:
o
He will have been running on the treadmill for one hour tomorrow.
o
We will have been basking in the afternoon sun for the whole winter.
o
I will have been touring the Australian terrains since next year.
o
Will you have been staring at the moon for one whole hour?
Note: There is close to no practical use of this Future Perfect Continuous tense in the English
language unless the period mentioned covers sometime in the past, the present and the future.
Future perfect continuous tense is normally used to stress the fact that something has been going on
for a long time and it will continue till a particular point in time in the future. It requires pointing out
the exact time in the future it will carry on until and for how long it will have been going on in total.
Examples:
o
Next month, we will have been living in this house for 10 years.
o
This Friday, I will have been working in the neighborhood for over 30 years.
o
Next Thursday, he will have been roaming the streets homeless for two long years.
o
This year, Helen will have been looking for a perfect care facility for herself for three
years.
o
Tomorrow, Jill's father will have been going door to door as a salesman for several
months.
Future Tense Exercise and Practice with Explanation
1. I ________ call you back, when I get free.
would
might
will
will be
Explanation: The sentence refers to a simple futuristic work.
2. I shall ________ the work before I leave my office.
finish
have finished
finished
be finishing
Explanation: Future Perfect Tense (sub + shall have /will have + p.p. of verb+ others) + before + Present
Indefinite Tense
3. We shall return before the sun ________.
set
will set
is set
sets
Explanation: For Universal Truth, nothing but Present Indefinite Tense will be used.
4. By the time the guests arrive, I ________ the room.
will cleaning
will be cleaned
will have cleaned
will clean
Explanation: According to rule of Sequence of Tense, if in there is by the time in subordinate clause, then the
principle clause will be in Future Perfect Tense.
5. We are late. The film ________ by the time we get to the cinema.
will already start
will be already started
will already have started will already be starting
Explanation:
6. He’ll give you a call as soon as ________ he.
will arrive
arrives
is arriving
is going to arrive.
Explanation: Future Indefinite + as soon as + Present Indefinite
7. ________ we get to the seminar, the presentation will have started.
As soon as By the time
Whenever
As
Explanation:
8. By 9 O’clock, we __________ our homework.
have finished
are finished
will have finished
will have finish
Explanation: This sentence follows the structure of Future Perfect Tense.
9. It seemed that ___________.
the day will never end
the day would never end
the day never ends
the day never ended
Explanation: As the first part of the sentence is in past tense, the second part will also be in the past tense
(will=would).
10. She will have finished the job before ________.
he come
he came
he has come he comes
Subject-Verb Agreement: Rules & Examples
The subject and verb are the most important elements of a sentence. The relation between the subject
and verb depends on two issues: person and number. The verb of a sentence must be in agreement
with the subject in regard to person and number.
The number of the subject can be singular and plural. The verb must be singular if the subject is
singular and the verb must be plural if the subject is plural.
So, identifying the number of the subject is required to take a verb.
The person of the subject can be first, second, and third. The verb changes according to the number
and person of the subject.
Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement:
Rule 1:
Singular subjects need singular verbs, while plural subjects require plural verbs. ‘Be’ verbs change
the most according to the number and person of the subject. Other verbs do not change much on the
basis of the subjects except the verbs of the simple present tense. If the subjects are a third person
singular number, the verbs are used with s/es when they are in simple present tense. The verbs
with s/es in the sentence are called singular verbs.
‘Be’ verbs according to number and person of the subject.
Number
Singular
Plural
First
am
are
Second
are
are
Third
is
are
Person/
Example:
Person/
Nmber
Singular
Plural
First
I am an excellent tennis player.
We are excellent tennis players.
Second
You are a nice person.
You all are nice people.
Third
Alex plays well under pressure.
He is a good player.
They are good at chasing.
They play well under pressure.
Rule 2:
When the prepositional phrases separate the subjects from the verbs, they have no effect on the verbs.
Example:
A study (singular subject) on African countries shows (singular verb) that 80% of the people (plural subject) of this
continent live (plural verb) below the poverty line.
The perspective of different people varies from time to time.
The fear of terrorists and militants has made them flee the city.
Rule 3:
Nouns connected by the conjunction and in the subject work as the plural subject and take a plural
verb.
Example:
o
Alex and Murphy are coming here.
o
Robin and his friends want to go on a tour.
o
Apples and mangoes are my favorite fruits.
Rule 4:
If the conjunction ‘and’ is replaced by together with/ along with/ accompanied by/ as well as, the
verb will have no effect for the later part of these expressions. The words prior to these expressions
are the subjects.
Example:
Tom, along with his brothers is going to the city. (‘His brothers’ is not the subject of
this sentence.)
o
o
Alex, as well as his parents, is coming to the party.
o
The boys, accompanied by their teacher Mr. Robbins are planning a tour.
Note: If these expressions are replaced by ‘and’, the subjects will be regarded as plurals, and so the
verbs have to be plural.
Example: Tom and his brothers are going to the city.
Rule 5:
Some nouns are always singular and indefinite. When these nouns become the subjects, they always
take singular verbs.
Any + singular noun
No + singular noun
Some + sin. noun
Every + sin. noun
Each + sin. noun
Anybody
Anyone
Anything
Nobody
No one
Nothing
Somebody
Someone
Something
Everybody
Everyone
Everything
Each student
Either*
Neither*
*Note: Either and neither are singular if they are not used with or and nor.
Example:
o
Everybody wants to live happily.
o
Something is bothering him.
o
No human being lives in that house.
o
Neither of you is responsible enough to handle it.
o
Each student has to submit a separate assignment.
Rule 6:
Some nouns are always plural. These nouns have two parts.
Scissors, shorts, eyeglasses, pants, thongs, jeans, trousers, etc.
Example:
o
My pants are in the drawer.
o
Your eyeglasses are dirty.
o
These scissors are useless.
Note: If these words are preceded by the phrase a pair of, they will be regarded as singular subjects.
Example:
o
A pair of pants is needed.
o
This pair of trousers is ugly.
Rule 7:
None is a singular subject when it is used alone. When it is used with a prepositional phrase starting
with of, the subject can be both plural and singular.
None + of the + singular noun + singular verb
None + of the + plural noun + plural verb
Example:
o
None of the money has been used.
o
None of the teacher wants failure for students.
o
None of the students want to fail.
o
None of the bottles are clean enough to keep water.
Note: No + plural noun takes plural verbs.
Example: no men are hungry now.
Rule 8:
Either . . . or, neither . . . nor, or, and nor take two nouns before and after them. The nouns placed
after these conjunctions are regarded as the subjects of the sentence. The nouns placed prior to the
words or and nor have no effect on the verbs.
Example:
o
Neither Alex nor his brothers are going to the party.
o
Either John and Alex or I am doing it.
o
I or Robert opens the door when someone comes.
o
Neither the boys nor we are responsible for it.
Rule 9:
The sentences beginning with here/there are different in structure. In this case, the subject comes
after the verb.
Here/There + verb + subject . . . . . .
Example:
o
Here comes(verb) the lion(subject).
o
There is a pond near the house.
o
There are some candies on the table.
o
Here is the document for your car.
Rule 10:
Collective nouns are usually regarded as singular subjects.
Examples:
o
The committee has decided to postpone the game.
o
The family was ecstatic by the news.
o
The crowd enjoys the excitement in the game.
o
Twenty dollars is not a lot of money. (Here, the noun is plural, but the subject is
regarded as a collective noun.)
Note: The following phrases are also regarded as collective nouns and thus singular subjects.
Flock of birds/sheep, herd of cattle, pack of dogs/wolves, school of fish, pride of lions
Example:
o
A flock of sheep always moves together.
o
A pack of wolves is approaching towards the herd of cattle.
o
A school of fish always hides from the big fishes.
Rule 11:
A number of + noun is a plural subject, and it takes a plural verb. The number of + noun is a
singular subject, and it takes a singular verb.
Example:
o
A number of dancers are coming to the party. (Indefinite number of dancers – plural)
o
The number of dancers coming to the party is 12. (Definite number of dancers –
singular)
o
A number of people prefer cricket to football.
o
The number of days in this month is 28.
Rule 12:
If a gerund or an infinitive comes as a subject, the verb will always be singular.
Example:
o
Swimming is a good exercise.
o
Walking is a good habit.
o
Eating healthy food makes you healthy.
o
To err is human.
Rule 13:
If the + an adjective appears as the subject of a sentence, it will be plural.
Example:
o
The pious are loved by God.
o
The industrious are always not successful.
o
The best do not lack integrity.
Subject-Verb Agreement Exercise & Practice with Explanation
1. Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject: His pants ____ torn during the match.
was
is
were
are
Explanation: Some nouns are always considered as a plural noun like ‘pants’ in this sentence and the main verb here
in past form, so the auxiliary verb should be in plural and past form.
2. Aron, together with his wife ____ the guests of the party.
greets
greet
greeting
are greeting
Explanation: Multiple subjects are connected by ‘together with’ so only the noun before it will affect the verb.
3. Tweezers ____ always useful to handle small objects.
may
is
will
are
Explanation: Some nouns are always considered as a plural noun like ‘tweezers’ in this sentence.
4. The jury ____ not convinced.
might
was
were
would
Explanation: ‘jury’ is a collective noun which is always considered as a singular subject.
5. The truthful ____ always trustworthy.
is
was
are
may
Explanation: The subject of this sentence is an adjective which started with ‘the’, so the verb will always be plural
this kind of situation.
6. To cry ____ never the solution to any problems.
are
were
should
is
Explanation: An infinitive is used as the subject so the verb should be singular here
7. A number of soldiers ____ injured during the war.
is
were
was
might
Explanation: The subject ‘soldier’ is accompanied by ‘A number of’ which makes it plural.
8. The number of deceased soldiers ____ not stored in the record book.
were
is
are
may
Explanation: The subject ‘deceased soldiers’ is accompanied by ‘The number of’ which makes it singula
9. A pack of lions ____ approaching the camp.
will
were
are
was
Explanation: The subject ‘A pack of lions’ is considered as a singular noun so the verb should be singular as well.
10. Killing ____ not always considered a bad thing.
were
are
was
would
Explanation: The subject of the sentence is a ‘gerund’ so the verb should be in singular form.
11. There ____ many difficulties regarding the situation.
should
was
were
is
Explanation: The sentence started with ‘there’, so the subject came after the verb. As the subject is plural so the ve
should be plural as well.
12. Here ____ the tomb of Albert Einstein.
lies
lie
lying
lied
Explanation: The sentence starts with ‘Here’, so the verb comes before the subject. As the subject is singular so th
verb should be singular as well.
13. Either she or her friends ____ responsible for this accident.
is
are
was
might
Explanation: Two subjects are accompanied by ‘Either… or’ so only the subject after ‘or’ will have any effect on th
verb
14. Neither me nor my parents ____ aware of the incident.
would be
is
was
were
Explanation: Two subjects are accompanied by ‘Neither… or’ so only the subject after ‘or’ will have any effect on t
verb.
15. None ____ none under the sun.
are
were
is
will be
Explanation: Here ‘None’ is used alone in the sentence so it is singular and so the auxiliary verb should be singular
well.
16. None of them ____ able to solve this question.
is
were
was
would be
Explanation: Although ‘None’ is singular when used alone but in this sentence, it is accompanied by a prepositio
phrase consisting of a plural subject. So the verb should be plural as well.
17. Eight fifty dollars ____ what it would cost to buy the new pixel phone.
are
is
were
shall
Explanation: The subject is a collective noun so the verb should be singular.
18. A pair of trousers ____ all that I brought along
were
are
would be
is
Explanation: Here the noun ‘trousers’ is preceded by ‘A pair of’ which makes it a singular subject. So the verb shou
be singular in this sentence.
19. Everything ____ fine when it’s done correctly.
work
worked
will work
works
Explanation: Here the subject ‘everything’ is singular so the verb is modified accordingly.
20. Ronaldo and Messi ____ the greatest football players of the 21st century.
were
are
was
is
Phrase: Definition, Types & Examples
What is Phrase?
Phrases and clauses are the most important elements of English grammar. Phrase and clause
cover everything a sentence has. Clauses are the center of sentences and phrases strengthen the
sentences to become meaningful. If the clauses are the pillars of a building, the phrases are the
bricks. A phrase usually is always present within a clause, but a phrase cannot have a clause in
it.
The basic difference between a clause and a phrase is that a clause must have a finite verb and a
phrase must not.
A phrase, therefore, is a group of words which has no finite verb in it and acts to complete the
sentence for making it meaningful.
“A phrase is a small group of words that form a meaningful unit within a clause.”-Oxford
Dictionary
“In linguistic analysis, a phrase is a group of words (or possibly a single word) that
functions as a constituent in the syntax of a sentence, a single unit within the
grammatical hierarchy.”- Osborne, Timothy, Michael Putnam, and Thomas Gross (2011)
Phrase Examples
Types of Phrases
The phrases are generally of several types.

Noun Phrase

Adjective Phrase

Adverbial Phrase

Prepositional Phrase

Conjunctional Phrase

Interjectional Phrase

Absolute Phrase

Appositive Phrase

Participle Phrase

Gerund Phrase

Infinitive Phrase
Noun Phrase
It is usually assembled centering a single noun and works as a subject, an object or a complement
in the sentence.
Example:
o
I like to swing the bat hard when I am at the crease. (An object)
o
Reading novels is a good habit. (A subject)
o
The probability of happening that match is not much. (A subject)
o
We are sorry for her departure.
Adjective Phrase
It is comprised of an adjective and works as a single adjective in the sentence.
Example:
o
Alex is a well-behaved man.
o
He is a man of friendly nature.
o
Julie is a woman of gorgeous style.
o
She leads a very interesting life.
o
A lot of people do not sleep at night.
Adverbial Phrase
It modifies the verb or the adjective and works as an adverb in the sentence.
Example:
o
The horse runs at a good speed.
o
I was in a hurry then.
o
I ran as fast as possible.
o
He works very slowly.
Prepositional Phrase
It always begins with a preposition and connects nouns.
Example:
o
He sacrificed his life for the sake of his country.
o
In the end, we all have to die.
o
He is on the way.
o
By working aimlessly, you will not get success.
o
In spite of working hard, he was insulted by his boss.
Note: Prepositional phrases include all other types of phrases.
Conjunctional Phrase
A conjunctional phrase works as a conjunction in the sentence.
Example:
o
As soon as you got in, he went out.
o
We have to work hard so that we can win the next match.
o
I will attend the ceremony provided that you come.
o
John started working early in order that he could finish early.
Interjectional Phrase
Interjections that have more than one word are called interjectional phrases.
Example:
o
What a pity! He is dead.
o
What a pleasure! I won the first prize.
o
Oh please! Don’t say that again.
Absolute Phrase
The phrases containing Noun or Pronoun accompanied by a participle and necessary modifiers if
any are stated as Absolute Phrases. They modify indefinite classes and are also called
Nominative Phrases.
Examples:
o
Weather permitting, I will join the party.
o
God willing, he’ll pass the test this time.
o
The hot Summer sun having set, we left for the movie
Appositive Phrase
An appositive is a Noun or Pronoun often accompanied by modifiers that sit beside another
Noun or Pronoun to describe it. An Appositive Phrase is a set of words containing an Appositive
and it follows or precedes the Noun or Pronoun it identifies or explains.
Examples:
o
My school friend, Brooks always bunked classes.
o
His colleague, Mr. Robinson likes his tea.
o
Jeremy, the police officer on duty, wrote the speeding ticket.
Participle Phrase
It is made of a participle, its modifier(s) and/or the objects that complete the sense of the
sentence.
Examples:
o
Walking fast, I keep looking left and right.
o
Climbing the stairs, she waved at us.
o
I looked back, starting the engine.
Gerund Phrase
These contain a Gerund, its modifier(s) and the other necessary elements. They function as
Nouns just like Gerunds themselves and that means they can be Subjects and Objects of the
sentences.
Examples:
o
Eating plenty of grapes in one sitting is a bad idea.
o
Doing the dishes gives me cold allergies.
o
I hate hurrying right before the deadline.
Infinitive Phrase
These are comprised of infinitive verbs (To + base verb)along with their modifiers and/or
complements.
Examples:
o
We love to cook together.
o
He likes to solve math problems too much.
o
Rina walks fast to be there on time.
Verb: Definition & Types
A verb is a word or a combination of words that indicates action or a state of being or condition.
A verb is the part of a sentence that tells us what the subject performs. Verbs are the hearts of
English sentences.
Examples:
o
Jacob walks in the morning. (A usual action)
o
Mike is going to school. (A condition of action)
o
Albert does not like to walk. (A negative action)
o
Anna is a good girl. (A state of being)
Verbs are related to a lot of other factors like the subject, person, number, tense, mood, voice,
etc.
Basic Forms of Verbs
There are six basic forms of verbs. These forms are as follows:
o
Base form: Children play in the field.
o
Infinitive: Tell them not to play
o
Past tense: They played football yesterday.
o
Past participle: I have eaten a burger.
o
Present participle: I saw them playing with him today.
o
Gerund: Swimming is the best exercise.
Different Types of Verbs

Main/Base Verb

Regular/Weak Verb

Irregular/Strong Verb

Transitive Verb

Intransitive Verb

Weak Verb

Strong Verb

Finite Verbs

Non-finite Verbs

Action Verbs

Linking Verb

Auxiliary Verbs

Modal Verbs

Reflexive Verb

Ergative Verb

Phrasal Verb

Lexical Verb

Delexical Verb

Stative/Being Verb

Dynamic Verb

Non-continuous Verb

Participle

Gerund

Infinitive
Base Verb
The base verb is the form of a verb where it has no ending (-ing, -ed, -en) added to it. It is also
called the Root Verb since it is the very root form of a verb.
Examples:
o
I go to school every day.
o
You run a mile every morning.
o
Do your homework.
Regular Verb
The Verbs that follow the most usual conjugations are considered Regular Verbs. It is regular
since it abides by most if not all of the regular grammar rules there are.
Examples:
o
Rehan plays cricket.
o
Tam called out my name.
o
You really walked all the way back?
Irregular Verb
The Verbs that have irregularities in terms of following grammar rules are Irregular Verbs, in
general.
Examples:
o
Do the dishes.
o
I hardly ever drink enough water in a day.
o
She drove all the way back.
Transitive Verb
The Main Verb that takes a direct object sitting right after it would be a Transitive Verb. They
usually construct the most straightforward of sentences.
Examples:
o
She went to the fair.
o
We do not like being called out loud in crowds.
o
I love visiting my village home.
Intransitive Verb
The main Verb that does not take a direct object specified right afterward and rather there is an
indirect one mentioned somewhere along the line is called an Intransitive Verb. These verbs
often make the corresponding sentences incomplete.
Example:
o
I laughed.
o
John ran.
o
A ghast of cold wind blew.
Weak Verb
Verbs that end with “-d” and “-t” in their Past Indefinite and Past Participle form are Weak
Verbs. There is a tendency to associate Weak Verbs with Regular Verbs but not all Weak Verbs
are Regular Verbs in the English language.
Examples:
Present Indefinite
Past Indefinite
Spend
Spent
Walk
Walked
Book
Booked
Learn
Learnt
Want
Wanted
Strong Verb
Strong Verbs are those in which the vowels in the verb stem changes from “i” to “a” to “u” in the
Present Indefinite to Past Indefinite to Past Participle form of Verbs.
Examples:
Present Indefinite
Past Indefinite
Past Participle
Ring
Rang
Rung
Drink
Drank
Drunk
Cling
Clang
Clung
Swim
Swam
Swum
Sing
Sang
Sung
Wring
Wrang
Wrung
Finite Verbs
Finite verbs are the actual verbs that are called the roots of sentences. It is a form of a verb that
is performed by or refers to a subject and uses one of the twelve forms of tense and changes
according to the number/person of the subject.
Example:
o
Alex went to school. (Subject – Alex – performed the action in the past. This
information is evident only by the verb ‘went’.)
o
Robert plays hockey.
o
He is playing for Australia.
o
He is one of the best players. (Here, the verb ‘is’ directly refers to the subject itself.)
Non-finite Verbs
Non-finite Verbs are not actual verbs. They do not work as verbs in the sentence rather they
work as nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc. Non-finite verbs do not change according to the
number/person of the subject because these verbs, also called verbals, do not have any direct
relation to the subject. Sometimes they become the subject themselves.
The forms of non-finite verbs are – infinitive, gerund, and participle (participles become finite
verbs when they take auxiliary verbs.)
Example:
o
Alex went abroad to play (Infinitives)
o
Playing cricket is his only job. (Present participle)
o
I have a broken bat. (Past participle)
o
Walking is a good habit. (Gerund)
Action Verbs
Action verbs indicate what the subject of a sentence performs. Action verbs can make the
listener/reader feel emotions, see scenes more vividly and accurately.
Action verbs can be transitive or intransitive.
Transitive verbs must have a direct object. A transitive verb demands something/someone to be
acted upon.
Example:
o
I painted the car. (The verb ‘paint’ demands an object to be painted)
o
She is reading the newspaper. (The verb ‘read’ asks the question “what is she reading?”
– the answer is the object)
Intransitive verbs do not act upon anything. They may be followed by an adjective, adverb,
preposition, or another part of speech.
Example:
o
She smiled. (The verb ‘smile’ cannot have any object since the action of ‘smiling’ does
not fall upon anything/anyone)
o
I wake up at 6 AM. (No object is needed for this verb)
Note: {Subject + Intransitive verb} is sufficient to make a complete sentence but {Subject +
Transitive verb} is not sufficient because transitive verbs demand a direct object.
Linking Verb
A linking verb adds details about the subject of a sentence. In its simplest form, it connects the
subject and the complement — that is, the words that follow the linking verb. It creates a link
between them instead of showing action.
Often, what is on each side of a linking verb is equivalent; the complement redefines or restates
the subject.
Generally, linking verbs are called ‘be’ verbs which are - am, is, are, was, were. However, there
are some other verbs that can work as linking verbs. Those verbs are:
Act, feel, remain, appear, become, seem, smell, sound, grow, look, prove, stay, taste, turn.
Some verbs in this list can also be action verbs. To figure out if they are linking verbs, you
should try replacing them with forms of the be verbs. If the changed sentence makes sense, that
verb is a linking verb.
Example:
o
She appears ready for the game. (She is ready for the game.)
o
The food seemed delicious. (The food was delicious.)
o
You look happy. (You are happy.)
Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary verbs are also called helping verbs. An auxiliary verb extends the main verb by
helping to show time, tense, and possibility. The auxiliary verbs are – be verbs, have, and do.
They are used in the continuous (progressive) and perfect tenses.
Linking verbs work as main verbs in the sentence, but auxiliary verbs help main verbs.
Do is an auxiliary verb that is used to ask questions, to express negation, to provide emphasis,
and more.
Example:
o
Alex is going to school.
o
They are walking in the park.
o
I have seen a movie.
o
Do you drink tea?
o
Don’t waste your time.
o
Please, do submit your assignments.
Modal Verbs
A modal verb is a kind of auxiliary verb. It assists the main verb to indicate possibility,
potentiality, ability, permission, expectation, and obligation.
The modal verbs are can, could, must, may, might, ought to, shall, should, will, would.
Example:
o
I may want to talk to you again.
o
They must play their best game to win.
o
She should call him.
o
I will go there.
Reflexive Verb
When the Subject and the Object are the same and the Verb reflects on the Subject, that is the
Reflexive Verb. These Verbs are often used with Reflexive Pronouns like - myself, himself,
herself, itself etc.
Examples:
o
He has done it himself.
o
I'll watch it myself.
Ergative Verb
Ergative Verbs can be used as Transitive and Intransitive Verb. They are also called Labile Verb
in English.
Examples:
Intransitive Verbs
Transitive Verbs
The door opens.
I opened the door.
The bell rang.
She rang the bell.
The light is fused.
They fused the lights.
The whistle blew.
Tom blew the whistle.
Phrasal Verb
An idiomatic phrase consisting of a Verb and another element, most likely an Adverb or
a Preposition is called a Phrasal Verb.
Examples:
o
She broke down in tears.
o
Don't look down upon the poor.
o
I'll see to it.
Lexical Verb
Lexical Verb is the main or principal verb of a sentence which typically takes the major
responsibility of a Verb that represents the action of the Noun or Pronoun.
Examples:
o
He ran to his father.
o
I laughed out loud.
o
Rina tried her best.
DE-Lexical Verb
Delexical Verbs lack importance when it comes to meaning since these Verbs hardly have
meanings of their own when used individually. The meaning is taken out of the Verbs and put
into the Noun. Take, have, make, give etc. are Delexical Verbs.
Examples:
o
He took a shower.
o
I had a cold drink.
o
She made some arrangements.
Stative Verb
The Verbs that describe the state of being are called Stative or Being Verbs.
Examples:
o
I need some boxes.
o
You belong to the pomp and power.
o
He smells danger.
o
They remember what happened that day.
Dynamic Verb
The Verbs that entail continuous or progressive action of the Subject are called Dynamic or
Fientive Verbs. They express the Subject’s state of being on the move.
Examples:
o
He’s running fast.
o
Keep hitting the ball hard.
o
The dog goes for a walk every afternoon.
Non-continuous Verb
The Verbs that are usually never used in their continuous forms are called Non-continuous
Verbs.
Examples:
I like to swim.
I'm liking to swim.
I love to do the chords.
I'm loving to do the chords.
He does not hate you.
He's hating you.
She just feels a bit dizzy, no need to
worry.
She's just feeling a bit dizzy.
Intensive Verb
The Verbs that focus intensely on just the Subject are called Intensive Verbs. Intensive Verbs are
also called Linking or Copular Verbs.
Examples:
o
You seem happy.
o
It appears to be just perfect.
o
She looks stunning.
o
He's become rather irritable.
Extensive Verb
All the Verbs that do not focus intensively on just the Subject (as the Intensive Verbs) of the
sentence are Extensive Verbs.
Examples:
o
He loves her.
o
She runs too fast.
o
Ron sells fish.
Participle
A participle is a Verb form where they retain some of the characteristics and functions of both
Verbs and adopt those of the Adjectives.
Examples:
Present Participle (Verb + -ing)
o
Have I become a laughing stock?
o
Cycling is a well-rounded exercise.
Past Participle
o
I have taken a hint.
o
Have you given it enough thought?
Perfect Participle (Having + Past Participle)
o
Having said that, I was quite worried.
o
Having stepped out of my comfort zone, I saw a whole new world.
Gerund
The Verbs having -ing endings that function like Nouns in sentences are called Gerunds.
Examples:
o
Smoking is injurious to health.
o
Walking is good for health.
o
I love swimming.
Infinitive
The 'to + Verb' forms where the Verbs are at their base or stem forms while they function as
Nouns, Adjectives or Adverbs instead of Verbs.
Examples:
o
I wanted to help you out.
o
Are you trying to go there?
o
I just love to flaunt my new Ferarri.
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are two or more words that together act as a completely new word, with a meaning
separate from the original words. For example, pick up means to “grab” or “lift,” very different
from the definitions of pick and up alone. Popular in spoken English, phrasal verbs can be quite
confusing because their definitions aren’t always easy to guess—and there are thousands of
them. In fact, many phrasal verbs are distinct variations on the same base verb, which can add to
the confusion.
For multilingual speakers, in particular, phrasal verbs are one of the most difficult topics
in learning English. To help simplify this complicated issue, what follows is our guide to
understanding English phrasal verbs, including a list of the most common ones.
What is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb combines a normal verb with an adverb or a preposition to create an entirely new
verbal phrase—the phrasal verb. The meaning of a phrasal verb is usually unrelated to the
meanings of the words that comprise it, so think of a phrasal verb as an entirely new and
independent word.
When used in a sentence, phrasal verbs act the same as other verbs for conjugation and
placement, although they do have special rules about word order, which we talk about below.
Phrasal verbs can be conjugated into every type of verb form, so you can use them anywhere you
could use a normal verb.
Common phrasal verbs (with meanings and examples)
back [x] up
support or defend someone
When the class was making fun of me, only the teacher backed me up.
break down
stop working, especially when referring to machines
The ice cream machine at McDonalds is always breaking down.
call around
contact multiple people
Roy called around to find a nearby mechanic.
calm down
relax after an energetic or irritated state
I need a few minutes to calm down after that match.
call [x] off
cancel
We called the party off. / We called off the party.
check [x] out
verify a person or thing (can sometimes be flirtatious when used in reference to a person)
I’ll check the contract out. / I’ll check out the contract.
clean up
be extremely successful in an endeavor, such as business, sports, or gambling
Our hockey team cleaned up at the tournament and went home undefeated.
stop questionable behavior, such as consuming drugs or alcohol
Her boss said she had to either clean up or find a new job.
clean [x] up
clean a general area
John cleaned the living room up. / John cleaned up the living room.
cheer [x] up
make someone happy, especially if they were previously sad
Reading always cheers me up on a rainy day.
come around
change an opinion or see a new point of view
I never liked seafood, but came around after trying fried calamari.
come between
disturb a relationship
After more than fifty years of marriage, nothing could come between them.
come down on
attack or punish harshly
Ever since last month’s accident, police have been coming down on drunk driving.
come down with
become sick
After sitting in the rain for hours, Chandra came down with a nasty cold.
come out of
happen as a consequence of another event
We missed a day of school, so at least some good came out of our boring class trip.
come up
become the topic of discussion or receive attention
Everyone talked about how much they enjoyed the movie, but the run time never came up in the
conversation.
approach or come near
While walking outside the fence, a cow came up right next to me and licked my face.
happen or occur, as with an event or situation
Don’t worry about a problem until after it comes up.
come up with
think of an idea, especially as the first person to do so, or to produce a solution
Sahar comes up with her best story ideas at night, so she writes them down before she forgets
them.
count on
rely or depend on
If I’m ever making a mistake, I can count on my friends to warn me.
dive into
occupy oneself with something; to pore over quickly or reach into quickly
I’ll dive into that new TV show later tonight.
dress up
wear nice clothes or put forth in the best light
Abed dressed up for the award ceremony.
end up
eventually reach some conclusion or destination
After thinking for a day, he ended up taking the job.
fall apart
break into pieces
My new dress completely fell apart after just two washes.
suffer from mental or emotional distress
He endured all kinds of harassment at work without flinching, but completely fell apart when his
cat got sick.
fill [x] up
fill something completely
Bruce filled his wine glass up to the brim. / Bruce filled up his wine glass to the brim.
find out
discover or learn
We’ll have to wait until the next TV episode to find out who the killer is.
get [x] across
communicate or explain something clearly
The professor spoke for hours, but didn’t get anything across to the students.
get ahead
succeed or progress
You’ll never get ahead at this company unless you follow the rules.
get around
travel from place to place
It’s impossible to get around this city without a car.
get around to [x]
do something eventually
I’ll get around to fixing the table after the playoffs.
get away with
escape punishment or some other unpleasantness
Shirley thought she got away with cheating until the teacher asked her to stay after class.
get along with
be friendly with
My dog gets along with everyone as long as they’re not a cat.
get at
reach
There’s an itch on my back that I can’t get at.
attempt to prove or explain
What these graphs are getting at is that we’ll be bankrupt by next week.
get away
escape or depart from
Lucio liked to go to the lake every weekend, just to get away from the city.
get away with
escape punishment for a crime or misdeed
The boss’s nephew gets away with much more than any of the other employees.
get [x] back
have something returned
Rodger got his pencil back from Greta. / Rodger got back his pencil from Greta.
get back at
have revenge on someone
Laila promised herself that she would get back at whomever started the rumor.
get by
survive or manage at the bare minimum
When Sheila lost her job, the family had to get by with only their savings.
get down
enjoy oneself without inhibitions, especially with music or dancing
Vicente may be overly formal at work, but he sure knows how to get down to hip-hop.
get [x] down
depress or discourage someone
Kima always gets everyone down with her stories from the hospital.
record or write something down
The President spoke quickly at the press conference, and reporters were struggling to get all of
his comments down.
get down to
begin or start
Once everyone arrives, we’ll get down to picking teams.
get in on
join an activity
After Bitcoin started going up, everyone wanted to get in on cryptocurrency.
get into
discuss something thoroughly
I don’t want to get into our finances now; we’ll talk after our guests leave.
get [x] out of
receive a benefit from something
Babysitting the Cohles was a nightmare, but at least Janelle got some money out of it.
get over
recover or overcome
Drinking a lot of water helps in getting over an illness.
get through
complete or endure an unpleasant task
Alessandra can’t get through a morning without coffee.
get to
annoy or bother someone
People who don’t clean up after their dogs really get to me.
get together
have a social event
The volleyball team is getting together for dinner after practice.
give [x] away
donate something or give something for free
Mindy gave her prized doll collection away. / Mindy gave away her prized doll collection.
give up
accept defeat, quit, or surrender
Carin felt like giving up every time she saw the scoreboard.
give [x] up
stop consuming or doing something, often a habit
Minh gave chocolate up for his diet. / Minh gave up chocolate for his diet.
go against
contradict, oppose, or fight against
A group of students went against the school dress code yesterday and wore ripped jeans.
go ahead
proceed or move forward
Because of the snow, we can’t go ahead with the festival.
go along with
agree with or pretend to agree with
Even though Cedric hated weight lifting, he went along with it because his coach suggested it.
go for
try or attempt to achieve something
Carlos trains so hard because he is going for an Olympic gold medal.
go on
continue doing something (see keep [x] up)
The boys will go on digging until they hit a water pipe.
go over
review or look at again
Marie went over the study guide one last time before the test.
hand in
submit (especially an assignment)
The teacher wants us to hand in our essays through email.
hold [x] back
prevent someone from doing something
I wanted to become an architect, but my bad grades held me back.
keep [x] up
continue doing something (see go on)
Keep this pace up and you’ll set a new record!
leave [x] out
omit or disregard
Orna left the graph out of the presentation. / Orna left out the graph from the presentation.
let [x] down
disappoint
Kamal let Marco down when he arrived late. / Kamal let down Marco when he arrived late.
let go of
release or free
Don’t let go of the rope until I’m safe.
let [x] in
allow to enter
Close the door or you’ll let the flies in!
let [x] know
tell someone something
Let me know as soon as Leslie texts back.
look after
take care of someone or something
Thank you for looking after me when I was sick.
look up to [x]
admire or idolize someone
I looked up to this YouTuber until I read about their scandal.
mix up
confuse something with something else
It’s easy to mix up Chris Pine and Chris Pratt.
pull [x] up
retrieve or bring something nearer
Eugene pulled the document up on his computer. / Eugene pulled up the document on his
computer.
put [x] on
wear or add something to your person or an object
I always put my backpack on before leaving the house. / I always put on my backpack before
leaving the house.
put up with
tolerate or condone
Somehow Paz could put up with Janice’s cynical attitude.
run out of
use all of or drain the supply of something
Isabella ran out of toilet paper at the worst possible time.
see to
make sure something is done
I’ll see to watering the plants while you’re gone.
set [x] up
arrange or organize
Since no one invited me to join their study group, I set one up myself.
show off
deliberately display abilities or accomplishments in order to impress people
Panya didn’t need to shoot so many three-pointers; she was just showing off.
shut [x] off
turn off, especially a machine
Don’t forget to shut the water off after your shower. / Don’t forget to shut off the water after
your shower.
take after
resemble, especially with parents and their children
Li takes after his father when it comes to politics.
take [x] out
move something outside
Please take the garbage out before dinner. / Please take out the garbage before dinner.
think [x] over
consider something
When his parents suggested selling his Pokemon cards, Yosef thought it over.
throw [x] away
dispose of something
Could you throw that old burrito away? / Could you throw away that old burrito?
turn [x] down
reject or say “no”
My crush turned me down after I asked them out.
top off
fill something to the top; to complete something in a special or spectacular way
May I top off your beverage?
wait on
What are phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are a group of words that combine a verb with an adverb or a preposition.
Together, these words act as a single verb and take on a whole new meaning that’s independent
from the meanings of the individual words.
What are phrasal verb examples?
Phrasal verbs are very common, and you hear them in spoken English all the time. Some popular
examples include get out, calm down, give away, and put up with.
What are the four types of phrasal verbs?
There are four types of phrasal verbs, divided into two pairs: transitive and intransitive; separable
and inseparable. A phrasal verb can belong to only one of each pair, but keep in mind that all
separable phrasal verbs are transitive.
200 common phrasal verbs, with meaning and example sentence
ask somebody out
invite on a date
Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.
ask around
ask many people the same question
I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet.
add up to something
equal
Your purchases add up to $205.32.
back something up
reverse
You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out.
back somebody up
support
My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job.
blow up
explode
The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence.
blow something up
add air
We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party.
break down
stop functioning (vehicle, machine)
Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm.
break down
get upset
The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died.
break something down
divide into smaller parts
Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts.
break in
force entry to a building
Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo.
break into something
enter forcibly
The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children.
break something in
wear something a few times so that it doesn't look/feel new
I need to break these shoes in before we run next week.
break in
interrupt
The TV station broke in to report the news of the president's death.
break up
end a relationship
My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America.
break up
start laughing (informal)
The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking.
break out
escape
The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren't looking.
break out in something
develop a skin condition
I broke out in a rash after our camping trip.
bring somebody down
make unhappy
This sad music is bringing me down.
bring somebody up
raise a child
My grandparents brought me up after my parents died.
bring something up
start talking about a subject
My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports.
bring something up
vomit
He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet.
call around
phone many different places/people
We called around but we weren't able to find the car part we needed.
call somebody back
return a phone call
I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend.
call something off
cancel
Jason called the wedding off because he wasn't in love with his fiancé.
call on somebody
ask for an answer or opinion
The professor called on me for question 1.
call on somebody
visit somebody
We called on you last night but you weren't home.
call somebody up
phone
Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town.
calm down
relax after being angry
You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car.
not care for somebody/ something
not like (formal)
I don't care for his behaviour.
catch up
get to the same point as somebody else
You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty.
check in
arrive and register at a hotel or airport
We will get the hotel keys when we check in.
check out
leave a hotel
You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM.
check somebody/ something out
look at carefully, investigate
The company checks out all new employees.
check out somebody/ something
look at (informal)
Check out the crazy hair on that guy!
cheer up
become happier
She cheered up when she heard the good news.
cheer somebody up
make happier
I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.
chip in
help
If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon.
clean something up
tidy, clean
Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside.
come across something
find unexpectedly
I came across these old photos when I was tidying the closet.
come apart
separate
The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough.
come down with something
become sick
My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend.
come forward
volunteer for a task or to give evidence
The woman came forward with her husband's finger prints.
come from some place
originate in
The art of origami comes from Asia.
count on somebody/ something
rely on
I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out.
cross something out
draw a line through
Please cross out your old address and write your new one.
cut back on something
consume less
My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods.
cut something down
make something fall to the ground
We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the storm.
cut in
interrupt
Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle.
cut in
pull in too closely in front of another vehicle
The bus driver got angry when that car cut in.
cut in
start operating (of an engine or electrical device)
The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to 22°C.
cut something off
remove with something sharp
The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely injured.
cut something off
stop providing
The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't pay the bill.
cut somebody off
take out of a will
My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried.
cut something out
remove part of something (usually with scissors and paper)
I cut this ad out of the newspaper.
do somebody/ something over
beat up, ransack (BrE, informal)
He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street gang.
do something over
do again (AmE)
My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't like my topic.
do away with something
discard
It's time to do away with all of these old tax records.
do something up
fasten, close
Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing!
dress up
wear nice clothing
It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up.
drop back
move back in a position/group
Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her bike.
drop in/ by/ over
come without an appointment
I might drop in/by/over for tea sometime this week.
drop somebody/ something off
take somebody/ something somewhere and leave them/it there
I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over.
drop out
quit a class, school etc
I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult.
eat out
eat at a restaurant
I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's eat out.
end up
eventually reach/do/decide
We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the theatre.
fall apart
break into pieces
My new dress fell apart in the washing machine.
fall down
fall to the ground
The picture that you hung up last night fell down this morning.
fall out
separate from an interior
The money must have fallen out of my pocket.
fall out
(of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached
His hair started to fall out when he was only 35.
figure something out
understand, find the answer
I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf in this room.
fill something in
to write information in blanks, as on a form (BrE)
Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone number.
fill something out
to write information in blanks, as on a form (AmE)
The form must be filled out in capital letters.
fill something up
fill to the top
I always fill the water jug up when it is empty.
find out
discover
We don't know where he lives. How can we find out?
find something out
discover
We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but Samantha found it out.
get something across/ over
communicate, make understandable
I tried to get my point across/over to the judge but she wouldn't listen.
get along/on
like each other
I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and my sister got along/on.
get around
have mobility
My grandfather can get around fine in his new wheelchair.
get away
go on a vacation
We worked so hard this year that we had to get away for a week.
get away with something
do without being noticed or punished
Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths tests.
get back
return
We got back from our vacation last week.
get something back
receive something you had before
Liz finally got her Science notes back from my room-mate.
get back at somebody
retaliate, take revenge
My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole my favourite hat.
get back into something
become interested in something again
I finally got back into my novel and finished it.
get on something
step onto a vehicle
We're going to freeze out here if you don't let us get on the bus.
get over something
recover from an illness, loss, difficulty
I just got over the flu and now my sister has it.
get over something
overcome a problem
The company will have to close if it can't get over the new regulations.
get round to something
finally find time to do (AmE: get around to something)
I don't know when I am going to get round to writing the thank you cards.
get together
meet (usually for social reasons)
Let's get together for a BBQ this weekend.
get up
get out of bed
I got up early today to study for my exam.
get up
stand
You should get up and give the elderly man your seat.
give somebody away
reveal hidden information about somebody
His wife gave him away to the police.
give somebody away
take the bride to the altar
My father gave me away at my wedding.
give something away
ruin a secret
My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident.
give something away
give something to somebody for free
The library was giving away old books on Friday.
give something back
return a borrowed item
I have to give these skates back to Franz before his hockey game.
give in
reluctantly stop fighting or arguing
My boyfriend didn't want to go to the ballet, but he finally gave in.
give something out
give to many people (usually at no cost)
They were giving out free perfume samples at the department store.
give something up
quit a habit
I am giving up smoking as of January 1st.
give up
stop trying
My maths homework was too difficult so I gave up.
go after somebody
follow somebody
My brother tried to go after the thief in his car.
go after something
try to achieve something
I went after my dream and now I am a published writer.
go against somebody
compete, oppose
We are going against the best soccer team in the city tonight.
go ahead
start, proceed
Please go ahead and eat before the food gets cold.
go back
return to a place
I have to go back home and get my lunch.
go out
leave home to go on a social event
We're going out for dinner tonight.
go out with somebody
date
Jesse has been going out with Luke since they met last winter.
go over something
review
Please go over your answers before you submit your test.
go over
visit somebody nearby
I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I think I'll go over for an hour or two.
go without something
suffer lack or deprivation
When I was young, we went without winter boots.
grow apart
stop being friends over time
My best friend and I grew apart after she changed schools.
grow back
regrow
My roses grew back this summer.
grow into something
grow big enough to fit
This bike is too big for him now, but he should grow into it by next year.
grow out of something
get too big for
Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she has grown out of her old ones.
grow up
become an adult
When Jack grows up he wants to be a fireman.
hand something down
give something used to somebody else
I handed my old comic books down to my little cousin.
hand something in
submit
I have to hand in my essay by Friday.
hand something out
to distribute to a group of people
We will hand out the invitations at the door.
hand something over
give (usually unwillingly)
The police asked the man to hand over his wallet and his weapons.
hang in
stay positive (informal)
Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find a job very soon.
hang on
wait a short time (informal)
Hang on while I grab my coat and shoes!
hang out
spend time relaxing (informal)
Instead of going to the party we are just going to hang out at my place.
hang up
end a phone call
He didn't say goodbye before he hung up.
hold somebody/ something back
prevent from doing/going
I had to hold my dog back because there was a cat in the park.
hold something back
hide an emotion
Jamie held back his tears at his grandfather's funeral.
hold on
wait a short time
Please hold on while I transfer you to the Sales Department.
hold onto somebody/ something
hold firmly using your hands or arms
Hold onto your hat because it's very windy outside.
hold somebody/ something up
rob
A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning.
keep on doing something
continue doing
Keep on stirring until the liquid comes to a boil.
keep something from somebody
not tell
We kept our relationship from our parents for two years.
keep somebody/ something out
stop from entering
Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room.
keep something up
continue at the same rate
If you keep those results up you will get into a great college.
let somebody down
fail to support or help, disappoint
I need you to be on time. Don't let me down this time.
let somebody in
allow to enter
Can you let the cat in before you go to school?
log in (or on)
sign in (to a website, database etc)
I can't log in to Facebook because I've forgotten my password.
log out (or off)
sign out (of a website, database etc)
If you don't log off somebody could get into your account.
look after somebody/ something
take care of
I have to look after my sick grandmother.
look down on somebody
think less of, consider inferior
Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad has looked down on me.
look for somebody/ something
try to find
I'm looking for a red dress for the wedding.
look forward to something
be excited about the future
I'm looking forward to the Christmas break.
look into something
investigate
We are going to look into the price of snowboards today.
look out
be careful, vigilant, and take notice
Look out! That car's going to hit you!
look out for somebody/ something
be especially vigilant for
Don't forget to look out for snakes on the hiking trail.
look something over
check, examine
Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes?
look something up
search and find information in a reference book or database
We can look her phone number up on the Internet.
look up to somebody
have a lot of respect for
My little sister has always looked up to me.
make something up
invent, lie about something
Josie made up a story about why we were late.
make up
forgive each other
We were angry last night, but we made up at breakfast.
make somebody up
apply cosmetics to
My sisters made me up for my graduation party.
mix something up
confuse two or more things
I mixed up the twins' names again!
pass away
die
His uncle passed away last night after a long illness.
pass out
faint
It was so hot in the church that an elderly lady passed out.
pass something out
give the same thing to many people
The professor passed the textbooks out before class.
pass something up
decline (usually something good)
I passed up the job because I am afraid of change.
pay somebody back
return owed money
Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay you back on Friday.
pay for something
be punished for doing something bad
That bully will pay for being mean to my little brother.
pick something out
choose
I picked out three sweaters for you to try on.
point somebody/ something out
indicate with your finger
I'll point my boyfriend out when he runs by.
put something down
put what you are holding on a surface or floor
You can put the groceries down on the kitchen counter.
put somebody down
insult, make somebody feel stupid
The students put the substitute teacher down because his pants were too short.
put something off
postpone
We are putting off our trip until January because of the hurricane.
put something out
extinguish
The neighbours put the fire out before the firemen arrived.
put something together
assemble
I have to put the crib together before the baby arrives.
put up with somebody/ something
tolerate
I don't think I can put up with three small children in the car.
put something on
put clothing/ accessories on your body
Don't forget to put on your new earrings for the party.
run into somebody/ something
meet unexpectedly
I ran into an old school-friend at the mall.
run over somebody/ something
drive a vehicle over a person or thing
I accidentally ran over your bicycle in the driveway.
run over/ through something
rehearse, review
Let's run over/through these lines one more time before the show.
run away
leave unexpectedly, escape
The child ran away from home and has been missing for three days.
run out
have none left
We ran out of shampoo so I had to wash my hair with soap.
send something back
return (usually by mail)
My letter got sent back to me because I used the wrong stamp.
set something up
arrange, organize
Our boss set a meeting up with the president of the company.
set somebody up
trick, trap
The police set up the car thief by using a hidden camera.
shop around
compare prices
I want to shop around a little before I decide on these boots.
show off
act extra special for people watching (usually boastfully)
He always shows off on his skateboard
sleep over
stay somewhere for the night (informal)
You should sleep over tonight if the weather is too bad to drive home.
sort something out
organize, resolve a problem
We need to sort the bills out before the first of the month.
stick to something
continue doing something, limit yourself to one particular thing
You will lose weight if you stick to the diet.
switch something off
stop the energy flow, turn off
The light's too bright. Could you switch it off.
switch something on
start the energy flow, turn on
We heard the news as soon as we switched on the car radio.
take after somebody
resemble a family member
I take after my mother. We are both impatient.
take something apart
purposely break into pieces
He took the car brakes apart and found the problem.
take something back
return an item
I have to take our new TV back because it doesn't work.
take off
start to fly
My plane takes off in five minutes.
take something off
remove something (usually clothing)
Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake!
take something out
remove from a place or thing
Can you take the garbage out to the street for me?
take somebody out
pay for somebody to go somewhere with you
My grandparents took us out for dinner and a movie.
tear something up
rip into pieces
I tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave them back to him.
think back
remember (often + to, sometimes + on)
When I think back on my youth, I wish I had studied harder.
think something over
consider
I'll have to think this job offer over before I make my final decision.
throw something away
dispose of
We threw our old furniture away when we won the lottery.
turn something down
decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc)
Please turn the TV down while the guests are here.
turn something down
refuse
I turned the job down because I don't want to move.
turn something off
stop the energy flow, switch off
Your mother wants you to turn the TV off and come for dinner.
turn something on
start the energy, switch on
It's too dark in here. Let's turn some lights on.
turn something up
increase the volume or strength (heat, light etc)
Can you turn the music up? This is my favourite song.
turn up
appear suddenly
Our cat turned up after we put posters up all over the neighbourhood.
try something on
sample clothing
I'm going to try these jeans on, but I don't think they will fit.
try something out
test
I am going to try this new brand of detergent out.
use something up
finish the supply
The kids used all of the toothpaste up so we need to buy some more.
wake up
stop sleeping
We have to wake up early for work on Monday.
warm somebody/ something up
increase the temperature
You can warm your feet up in front of the fireplace.
warm up
prepare body for exercise
I always warm up by doing sit-ups before I go for a run.
wear off
fade away
Most of my make-up wore off before I got to the party.
work out
exercise
I work out at the gym three times a week.
work out
be successful
Our plan worked out fine.
work something out
make a calculation
We have to work out the total cost before we buy the house.
IDIOMS
What is an idiom?
An idiom is an expression or phrase whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its
words. In other words “Idioms mean something different than the individual words.”
Students often confuse idioms with proverbs. However, these are two different things. Proverbs
are well-known for stating a piece of advice or general fact. For example, ‘a picture is worth a
thousand words’ is a proverb – a general truth. Let us consider the idiom ‘bite off more than you
can chew‘. What you meant is that you are trying to do something that is too hard for you. Read
this blog to know 100 useful and common idioms with examples and meanings.
Idiom
Idioms Meaning
Beat around the bush
To avoid talking about what’s important
Get your act together
Get organized and do things effectively
Hit the sack
Go to sleep
Your guess is as good as mine
I do not know
Good things come to those who wait
To have patience
Back against the wall
Stuck in a difficult circumstance with no escape
Up in arms
Being grumpy or angry about something
Scrape the barrel
Making the most of the worst situations or things because you can’t do anything abo
Burn your boats/bridges
Doing something that makes it impossible to go back to the original state.
Break fresh/ new ground
Doing something that has never been done before
Sell like hot cakes
Quick sellout
Run around in circles
Putting efforts into something that is not a worthwhile result
On cloud nine
Being very happy
Left out in the cold
Being ignored
Blow hot and cold
Alternate inconsistently between moods and actions
Cut corners
Doing something in an easier and least expensive manner
Boil the ocean
Taking up an almost impossible or overly ambitious project
Keep an ear to the ground
Staying informed and updated about everything
Eat like a horse
Eating too excessively
A snowball effect
The aspect of momentum in every event and how they build upon each other
Important Tip to Learn Idioms with Examples and their meanings:
It is comparatively easier to remember words unlike idioms because idioms (phrases) contain 3
or more words. And, remembering a chain of words and then speaking them in the correct
sequence is not easy. But, one thing you can do is to repeat the idiom and their meaning a few
times loudly and then use it in 2 to 3 different sentences.
21. In for a penny, in for a pound
Meaning: That someone is intentionally investing his time or money for a particular project or
task.
Example: When Athlead was booming, Jim was in for a penny and in for a pound, that’s how
much dedicated he was.
22. A bird in the hand is better than two in the bush
Meaning: An opportunity in hand, currently, is better than a prospect in the future, because time
never repeats itself.
Example: The detective apprehended 3 criminals and saw other one running but didn’t chase
him, because she knew a bird in one hand is better than two in the bush.
23. Chip off the old block
Meaning: That a person is similar in behaviour or actions like his parents.
Example: When grandmother saw her grandson collecting coins like her son used to do, she
knew he was a Chip off the old block.
24. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Meaning: Treat people the same way you want to be treated.
Example: I felt Peter was a little cold today towards that homeless man, he should do unto
others as he would have them do unto him, because who knows about time.
25. Don’t cry over spilt milk
Meaning: Don’t cry over what has happened as it can not be fixed.
Example: Walter failed his examination but his dad came and said just one thing, “Son, Don’t
cry over spilt milk.”
26. Every cloud has a silver lining
Meaning: Bad things one day eventually lead to good things.
Example: See, yesterday you were so morose as your phone was stolen but look at you today,
you got a promotion. Is it rightly said that every cloud has a silver lining.
27. Beside yourself with joy
Meaning: To be extremely happy.
Example: I can see that you are beside yourself with joy on being selected for the job,
congratulations.
28. Fair and square
Meaning: Being direct or fair.
Example: To tell you fair and square, I did everything that I was meant to do, but I still feel
unfulfilled.
29. Having an Ace up the sleeve
Meaning: Have an advantage that is currently being withheld for future purposes.
Example: Brian kept quiet at the board meeting, who knew he had an Ace hidden up his
sleeve the whole time.
30. A black sheep
Meaning: Being a disgrace for the family.
Example: They don’t talk about Olive anymore, turns out he was the Black sheep for the
family, he married someone else while he was still arranged to his fiancé.
31. Hook, line and sinker
Meaning: Doing something or trying to achieve something with thoroughness and passion.
Example: I have set my mind to go through the spreadsheets by Monday and I am working for
it Hook, line and sinker.
32. Looking to your laurels
Meaning: Not be lost in your achievements and losing the sight of what is supposed to happen.
Example: Look to your laurels but do not rest on it.
33. Bear a grudge
Meaning: To continue to feel angry or unfriendly for someone or something because of a
particular past incident.
Example: I Bear a grudge against him for not taking me into confidence.
34. By the skin of your teeth
Meaning: To just barely get by or make it.
Example: Lester made the dance team By the skin of his teeth, you see the audition gates were
about to get closed.
Ever thought what it takes to be a fluent speaker? You might have been lured into paying a
hearty amount of money to build fluency in the English language. Here’s how to speak fluent
English in 30 days.
35. Down for the count
Meaning: Tired; giving up.
Example: My pet dog is down for the count after playing the whole day with the frisbee.
36. Draw the line
Meaning: To stop before a point where something okay gets not okay.
Example: Hey buddy, that’s enough, Draw the line before someone comes and beats you to a
pulp.
37. Easier said than done
Meaning: Not as easy as it appears to be.
Example: Listen, losing weight is easier said than done, many people lack commitment.
38. Break a leg
Meaning: Saying good luck to someone.
Example: Hey Barry, it’s time for you to get on the stage and present your monologue, break a
leg.
39. Up a creek without a paddle
Meaning: In an unlucky situation.
Example: Dan tried to dine and dash yesterday at a Chinese place but he was stopped by the
waiters, guess he was up a creek without a paddle yesterday.
40. Give it a whirl
Meaning: To give something a try.
Example: I am absolutely terrified of skydiving, but I think once in my life, I will give it a
whirl.
41. Fish out of water
Meaning: To be out of your comfort zone.
Example: Tom felt like a fish out of water when his girlfriend took him to a Star Wars
convention in LA.
42. In the fast lane
Meaning: A life filled with excitement.
Example: When Chris turned forty, he decided to live his life in the fast lane and quit his job
for his hobbies.
43. Go the extra mile
Meaning: To make an extra effort.
Example: He was willing to go the extra mile for the love of his life, Mia.
44. Snug as a bug in a rug
Meaning: Warm and cosy.
Meaning: The baby looks as snug as a bug in a rug next to her mother.
45. Step up your game
Meaning: To start performing better
Example: Jennifer better step up her game if she wants to make big in Basketball.
Idioms are used as a figurative language, i.e. the use of words in an imaginative and unusual
manner. Take a look at more idioms with examples.
46. To not see the wood for the trees
Meaning: To be so involved in trivial matters that you don’t get the important facts.
Example: He always argues on the silliest topics, it’s like he can’t see wood for the trees.
47. Lose your marbles
Meaning: To go insane.
Example: Our mailman has lost his marbles, every day he drops Mr. Smith’s mail on our door.
48. Straight from the Horse’s mouth
Meaning: Directly from the person involved.
Example: Listen to the news straight from the horse’s mouth, his factory burned down right in
front of his eyes.
49. Crying Wolf
Meaning: To ask for help when you don’t need it.
Example: You have cried Wolf so many times that no one believes you now.
50. Palm off
Meaning: Pass off something as genuine when it is spurious.
Example: This shopkeeper always palms off old stock to the customers.
51. Has bigger fish to fry
Meaning: Has more important work to do.
Example: Please don’t bother me today with any calls, I have bigger fish to fry.
52. Look before you leap
Meaning: Calculate the risks before advancing towards a possibility.
Example: You can’t just sell all of your shares when the market is low, look before you leap,
Trump is coming tomorrow, it is possible the shares will grow.
53. On thin ice
Meaning: In a precarious or risky situation.
Example: Andy played hooky from work for a week saying he was sick, now his boss said that
he is on very thin ice.
54. Play devil’s advocate
Meaning: To argue, just for the sake of it.
Example: He was not agreeing to back off, as if he was playing devil’s advocate.
Besides, knowing about various idioms with examples, a good vocabulary can take you to places
in the competitive exams as well as in life. Here’s our blog on 50 difficult words with
meanings for you to master your speaking skills now!
55. Rain on someone’s parade
Meaning: To spoil a moment.
Example: He told his wife that he doesn’t want to rain on her parade, but they had to shift their
vacation dates.
56. Take a rain check
Meaning: Postpone a plan.
Example: He asked me whether I would like to have dinner with his family, but I had a thing so
I said, rain check.
57. Take it with a grain of salt
Meaning: Don’t take it too seriously.
Example: She tells great tales but we take whatever she says with a grain of salt.
58. Like a cakewalk
Meaning: So easy task.
Example: Everyone took hours to write the code but Adam did it like a cakewalk.
59. Throw caution to the wind
Meaning: Take a risk.
Example: The caretaker threw caution to the wind by taking a sick baby outside.
60. Penny wise and Pound foolish
Meaning: Careful in trivial matters but wasteful or extravagant in large matters.
Example: That man eats Ramen noodles daily for dinner but for his dog, he threw a big party.
He is indeed penny wise and pound foolish.
61. The whole nine yards
Meaning: Everything, all the way.
Example: I want to know everything there is to know about this merger, the whole nine
yards of the deal.
62. The best thing since sliced bread
Meaning: A really good invention.
Example: Bluetooth is officially the best thing since sliced bread.
It is important to note that idioms itself do not create complete sentences and they require
additional context to give them a sense. Take a look at some more idioms with examples and
their meanings:
63. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: Take on a difficult work that is beyond your capabilities.
Example: Andrew told his boss that he will triple the sales but in reality, he bit off more than
he can chew and now all of us are in trouble.
64. Play by the ear
Meaning: To improvise.
Example: I just went to Canada and did everything by the ear, no itinerary, no schedules.
65. Ignorance is bliss
Meaning: You are better off not knowing some things.
Example: His wife always asked him what it was he did late at night, turned out, he was insider
trading. But she knew nothing about this so she won’t be convicted, sometimes ignorance is
bliss.
66. Put something on ice
Meaning: To put something on hold.
Example: As per the boss’ order, Michael has put his personal matters on ice.
67. You can say that again
Meaning: That’s absolutely true.
Example: “The Earth is bleeding”, you can say that again, pal.
68. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To get something over with because it is inevitable.
Example: Vik was diagnosed with second stage cancer but he didn’t want to get chemotherapy.
By the will of his wife, he bit the bullet.
69. Go back to the drawing board
Meaning: Start over.
Example: It is not too late to go back to the drawing board and assess your mistakes.
70. Call it a day
Meaning: Stop working on something.
Example: Ah! So what we didn’t complete the puzzle today, let’s call it a day and come back
again tomorrow.
71. Beating Around the Bush
Meaning: To talk about unnecessary things.
Example: When I asked my secretary about the missing file and documents, she was beating
around the bush.
72. Be in a Tight Corner.
Meaning: Being in a difficult situation.
Example: Radha’s low grades despite her constant efforts has put her in a very tight corner.
73. At the 11th Hour
Meaning: At the last moment.
Example: While leaving for Shimla, Harshit kept his mobile phone charger in the bag at the 11th
hour.
74. Swan Song
Meaning: The last piece of work of an artist before his/her death.
Example: This painting was M.F Hussain’s swan song.
75. Wild Goose Chase
Meaning: Futile Chase
Example: Catching the two thieves together on a jam-packed road was no less than a wild goose
chase for the policeman.
76. Bury the Hatchet
Meaning: Ending a quarrel to make peace.
Example: My father buried the hatchet by equally diving the pasta between me and my sister.
77. To Bell the Cat
Meaning: To face a risk.
Example: He belled the cat when he was trying to escape the prison.
78. Turn a deaf ear
Meaning: To ignore what someone is saying.
Example: Whenever her mother complained of her excessive use of mobile phone, Anu turned a
deaf ear.
79. At Sea
Meaning: Confused
Example: I was at sea while choosing a lehenga for my sister’s wedding at Manish Malhotra’s
store.
80. To be in the doldrums
Meaning: To be in a low spirit
Example: When I got to know about the increasing cases of COVID 19 in my area, I was in the
doldrums.
81. Hit the books
Meaning: Going to study
Example: I won’t be able to come for dinner as I have to hit the books for my half-yearly
examinations.
82. Twist someone’s arm
Meaning: To convince someone
Example: I was not planning to come to the party but by remaining me of all the good food
you twisted my arm!
83. Stab someone in the back
Meaning: To betray a close person
Example: My uncle trusted his driver so much but he stabbed him at the back when he saw all
the money bags.
84. Go cold turkey
Meaning: To quit or stop addictive or dangerous behaviour
Example: No one could believe that my father left eating sweets! He went cold turkey when the
doctors told him that he has diabetes.
85. Ring a bell
Meaning: Sounds familiar
Example: Why does this name ring a bell in my head? Was this girl in my school?
86. Cut to the chase
Meaning: Getting to the important point
Example: As the submissions were to be made tonight, boss cut to the chase and asked us to
start working.
87. Blow off steam
Meaning: Experiencing strong feelings like anger or stress
Example: Shina went running to blow off steam as she had a huge fight with mother.
88. Face the music
Meaning: Face the reality
Example: Shikha asked her husband to not run away from the problem and just face the
music once!
89. To have sticky fingers
Meaning: Thief
Example: The cashier had a sticky finger, he stole around $2000 and ran away from the bank.
90. Break the bank
Meaning: To be very expensive
Example: I had to break the bank to but these shoes!
91. Face the music
Meaning: Confront the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions.
Example: We have done it and now it’s time to face the music!
92. It is always darkest before the dawn
Meaning: Things will get better
Example: I know you have gone through the worst, but remember it is always darkest before
the dawn.
93. Jump the gun
Meaning: To act on something promptly before the right time
Example: I think I jumped the gun by sending the e-mail before they tell the time.
94. Wear your heart on your sleeve
Meaning: Expressing yourself too openly
Example: She wears her heart on her sleeve and often gets hurt.
95. Cut no ice
Meaning: Fail to make an impact
Example: Your poetry cuts no ice with me.
96. Light at the end of tunnel
Meaning: Seeing signs of improvement in the future
Example: I see the light at the end of the tunnel for my relationship with her.
97. Through thick and thin
Meaning: Through good and bad times
Example: Books and music stay by your side through thick and thin.
98. Cry for the moon
Meaning: To ask for something that is rather difficult
Example: You are crying for the moon for this concert’s tickets!
99. Read between the lines
Meaning: Understanding the real message behind something
Example: If you try to read between the lines, her song is actually about me.
100. Pour out one’s heart
Meaning: To express openly
Example: I can’t pour my heart out to you if you are too distracted by everything around
yourself.
101.
A left-handed compliment
Meaning: Saying something insulting in the form of appreciative words.
Example: Her words on my blog seem like a left-handed compliment.
102.
Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Not very often
Example: I visit her place once in a blue moon.
103.
Call a spade a spade
Meaning: Talking frankly
Example: I will not lie about it and call a spade a spade.
104.
Flesh and blood
Meaning: Referring to someone in family or human nature
Example: It’s flesh and blood to feel such strong emotions at this time.
105.
Jam on the brakes
Meaning: Press brakes of a vehicle suddenly
Example: I had to jam on the brakes when I saw the deer.
106.
Notch up
Meaning: To win or create a record
Example: One Direction notched up the finale with their amazing voice!
107.
A slap on the wrist
Meaning: Just a small punishment
Example: You will get a slap on the wrist for painting this wall but don’t dare to do it again.
108.
Knee Jerk Reaction
Meaning: A quick response
Example: The statement was just a knee jerk reaction.
109.
Once bitten, twice shy
Meaning: Afraid of doing something again
Example: Once bitten twice shy, he can’t ski.
110.
Forty winks
Meaning: A short nap
Example: I will be just in for forty winks, I promise.
111.
Up for grabs
Meaning: Available for everyone
Example: This pizza slice is up for grabs!
112.
Old as the hills
Meaning: Someone very old
Example: The man looks as old as the hills.
113.
Back to square one
Meaning: Start all over again
Example: Your mistake brought us back to square one.
114.
Round the bend
Meaning: Crazy
Example: My neighbour is round the bend, don’t try to mess with her.
115.
Against the clock
Meaning: Rushed
Example: I have to hurry for the meeting, I am against the clock.
116.
Black and blue
Meaning: Something bruised
Example: What happened? Your eyes look black and blue.
117.
Have the blues
Meaning: Sad
Example: After meeting her, I am feeling the blues.
118.
Be glad to see the back of
Meaning: Happy when someone leaves
Example: Tomorrow, I will be glad to see the back of her.
119.
Black out
Meaning: Faint
Example: I blacked out after two drinks.
120.
Get in Shape
Meaning: To become strong or fit
Example: I need to make a proper schedule to get in shape before the graduation ceremony.
30 More Idioms with Examples and their Meaning for Students
Here are the most common 30 idioms with their meanings and sentences:
101.
Shoot from the hip
Meaning: To speak bluntly or rashly without thinking carefully
Example: Don’t feel bad about what he said. He has a habit of shooting from the hip, but he
means no harm
102.
Shoot oneself in the foot
Meaning: To harm one’s own cause inadvertently
Example: Foolishly harm one’s own cause, as in He really shot himself in the foot, telling the
interviewer all about the others who were applying for the job he wanted.
103.
In cold blood
Meaning: If you do something violent and cruel in cold blood, you do it deliberately and in an
unemotional way.
Example: In a purposely ruthless and unfeeling manner, as in The whole family was murdered in
cold blood.
104.
Draw first blood
Meaning: If you draw first blood, you cause the first damage to an opponent in a conflict or
contest.
Example: To be the first to gain an advantage or score against an opponent. I drew first blood in
the tournament and quickly dispatched my opponent.
105.
Ace up one’s sleeve
Meaning: A secret or hidden advantage that you can use when you need it
Example: Cheating at a card game by hiding a favorable card up one’s sleeve. I have an ace up
my sleeve for this race—my stamina.
106.
Play your cards right
Meaning: To behave or work in a way that gives you an advantage or improves your odds of
success.
Example: Play your cards right in college and you’ll get a great job after you graduate
107.
Egg on your face
Meaning: If you’ve egg on your face, you look stupid and face embarrassment because of
something you’ve done.
Example: Terry had egg on his face after boasting that the examinations were really easy, but
ended up failing most of his papers.
108.
Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
Meaning: To destroy something that gives you lot of money to get immediate returns
Example: Tearing down the top attraction in the theme park, “The Haunted House”, would be
akin to killing the goose that lays the golden egg.
109.
An arm and a leg
Meaning: If something costs an arm and a leg, it costs a lot.
Example: I want to buy a house by the beach, but it may cost me an arm and a leg.
110.
Behind one’s back
Meaning: If you do something behind someone’s back, you do it secretly without their
knowledge (used in negative way).
Example: My colleague is really nice to me but I don’t trust him because I know he talks
negatively about me behind my back
111.
Stab someone in the back
Meaning: Harm someone who trusts you.
Example: Don’t trust George; he’s been known to stab his friends in the back
112.
Take a back seat
Meaning: If you take a back seat, you choose not to be in a position of responsibility or power.
Example: The founder of the company decided to take a back seat and let the board members run
the business.
113.
Back to the drawing board
Meaning: If you go back to the drawing board, you make a fresh start or try another idea because
the earlier one didn’t succeed.
Example: It looks like my plans to kill the weeds in the garden failed. Back to the drawing board
114.
Right off the bat
Meaning: If you do something right off the bat, you do it immediately.
Example: Nathan was in the mood for a cheeseburger, so he hopped into his car and bought some
fast food. After unwrapping the burger, he took a bite and right off the bat he knew that
something was wrong; it didn’t taste right.
115.
Heart misses (skips) a beat
Meaning: If your heart misses a beat, you feel excited or nervous.
Example: Her heart missed a beat when she heard her name called out in the list of finalists, or
When the bear appeared in front of us, my heart skipped a beat, or My heart stands still at the
very thought of flying through a thunderstorm
116.
Have your heart in your mouth
Meaning: If you’ve your heart in mouth, you’re feeling extremely nervous.
Example: You sure don’t seem relaxed—in fact, it seems like your heart is in your mouth.
117.
Not the only fish in the sea
Meaning: Not the only suitable thing or person one can find
Example: When Bob walked out on Sally, all we could tell her was that he was not the only fish
in the sea , or Bill knew she wasn’t the only pebble on the beach but he was determined to win
her over.
118.
Not your cup of tea
Meaning: If you say that someone or something is not your cup of tea, you mean that they’re not
the kind of person or thing you like.
Example: We couldn’t decide which movie to watch, so we ended up settling on a comedy. Halfway through the movie, I concluded that its humor was not my cup of tea.
119.
A piece of cake
Meaning: If something is a piece of cake, it’s easy to do.
Example: The boy found the project to be a piece of cake because it was incredibly easy.
120.
Call it a day
Meaning: If you call it a day, you stop what you’re doing because you’re tired of it or you’ve not
been successful.
Example: I think we have done enough work today, I am feeling tired now, let’s call it a day.
121.
The pot calling the kettle black
Meaning: Accusing someone of faults that you yourself have
Example: I can’t believe that you are upset because I was late. That is the pot calling the kettle
black. Peter called me a liar! That is the pot calling the kettle black.
122.
Call a spade a spade
Meaning: To speak truth even if it’s unpleasant
Example: That dress made her look fat, let’s call a spade a spade before she goes out
wearing it and embarrasses herself.
123.
A bolt from the blue
Meaning: A sudden, unexpected event
Example: Let us hope the pandemic disappears. It came as a bolt from the blue in 2020.
124.
In the same boat
Meaning: If two or more persons are in the same boat, they’re in the same difficult situation.
Example: If you lose your job, I’ll lose mine. We are both in the same boat.
125.
Miss the boat/ bus
Meaning: To miss an opportunity
Example: He missed the boat when he did not apply for the job in time.
126.
Over my dead body
Meaning: If you say something will happen your dead body, you mean you dislike it and will do
everything you can to prevent it.
Example: I told John that he could shave his head, over my dead body.
127.
Make one’s blood boil
Meaning: To make someone extremely angry
Example: When I hear stories of cruelty to animals, it makes my blood boil.
128.
Bounce something off someone
Meaning: If you bounce something off someone, you discuss ideas or plan with someone to get
their view on it.
Example: I caught the rubber ball when it bounced off the wall. The light bouncing off of that
mirror is blinding me—can we close the curtains?
129.
Bell the cat
Meaning: To undertake a risky or dangerous task.
Example: Someone has to bell the cat and tell the commissioner that his own started the violence
130.
Like a cat on hot tin roof
Meaning: In an uneasy or nervous state
Example: She’s waiting for the doctor to call with her test results, so she’s been like a cat on a
hot tin roof all day
Top 10 Communication Skills
#1. Written And Oral Communication
Verbal communication is using words to convey information and it includes both written and
oral communication.
Oral communication skills mean that you can speak clearly, concisely, and without
misinterpretation. That’s essential even if your job isn’t centered around speaking. Say, you’re
the server at a restaurant. Having oral communication skills is a must if you want to establish
rapport with your customers and provide a good service.
Written communication is just as important. While there may be a few jobs that don’t require
writing a single word, in 90% of cases you’ll need to write when:

Writing emails to your colleagues

Drafting a report for your boss

Communicating with customers via email
If you’re skilled at a particular kind of writing, such as copywriting, or editing, make sure
to mention that on your resume or your job interview.
#2. Presentation
No, having “presentation skills” doesn't just mean you’re good at presenting a PPT presentation
in front of your colleagues.
Presentation skills are also about how you present your ideas and intentions in the workplace, or
about how you present yourself in a job interview. As such, it’s another must-have
communication skill for your resume, whatever your field of work might be.
Presentation skills are useful for all sorts of situations, including:

Software engineers explaining how their code works.

Statistician presenting their findings to other employees

Sales manager explaining to a client why they need a product
#3. Active Listening
Active listening requires paying close attention to the speaker by engaging with them to ensure
you’re getting the essence of the conversation. It additionally involves removing all other
distractions and asking clarifying questions, thus making them feel heard.
Active listening doesn’t come in handy only in jobs like customer service, or design, where
understanding and making clients feel heard is integral. Active listening is also needed if you are
to successfully interact with your colleagues, succeed in the workplace, or even ace your job
interview.
If you ask us, active listening skills give you extra points as a candidate no matter your
profession (and you should definitely add it to your resume).
#4. Nonverbal Communication
Communication consists of much more than just speaking. It involves body language, posture,
gestures, eye contact patterns, and facial expressions, among others.
This type of communication often helps more in inciting trust among your coworkers, or from
clients, than verbal communication. At the same time, it makes it possible for you to see beyond
what a person is saying and right into what they mean, or feel.
As you can imagine, nonverbal communication is a skill that comes in handy for the vast
majority of professions (especially sales or leadership roles), not just the world of business.
Instead of adding it to your resume, aim to demonstrate your nonverbal communication skills
during your job interviews. This includes maintaining eye contact, avoiding hand gestures, or
controlling your facial emotions.
#5. Feedback
Feedback - both providing and accepting it - is a skill that goes hand in hand with several other
communication components such as active listening, respect, open-mindedness, and teamwork.
Truly encouraging feedback isn’t possible without really understanding what the speaker means,
respecting their opinion, and keeping an open mind.
So, for example, if you were receiving feedback from a supervisor, you’d listen and accept the
evaluation without judgment - even if you didn’t agree. You wouldn’t interrupt them, but you’d
wait until the end to ask clarifying questions to make the process as constructive as possible.
On the other hand, if you were the one giving feedback to a colleague, you’d do so through a
fact-based evaluation and you’d offer them time to respond. You’d additionally consider their
needs and offer negative feedback discreetly.
Being able to give/take feedback is pretty much a guarantee for career success. That’s because
it’s tied with the willingness to learn, the ability to adapt, the openness to accept constructive
criticism, and the critical reasoning that it takes to provide it.
#6. Respect
Respect is one of the fundamentals of successful communication and the communication skill to
bring along on the job interview. It involves active listening and patience (among others) and it’s
vital if you are to be considered for - or keep - any type of job.
Being respectful is about letting others speak and knowing when to initiate conversation or
respond. Little gestures can go a long way to respecting recruiters and colleagues alike - staying
focused and removing all distractions or being polite are just two among many.
When it comes to the job interview, interrupting recruiters or wasting their time by going offtopic are signs of rudeness and will most likely cost you the job.
#7. Confidence
Confidence is the next skill in line necessary for a good first impression during your job
interview. And if you’re wondering - yes, you can be respectful and confident at the same time.
The two are not mutually exclusive, just equally important.
Confidence is a character trait that shows you’re sure about your words, actions, and decisions and that’s something people respond to positively.
If you’re not naturally confident, worry not - there are methods to appear confident even if you
don’t feel like it.
Some ways to appear more confident include:

Maintaining eye contact during the job interview

Sitting up straight with open shoulders

Speaking in a friendly - but firm - tone of voice

Preparing in advance so you don’t stumble on your words
If, on the other hand, you’re the naturally confident type, keep in mind not to overdo it with
bravado. Sometimes, too much confidence can come across as arrogance or rudeness and that’s
not going to sit right with most people.
#8. Clarity
Clarity is an indispensable part of oral communication. It involves structuring your thoughts
logically and using the right words to convey them as effectively as possible.
If you can’t communicate clearly, be it due to a hectic thought pattern or inappropriate language,
your job interviews will suffer.
Imagine, for example, giving a complicated answer to a simple question, or using street jargon
(“hey interview fam, nice to meetcha”).
#9. Honesty
Honesty is a communication skill you should strive to incorporate in all aspects of your
professional life.
As a rule of thumb, honesty should characterize your work ethic for obvious reasons, the most
important being that lying about your skills and qualifications is the least dependable method for
success. You can rest assured that, at some point, the truth will come out.
Being honest with your colleagues and supervisors about anything work-related, on the other
hand, shows that you value transparency. It also proves that you are confident to accept your
mistakes and take responsibility for your actions.
#10. Friendliness
You might be wondering how one can be both friendly and professional during a job interview.
Well, friendliness doesn’t have to stand in the way of your professionalism, just like confidence
doesn’t stand in the way of politeness.
Friendliness during your interview will show recruiters that you are cooperative, open-minded,
and a good team member - something sought after in all employees. More importantly, you don’t
have to go overboard to convey that you are a friendly person; a warm smile, a genuine greeting,
or wishing a good day are enough to show it!
There’s a wide range of skills out there! Explore which might be of use to you with our guide
to 101+ essential skills to put on a resume!
What Are Communication Skills?
Communication is defined as the ability to convey or share ideas and feelings effectively.
Several experts agree that communication skills include:

Conveying messages without misinterpretation or misleading others

Effectively communicating with a range of people from all walks of life

Navigating from casual or informal communication to formal communication

Showing language mastery and command
It is not surprising, then, that effective communication and interpersonal competencies continue
to be among the top skills employers seek, listing them as lifelines for workplace success.
But what exactly does effective communication in the workplace mean?
Effective Communication in the Workplace
Effective communication in the workplace is the ability to exchange and create a free flow of
information with and among various stakeholders at all organizational levels to produce
impactful outcomes.
The benefits of effective workplace communication include:

Improved productivity

Increased morale

Higher employee satisfaction

Greater trust in management

Stronger teamwork

Higher employee engagement
A global study from Towers Watson even calculated the numbers, finding that companies with
effective internal communication strategies are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peers.
So, when employers hire good communicators, they are also investing in their long-term success.
Undoubtedly, effective communication is and will continue to be essential - which means you
should start working on improving yours ASAP!
How to Improve Your Communication Skills?
Just like pretty much everything else in life, communication skills can also improve with
practice. So if you’re worried about yours not being up to par, just follow the tips we’ve listed
and keep in mind that practice makes perfect.
#1. Learn to Listen
Were you ever in a conversation that felt as if you were talking to a brick wall? Then you know
how frustrating it is when someone just won’t - or doesn’t know how to - listen.
Listening is literally half of the communication process - just like it takes two to tango, it takes a
clear speaker and an active listener for effective communication to happen.
However, listening takes way more patience than talking, while actually listening instead of
pretending to listen is something very few people do. This puts a strain on communication.
Well, just like you’d choose a friend who’s a good listener over someone who just wants to put
in their two cents, you should practice active listening as much as possible to improve your
communication.
Here are some tips to improve your listening skills:

Focus on the speaker by giving them your full attention

Avoid all other distractions, like your phone, laptop, or another project

Ask clarifying questions in case you don’t understand what’s being said - that’ll also
show that the conversation is engaging

Paraphrase the speaker’s words to ensure nothing gets lost in translation, by using
phrases like “so, what you’re saying is…” or “let me see if I get this right, you mean
that…”
Following these tips will improve the quality of your communication even outside the
workplace.
#2. Notice Nonverbal Cues
Studies have claimed that nonverbal communication accounts for up to 93% of the impact of any
verbal message. This means that when someone is talking, they’re saying much more through
their body language.
Knowing how to read the different types of nonverbal communication will significantly improve
the quality of your communication.
It’s not an easy task, of course - people take classes to learn how to read body language. But you
can begin improving by paying attention to your own nonverbal cues when you speak, and to
those of the people around you.
For example:
When observing yourself:

Do you make and keep eye contact with the speaker?

How do you position yourself?

Does your position and tone of voice depend on who you talk to?
When observing others:

Do certain people make you feel heard more than others?

What do those people do to make you feel that way?

Do certain people make communication unpleasant and what is it they do to make you
feel that way?
These observations can help you pinpoint the nonverbal cues that have a positive and negative
effect on communication and can be a good starting point for you to improve your nonverbal
communication skills.
Finally, here are some additional tips on how to improve:

Be still when you speak. As a rule of thumb, fidgeting makes you look unsure of
yourself or wary of the environment.

Establish eye contact. Usually, avoiding eye contact shows you have something to hide.
What you want to do is focus on people when you want to make a point, and look them in
the eye both when you speak and listen.

Be non-reactive. During stressful or intense situations, it’s optimal to keep your
emotions in check. This means maintaining a calm tone of voice and a poker face.
#3. Practice Oral Communication
You can never be too good at speaking. This is mainly because we take our oral skills for
granted.
Having used words our entire lives, we rarely stop to wonder whether our verbal communication
is effective. Instead, we tend to blame the listener for not understanding or just assume that we
have different opinions.
This is why you should never cease to improve your verbal communication. Again, the first step
involves observing yourself and others.
Then, start paying attention to the content of what you say:
Do you make your point effectively? Do you take too long to get to the point? Do you convey
your thoughts clearly?
In addition, follow these tips:

Think before you speak. Especially in the workplace, but also during your job
interview, it’s important to know what you want to say in advance. We don’t mean
following a script, but having a clear idea can significantly help to get your point across.
And yes - it’s totally OK to tell your interviewer, “hmm, give me a minute to think about
this.”

Be concise. Time is the most valuable asset and in many cases, we waste it unnecessarily.
A good verbal communicator is someone who can be brief, yet specific. This means
giving just the right amount of information for the other person to understand, without
taking too much of their time.

Consider other perspectives. The better you can play devil’s advocate, the more
convincing your arguments can get. Being able to take other perspectives into account
can do wonders for your verbal communication, especially when you try to persuade or
convince someone.
Tips to Make Your Communication Skills Stand Out
Being a good communicator is one thing. Making sure prospective employers know this and
appreciate you for it, though, is something else entirely.
Here are some of our top tips on having your communication skills stand out in a job
application:

Match your communication skills to the job. Check the job description with an eye out
for any communication skills highlighted in the requirements. Out of the many
communication sub-skills, only list the ones that are relevant to the job you’re applying
for on your resume. Personalize the cover letter accordingly too.

Use the job interview to your advantage. The thing with most communication skills is,
they’re more convincing when you show instead of just tell. So, listing “confidence,”
“friendliness” or “oral communication” on your resume won’t yield as many results as
being confident and reasonably friendly during the interview, or proving that your oral
communication is on-point. So, make sure to prepare in advance and bring your A-game
to your job interview.

Keep it up after you’re hired. Getting the job doesn’t mean you stop working on your
communication skills. On the contrary, the workplace is where they will really be put to
the test - by colleagues, supervisors, and clients/customers alike. So keep practicing your
communication skills at work and don’t miss a chance to showcase them by being an
active listener at meetings, respectful towards your colleagues, and open to accepting and
providing feedback!
Hard Skills vs Soft Skills
What are hard skills?
Hard skills are technical knowledge or training that you have gained through any life
experience, including in your career or education. For example:

If you’ve worked in food service or retail, you may know how to use a
point-of-sale system.

If you've taken an accounting class, you may know how to use Microsoft
Excel.

If you’ve studied a foreign language, you may be able to speak it
fluently.
Every job will require certain technical skills specific to that industry. If you want to work
as an architect, for example, you will need to know how to use drafting software. The
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards also requires architects to be
licensed. The NCARB maintains the Architectural Registration Examination, a series of
tests required of architects that test different technical skills necessary for the work.
Many other industries have such tests in place, requiring prior knowledge and skills
essential for career success. Other employers may have the availability to teach certain
technical skills on the job.
You can learn more about the requirements of different jobs and the skills employers
are looking for on Career Paths.
Hard skills list
Some of the most in-demand hard skills include:

Bilingual or multilingual

Database management

Adobe software suite

Network security

SEO/SEM marketing

Statistical analysis

Data mining

Mobile development

User interface design

Marketing campaign management

Storage systems and management

Programming languages (such as Perl, Python, Java, and Ruby)
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are personal habits and traits that shape how you work, on your own and
with others. Effective communication, for example, is a key soft skill many employers
seek. Some others include dependability, effective teamwork and active listening.
Soft skills are essential to your career and as you search for jobs. While hard skills
necessary to successfully perform technical tasks in a job, soft skills are necessary to
create a positive and functional work environment. For this reason, employers often
seek individuals who possess proven soft and hard skills. Some employers may prefer
to select candidates who have a stronger set of soft skills over hard skills, as soft skills
are at times more difficult to develop.
For example, you may be seeking a job in Human Resources but lack prior knowledge
of data analysis tools. If you have references that can attest to the effectiveness of your
soft skills, such as empathy, open-mindedness and communication, an employer may
choose you over another candidate whose hard skills are stronger but who lacks the
same level of soft skills.
Related: 6 Important Job Skills You Can Learn at Work (And How to Learn Them)
Soft skills list
Some of the most in-demand soft skills include:

Integrity

Dependability

Effective communication

Open-mindedness

Teamwork

Creativity
Hard skills

Problem-solving

Critical thinking

Adaptability

Organization

Willingness to learn

Empathy
List of hard and soft skills
There are many hard and soft skills, so that we will list only a few.
Soft skills
Web development
Communication skills
Microsoft office
Timekeeping
Interpreting data
Persuasion
Financial planning
Leadership skills
Copywriting
Motivation
Troubleshooting
Ambition
Project management
Negotiating
Programming skills
Critical thinking
Social Media Marketing
Creative thinking
Bookkeeping
Work ethic
Spoken languages
Collaboration
Adobe Creative Cloud
Active listening
CRM platforms
Positive attitude
Research
Energy
Data engineering
Enthusiasm
Design
Friendliness
Diagnostics
Honesty
Google analytics
Confidence
Sales funnel management
Problem-solving
Coding languages
Adaptability
Construction
Conflict resolution
Content creation
Inspire people
Storytelling
Mentoring
Presentation skills
Empathy
Logistics
Patience
Business development
Cleanliness
Engineering
Cooperation
Market research
Emotional Intelligence
Quality assurance
Influence
Technical writing
Self-awareness
Affiliate marketing
Networking
Editing
Multitasking
Proposal writing
Competitiveness
Video production
Respectfulness
Auditing
Independence
Carpentry
Perseverance
Plumbing
Dependable
Business etiquette
Self-awareness
Forecasting
Wit
Data presentation
Persistence
Prototyping
Trainable
Systems administration
Public speaking
Search Engine Optimisation
Understanding body language
Marketing strategy
Flexibility
Facebook marketing
Supervisory skills
Google Ads
Delegation
Lead generation
Courtesy
Online advertising
Showmanship
Conversion optimization
Diversity and disability awareness
Link building
Accountability
DevOps
Self-confidence
User Interface Design
Customer service
Accessibility
Team Management