Common Idioms for Disagreement IELTS Reading

Common Idioms for Disagreement IELTS Reading consists of 6 exercises. The exercise questions include- complete the sentences, matching the sentences, matching situations, choose the best answers, reordering the phrases and correcting idioms.
Common idioms for Disagreement IELTS Reading assesses candidates on their reading abilities in English language. Candidates willing to achieve a high IELTS Score need to be proficient in vocabulary and use of idioms. In order to excel in IELTS Reading section candidates need to enhance their knowledge in use of idioms. Candidates need to undertake effective preparation in learning idioms for IELTS to improve their English language skills.

Idiom Topic - Disagreement

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

1. The argument began to develop into a noisy _____________ match.
2. The date of the wedding became a _____________ of contention between the two families.
3. They each felt strongly about the issue and finally agreed to _____________
4. It’s common for brothers and sisters to _____________ like cat and dog in their teens.
5. They argue constantly but always manage to _____________ and make up.
6. I’ve got a bone to _____________ with you! Why have you been avoiding me?
7. The children were constantly at each other’s _____________ during the school holidays.
8. I finally managed to explain what really happened and that cleared the _____________

Answers:

Answer 1: Shouting
Explanation: A ‘shouting match’ refers to an angry and uncontrolled situation discussing something.

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Answer 2: bone
Explanation: A ‘bone of contention’ is a topic about which people disagree.
The wedding date became a bone of contention between the two families.

Answer 3: differ
Explanation: When two individuals who are disagreeing about something agree to differ or agree to disagree, they decide to cease debating because neither of them will change their minds.

Answer 4: fight
Explanation: If two people fight like ‘cats and dogs’, they regularly have disputes or fights.

Answer 5: kiss
Explanation: After an argument or a quarrel, two persons or groups that kiss and make up become friends again. They fight all the time, but they always kiss and make up.

Answer 6: pick
Explanation: When you say you have a bone to pick with someone, you're implying that you're irritated with them over something and want to discuss it with them.

Answer 7: throats
Explanation: If two people or groups are at each other’s throats or at one another’s throats, they are arguing in a very angry way.

Answer 8: air
Explanation: Bad feelings between people fade away when anything like an argument or a dialogue clears the air.

Exercise 2

Match sentence halves 1-8 with A-H to make complete sentences.

1. If I’d been the parent,
2. I’ve had a long day, I’m exhausted and fed up
3. She liked him a lot but
4. There’s no need to jump down my throat
5. I have crossed swords a number of times
6. The battle of wills may go on for some time
7. A major bone of contention between them
8. Let’s just stop arguing about it

1. they rarely saw eye to eye on things.
2. with my boss.
3. and agree to differ, shall we?
4. and you have a go at me as soon as I walk in the door.
5. I’d have given the teacher a piece of my mind.
6. was whether they should buy a car.
7. as neither child wants to lose the argument.
8. when I try to make a helpful suggestion.

Answers:

Answer 1: E. I’d have given the teacher a piece of my mind.
Explanation: When you give someone ‘a piece of your mind’, you are yelling at them because they have irritated you.

Answer 2: D. a. and you have a go at me as soon as I walk in the door.
Explanation: You criticise someone harshly when you take a go at them, typically without reason.

Answer 3: A. they rarely saw eye to eye on things.
Explanation: You don't agree with someone on something if you don't see ‘eye to eye with them’.

Answer 4: H. when I try to make a helpful suggestion.
Explanation: When someone jumps down your throat, it signifies they are enraged by whatever you have said or done.

Answer 5: B. with my boss.
Explanation: If you cross swords with someone, that means you often disagree or argue with them.

Answer 6: G. as neither child wants to lose the argument.
Explanation: If a disagreement or quarrel is a ‘battle of wills’, the one with the most powerful beliefs or personality will prevail.

Answer 7: F. was whether they should buy a car.
Explanation: A ‘bone of contention’ is a topic about which people disagree.

Answer 8: C and agree to differ, shall we?
Explanation: When two individuals who are disagreeing about something agree to differ or agree to disagree, they decide to cease debating because neither of them will change their minds.

Exercise 3

Match situations 1-6 with explanations A-F.

1. They see eye to eye on most matters.
2. They went to a dinner party that turned into a shouting match.
3. They usually end up agreeing to disagree.
4. They take every opportunity to have a go at each other.
5. They fight like cat and dog when they are alone.
6. They avoid crossing swords if possible.

1. They frequently criticize one another.
2. They try not to argue with one another.
3. They generally agree about things.
4. They finish their arguments in a friendly way.
5. They have violent arguments at home.
6. They were among guests who argued.

Answers:

Answer 1: C. They generally disagree about things.
Explanation: They see eye to eye on most matters means that they always disagree with each other on most things.

Answer 2: F. They were among guests who argued.
Explanation: They went to a dinner party that turned into a shouting match.

Answer 3: D. They finish their arguments in a friendly way.
Explanation: They usually end up agreeing to disagreeing means that they both can never agree on something and knowing this they finish their arguments in a friendly way by stopping the conversation.

Answer 4: A. They frequently criticize one another.
Explanation: They take every opportunity to have a go at each other means that they criticize each other frequently without any genuine reason.

Answer 5: E. They have violent arguments at home.
Explanation: They fight like cats and dogs, which means they generally have violent arguments.

Answer 6: B. They try not to argue with one another.
Explanation: They avoid crossing swords with each other which means that they will always disagree or oppose the other person. So, they try not to argue with each other.

Exercise 4

Complete the sentences. Choose the best answers.

1. We’ve discussed the issue but still have different views. We’ll have to kiss and make up / agree to differ / cross swords.
2. When we were younger, my sister and I used to fight like cat and dog / have a bone of contention / have a bone to pick.
3. I only asked you how your test was! There was no need for you to have a battle of wills / jump down my throat / have a shouting match!
4. I was really annoyed, so when I phoned customer services I had a bone of contention with them I saw eye to eye with them / gave them a piece of my mind.
5. He has a very bad temper. I wouldn’t like to cross swords / fight like cat and dog / kiss and make up with him.
6. I’ve got a bone of contention / bone to pick with you / battle of wills with you – why did you borrow my phone without asking me?
7. I decided to have a long calm talk with her to have a go at her / cross swords with her / clear the air.
8. The moment I saw him I knew I was in his bad books / seeing eye to eye with him / a bone of contention.

Answers:

Answer 1: Agree to differ
Explanation: According to the given sentence they have discussed the issue but still have different view so, they need to stop discussing that issue ie. they need to ‘agree to differ.’

Answer 2: Fight like cats and dogs
Explanation: Young brothers and sisters generally fight like cats and dogs which means they fight with each other violently.

Answer 3: Jump down my throat
Explanation: According to the given sentence, the second person started criticizing the first one for just asking about his test. There was no need for the second person to jump down his(first persons’) throat.

Answer 4: gave them a piece of my mind
Explanation: According to the given sentence he/she was annoyed so when he phoned the customer services, he started arguing violently with them. He gave them a ‘piece of his mind.’

Answer 5: Cross swords
Explanation: Since he has a bad temper, I would not cross swords with him which means I should not argue with him.

Answer 6: bone to pick with you
Explanation: According to the given sentence, the person wanted to discuss a past situation which was not a legal act performed by the second person.

Answer 7: clear the air
Explanation: I decided to have a long calm talk with her to ‘clear the air’ which means I wanted to clear any misunderstanding with her.

Answer 8: in his bad books
Explanation: The moment I saw him I knew I was in his bad books. This means that I have done something which has annoyed him.

Exercise 5

Reorder the phrases to make sentences. Add punctuation where necessary.

1. about / my work / had a go at me / my boss
2. don’t / about politics / we / see eye to eye
3. many families / often / a bone of contention in / housework is
4. can be / getting children / their homework / a battle of wills / to do
5. kiss and make up / argue a lot / they / but always
6. to turn into / don’t want / I / a shouting match / this discussion
7. the right moment / until she found / to clear the air / she waited
8. in my teacher’s bad books / I was / doing my homework / for not

Answers:

Answer 1: My boss had a go at me about my work.
Explanation: This means that my boss criticizes me frequently about my work without any good reason.

Answer 2: We don’t see eye to eye about politics.
Explanation: This means that we do not agree with each others’ political theories.

Answer 3: Housework is often a bone of contention in many families.
Explanation: This means that housework is often an issue in many families.

Answer 4: Getting children to do their homework can be a battle of wills.
Explanation: This means that getting children to do their homework is a tough task as sometimes they become too lazy that they refuse to work at any cost and the instructor has a will to get the homework done by the children.

Answer 5: They argue a lot but always kiss and make up.
Explanation: This means that they argue a lot but become friends again each time after the fight.

Answer 6: I don’t want this discussion to turn into a shouting match.
Explanation: This means that I don’t want this discussion to turn into a violent fight generally involving loud noises made by the people.

Answer 7: She waited until she found the right moment to clear the air.
Explanation: This means that she waited for the right moment to clear the misunderstandings between her and the other person.

Answer 8: I was in my teacher’s bad books for not doing my homework.
Explanation: This means that since I did not do my homework, my teacher was really annoyed with me. I was in her bad books.

Exercise 6

Correct the idioms in these sentences.

1. She and the Director General could hear eye to eye on this matter.
2. How can we discuss this properly when you are always at one another’s eyes?
3. You could at least listen before you shout down my throat.
4. The score was five all and the football match became a battle of bones.
5. She felt that she wanted to give those decision makers a go at her mind.
6. It’s important for the economy that the two leaders should give and make up.
7. I guess almost everyone has a match to pick with the government.
8. The young man’s ambition to become an actor was a battle of contention between him and his father.

Answers:

Answer 1: see eye to eye
Explanation: She and the Director General could see eye to eye on this matter means that they could together solve this matter.

Answer 2: at one another’s throats
Explanation: If two people or groups are at each other’s throats or at one another’s throats, they are arguing in a very angry way.

Answer 3: jump down my throat
Explanation: Jump down my throat means reacting toward someone in a very angry mood.

Answer 4: a battle of wills
Explanation: The score was five all and the football match became a ‘battle of wills’ , means that both teams were strong but the team having stronger belief could win.

Answer 5: give those decision makers a piece of her mind
Explanation: She felt that she wanted to give those decision makers a piece of her hand, which means that she felt that she strongly disagreed and opposed the decision makers’ policies.

Answer 6: kiss and make up
Explanation: It’s important for the economy that the two leaders should kiss and make up means that two leaders should settle and unite again after a fight over any issue.

Answer 7: has a bone to pick
Explanation: I guess almost everyone has a bone to pick with the government means that almost everyone has a complaint with the government.

Answer 8: a bone of contention
Explanation: The young man’s ambition to become an actor was a bone of contention between him and his father means that the young man's desire to pursue his career as an actor was a point of conflict between him and his father.