Common Idioms for Honesty and Fairness IELTS Reading
Idioms glorify the meaning of our thoughts and to achieve a better score one has to use uncommon vocabulary. By this we mean, words that are used less but might not be a part of advanced English. This idiom is focused on the IELTS Reading section. Candidates will find different types of questions as they do in the IELTS reading section. In order to have proficiency over the usage of idioms candidates can IELTS Reading practice papers and later appear for a mock test to know their mistakes.
Topic: Honesty and Fairness
Exercise 1
Complete the sentences with the words in the box.
| clean board level belt bush table means nose |
- He’s a good man who works hard and keeps his _________ clean.
Answer: nose
Explanation: The idiom “keep your nose clean” means to stay out of trouble. In the above line, the man who works hard and stays away from trouble is considered as good.
- I’ve decided I’m going to get that contract by fair _________ or foul.
Answer: means
Explanation: The idiom “by fair means or foul” means someone who tries to achieve something by any possible method to achieve it, not caring if their behavior is dishonest or unfair.
- I can offer you something better than that, and all on the _________.
Answer: level
Explanation: Here in this context “a level playing field” means a situation in which everyone has a fair and equal chance of succeeding.
- I’ll lay my cards on the _________: we’ve run out of money.
Answer: table
Explanation: Here according to the question, “lay your cards on the table” means telling someone the truth about your feelings, opinions, or plans.
- We suspect their deal was not entirely above _________.
Answer: board
Explanation: The idiom “above board” here in the question means legitimate and honest.
- She decided to come _________ and tell them exactly what had happened.
Answer: clean
Explanation: “come clean” in here explains to be speak the truth about what exactly happened.
- We feel these financial cuts are below the _________.
Answer: belt
Explanation: The idiom “below the belt” speaks to talk something cruel and unfair about the financial situation.
- He’s always very direct and never beats about the _________.
Answer: bush
Explanation: Here he says not to “beat around the bush” meaning to talk directly.
Exercise 2
Decide if the following sentences are true (T) or false (F).
- If you lay your cards on the table, you are telling the truth.
Answer: True
Explanation: The above sentence is absolutely true. The idiom lay your cards on the table means to confess the truth regarding feelings, emotions or anything else.
- If something is above board, it’s dishonest.
Answer: False
Explanation: The above statement is false because above board means to be honest.
- If someone is on the level, you can’t trust that person.
Answer: False
Explanation: The above statement is false because on the level means to speak the truth and be honest.
- If you move the goalposts, you make things easier for people.
Answer: False
Explanation: The above statement is false because the idiom move the goalposts meaning to change the rules in a situation, in order to gain benefit and to make things more difficult for the other people involved.
- If you call a spade a spade, you are being direct.
Answer: True
Explanation: The above statement is true. Call a spade a spade means to talk directly or on the face.
- If you beat around the bush, you tell the truth immediately.
Answer: False
Explanation: The above statement is false because beat around the bush means to talk all-round manner, ignoring the actual fact.
- If someone wins by fair means or foul, they are careful not to cheat.
Answer: False
Explanation: The above statement is false because the idiom by fair means or foul means to use any possible method to achieve something.
- If a remark is below the belt, it is possibly true, but nevertheless painful.
Answer: True
Explanation: The sentence given above is true. The idiom below the belt means to say something hurtful.
Exercise 3
Match sentence halves 1-8 with A-H to make complete sentences.
| 1. I’ll lay my cards on the table 2. I can never please my manager – 3. The other candidates have more money than me 4. He won’t say it to my face 5. It was horribly disappointing 6. If you keep your nose clean 7. He felt betrayed, 8. We should be honest |
A. because he’s scared of me. B. and call a spade a spade. C. he always seems to be shifting the goalposts. D. and tell them that I’ve done all I can do. E. but we were beaten fair and square. F. as though his son had stabbed him in the back. G. you’ll progress quickly in this company. H. so it’s not a level playing field. |
Answer 1: D
Explanation: The idiom lay your cards on the table means to confess the truth regarding feelings, emotions or anything else.
Answer 2: C
Explanation: The idiom to call a spade on spade means to talk directly or on the face.
Answer 3: H
Explanation:The other candidates have more money than him because there is a situation which is fair and where no one has an advantage over other people.
Answer 4: A
Explanation: In the above question he won’t say something, directly on to the face as they are scared.
Answer 5: E
Explanation: It was horribly disappointing because in spite of being honest and playing fairly they lost.
Answer 6: G
Explanation: The idiom “keep your nose clean” means to stay out of trouble. In the above line, if someone who works hard and stays away from trouble can see progress in life.
Answer 7: F
Explanation: the idiom “stab someone in the back” in the above sentence means to secretly do something which hurts and betrays others.
Answer 8: B
Explanation: The above sentence means to talk directly and honestly on the face.
Exercise 4
Correct the idioms in these sentences:
- I can guarantee that these are genuine. I bought them square and square from an antique dealer.
Answer: fair and square
Explanation: The correct answer is fair and square, meaning to be honest.
- Stop beating around the field and tell the truth.
Answer: beating around the bush
Explanation: beat around the bush means to talk all-round manner, ignoring the actual fact.
- I think that comment about her personal life was below the bush. You should apologise to her.
Answer: below the belt
Explanation: The idiom below the belt means to say something hurtful.
- Everyone should start from the beginning. That way, we have a level playing card for everyone.
Answer: a level playing field
Explanation: The idiom a level playing field means a situation that is fair and where no one has an advantage over other people.
- If you have something to say, just be honest and say it to my back.
Answer: say it to my face
Explanation: The idiom say it to my face means to talk directly.
- When his boss gave him a bad reference after all his hard work, it was a real stab in the face.
Answer: stab in the back
Explanation: The idiom stab in the back means to hurt someone by being dishonest with them.
- The deal was all legal and above the table.
Answer: above board
Explanation: The idiom above board means if a plan or business agreement is above board, it is honest and not trying to deceive anyone.
- His ambition is to get the top job, by square means or foul.
Answer: by fair means or foul
Explanation: The idiom by fair or foul means to achieve one’s goal with any means possible.
Exercise 5
Complete the sentences with idioms from this unit, changing the verb forms if necessary.
- In all industries you need __________ to compete fairly with your competitors.
Answer: a level playing field
Explanation:The idiom a level playing field means a situation that is fair and where no one has an advantage over other people.
- The world will never believe that he won that election __________
Answer: fair and square
Explanation: The idiom fair and square means to be honest.
- Let’s __________ , we have to tell them exactly how we see it.
Answer: not beat about the bush
Explanation: beat around the bush means to talk all-round manner, ignoring the actual fact.
- He needed to know to the truth, so she was going to go to his office and tell him __________
Answer: to his face
Explanation: The idiom say it to my face means to talk directly.
- If you __________ and tell us the truth, then it’ll be a lot easier for you.
Answer: come clean
Explanation: The idiom come clean means to be honest.
- As soon as we reach a target, the management __________ and comes up with new demands.
Answer: moves the goalposts
Explanation: The idiom moves the goalposts means to change the rules according to your benefits.
- ‘You’ll be okay if you shut up and __________ .’ he said.
Answer: keep your nose clean
Explanation: The idiom “keep your nose clean” means to stay out of trouble.
- She’s determined to catch that criminal __________.
Answer: by fair means or foul
Explanation: The idiom fair means or foul means to win the situation with any means.
Exercise 6
Complete the table with idioms from this unit.
| being direct | 1 ________________________________ 2 ________________________________ 3 ________________________________ 4 ________________________________ |
| being fair or honest | 1 ________________________________ 2 ________________________________ 3 ________________________________ 4 ________________________________ 5 ________________________________ 6 ________________________________ |
| not being fair or honest | 1 ________________________________ 2 ________________________________ 3 ________________________________ |
Answer:
| being direct |
|
| being fair or honest |
|
| not being fair or honest |
|
Comments