Common Idioms for Knowledge and Understanding IELTS Reading
In order to answer IELTS writing and reading sections, the candidates must learn different types of idioms. A variety of idioms falls under the category of ‘Knowledge and Understanding’. These idioms are focused on theIELTS Reading section. Candidates will find different types of questions as they do in the IELTS reading section. Check IELTS Reading Sample Papers for practice.
Topic: Knowledge and Understanding
Exercise 1:
Complete the sentences with the words in the box.
| ear | clue | hang |
| picture | stick | area |
- I soon began to get the _____________ of the new filing system.
Answer 1: hang
Explanation: “Get the hang of” here means to comprehend how to complete a particular task, especially when it is quite complex.
- Anna doesn’t have a _____________ how to talk to children.
Answer 2: clue
Explanation: “Not have a clue” here means to be oblivious or unaware about something.
- The difference between telling a lie and not telling the whole truth is a grey _____________.
Answer 3: area
Explanation: “Grey area” here means that the situation is vague or unclear
- I thought she was paying for dinner but I must have got the wrong end of the _____________.
Answer 4: stick
Explanation: “Get the wrong end of the stick” here means to misunderstand or falsely interpret a particular scenario or situation.
- Brad tried to remember the directions but they seemed to have gone in one _____________ and out the other.
Answer 5: ear
Explanation: “In one ear and out the other” here means that the person was completely inattentive to something.
- The inspector spent a few minutes with the victim and soon began to get the _____________.
Answer 6: picture
Explanation: “Get the picture” here simply means that the person has begun to realize the entire situation or scenario.
Exercise 2:
Match sentence halves 1-6 with A-F to make complete sentences.
| 1. We saw them together in the restaurant and it was so easy to | A. read between the lines. |
| 2. I’ve told them I’m a vegetarian many times but they just don’t | B. take it on board. |
| 3. The real skill of being an agony aunt is being able to | C. had put two and two together and made five. |
| 4. I’ve learnt a lot about the new regulations and I’ll run a training day to | D. jump to conclusions. |
| 5. The international dateline is an idea I’ve never been able to | E. get my head around. |
| 6. Unfortunately, the children were disappointed; they | F. bring you all up to speed. |
Answer 1: D
Explanation: The idiom ‘jump to conclusions’ in option D means to reach a judgment too soon without having sufficient information. Therefore, the concerned sentence is connected to option D and can explain in the following manner – the people had quickly formed a judgment, upon noticing them together at the restaurant.
Answer 2: B
Explanation: The idiom ‘take (something) on board’ in option B means to acknowledge or understand a new point of view or idea. The sentence in question talks about someone who fails to acknowledge the person being a vegetarian.
Answer 3: A
Explanation:The idiom ‘read between the lines’ in option A means to figure out something that is not directly revealed by someone but is definitely intentional. The sentence in question discusses that the actual skill of an advice columnist is to understand the questions that some people might be hesitant to express directly.
Answer 4: F
Explanation: The idiom ‘bring (someone) up to speed’ in option F means to update someone with all the latest information. The concerned sentence can be understood in the following manner – the person would hold a training day in order to update everyone with all the latest information regarding the new regulations on the training day.
Answer 5: E
Explanation: The idiom ‘get (one’s) head around’ in option E means to grasp or understand a particular idea or concept. The concerned sentence talks about the person failing to understand the concept of the international dateline.
Answer 6: C
Explanation: The idiom ‘put two and two together and make five’ in option C means to wrongly figure out something, commonly in a way that is much more exciting or shocking than the actual truth. The concerned sentence can be understood in the following manner – upon realizing the truth, the children were greatly disappointed as they are wrongly understood the situation.
Exercise 3:
Complete the sentences. Choose the best answers.
- Then you click ‘save’ and move the file to here. Do you read between the lines / get the picture / put two and two together?
Answer: get the picture
Explanation: to completely understand something.
- It’s going to take me a couple of days to get up to speed / the picture / the wrong end of the stick with the new project.
Answer: up to speed
Explanation: to acquire all the latest information about something and excel in it.
- This is a very difficult exercise. I just can’t jump to conclusions / go in one ear and out the other / get my head round it.
Answer: get my head round it
Explanation: to understand or grasp something.
- Don’t worry. You’ll soon get the hang of it / jump to conclusions / get the wrong end of the stick.
Answer: get the hang of it
Explanation: to comprehend how to perform a particular task, especially when it is quite complex.
- Listen to all the evidence and don’t take it on board / jump to conclusions / get your head around it.
Answer: jump to conclusions
Explanation: to quickly reach a judgment without having sufficient information.
- Adam shook his head; he didn’t put two and two together / read between the lines / have a clue how to fix this.
Answer: have a clue
Explanation: to be oblivious or confused about something.
Exercise 4:
Replace the underlined words with the correct idioms in the box.
| get hold of the wrong end of the stick |
| get the hang of it |
| get the picture |
| go in one ear and out the other |
| haven’t got a clue |
| read between the lines |
- You don’t have to explain it anymore. I understand the situation.
- He doesn’t listen carefully, and tends to misunderstand.
- I don’t think I’ll be able to do the accounts. I know nothing about book keeping.
- They haven’t actually said anything is wrong, but I can sense it.
- It’s difficult at first, but after a bit of practice, you learn how to do it.
- You have to repeat everything to them. Whatever you say will be forgotten immediately afterwards.
Answer 1: get the picture
Explanation: The idiom ‘get the picture’ means to completely understand a particular situation. The concerned sentence also talks about the person understanding the entire situation, hence, making the selected answer correct.
Answer 2: get hold of the wrong end of the stick
Explanation: The idiom ‘get the wrong end of the stick’ means to misunderstand or falsely interpret something. The sentence in question also talks about the person not listening carefully and falsely interpreting the situation, hence making the selected answer correct.
Answer 3: haven’t got a clue
Explanation: The idiom ‘not have a clue’ means to be oblivious or unaware about something. The sentence in question also talks about the person not having any idea about book keeping, hence making the selected answer correct.
Answer 4: read between the lines
Explanation: The idiom ‘read between the lines’ means to figure out something that is not directly revealed by someone but is definitely intentional. The sentence in question also talks about the person feeling that something is wrong, even though nothing of the sort was mentioned, hence making the selected answer correct.
Answer 5: get the hang of it
Explanation:The idiom ‘get the hang of (something)’ means to comprehend how to perform a particular task, especially when it is quite complex. The concerned sentence talks about the person being able to perform a difficult task with due practice, hence making the selected answer correct.
Answer 6: go in one ear and out the other
Explanation: The idiom “in one ear and out the other” means that the person tends to instantly forget whatever has been told to them. The concerned sentence also talks about the person immediately forgetting whatever has been told to them, hence making the selected answer correct.
Exercise 5:
Use sentences A-F to answer questions 1-6.
- Whose company has adopted a new way of working?
- Who is surprised at how strict his working conditions are becoming?
- Who thinks he will soon have a new boss?
- Who is improving his expertise at work?
- Who is expecting to benefit from recent events?
- Who wants to work for a different company?
- Veejay feels he hasn’t a clue how to find a better employer.
- Nik is getting himself up to speed on the new tax law.
- Khalid leapt to the conclusion that the CEO would now resign.
- Stefan’s firm has really taken the idea of teleworking on board.
- Cheng put two and two together and hoped this would mean a promotion for him.
- Xavier can’t get his head around all the new rules in the office.
Answer 1: Stefan
Explanation: In option D, Stefan’s firm has taken the idea of teleworking on board.
Answer 2: Xavier
Explanation: In option F, Xavier cannot get his head around all the new rules in the office.
Answer 3: Khalid
Explanation: In option C, Khalid leapt to the conclusion that the CEO would soon resign.
Answer 4: Nik
Explanation: In option B, Nik is getting himself up to speed with the new tax law.
Answer 5: Cheng
Explanation: In option E, Cheng put two and two together and hoped that this shows a promotion for him.
Answer 6: Veejay
Explanation: In option A, Veejay feels he does not have a clue on how to search for a better employer.
Exercise 6:
Complete the table. Put the idioms in the correct groups.
| not have a clue | get your head around something |
| get the wrong end of the stick | a grey area |
| up to speed | take something on board |
| read between the lines | jump to conclusions |
| get the hang of something | get the picture |
| put two and two together | go in one ear and out the other |
| understanding correctly |
|
| not understanding |
|
Answer:
| understanding correctly |
|
| not understanding |
|
Explanation:
All the idioms like ‘get your head around something’, ‘up to speed’, ‘take (something) on board’, ‘read between the lines, ‘get the hang of (something)’, ‘get the picture’ and ‘put two and two together’ is associated with being able to properly understand a particular situation, scenario or task.
On the other hand, idioms like ‘not have a clue’, ‘get the wrong end of the stick’, ‘a grey area’, ‘jump to conclusions’ and ‘go in one ear and out the other’ is associated with not being able to properly understand or being confused about something.
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