Free Idioms and Phrases MCQs with Answers

• A. came around
• B. came round
• C. came across
• D. came with

Explanation: To come across someone means to meet or encounter them, often unexpectedly.

• A. Out
• B. Up
• C. For
• D. In

Explanation: “Turn out to be” means eventually prove or be discovered to be something, so the sentence means he proved to be a cheat.

• A. of
• B. off
• C. in
• D. into

Explanation: “Break off” means stop suddenly, especially while speaking, so it fits a speech that ended in the middle.

• A. at
• B. on
• C. up
• D. to

Explanation: Look up means to rise or improve, so prices that are looking up are increasing. The other prepositions do not form the required expression.

• A. Hand to hand
• B. Street to street
• C. District to district
• D. City to city

Explanation: Mano a mano is an Italian expression meaning face-to-face or hand-to-hand, usually describing a direct contest between two people.

• A. remain unaffected
• B. do without the help of others
• C. survive in isolation
• D. remain non-aligned

Explanation: To plough a lonely furrow means to pursue a course or undertake work without the help of others.

• A. no more
• B. thoroughly
• C. in favour of
• D. deadly against

Explanation: Out and out means completely or thoroughly, so an out-and-out reactionary is thoroughly reactionary.

• A. To fight with his mind
• B. To destroy his memory
• C. Suffer in his own juice
• D. Suffer for his own act

Explanation: To stew in one's own juice means to suffer the consequences of one's own actions or situation.

• A. Political influence
• B. Backing influence
• C. Deserving and proper influence
• D. Secret and unfair influence

Explanation: Backstairs influence is indirect, private influence used behind the scenes, often in an improper way.

• A. loitered around
• B. stayed out
• C. sat unmoving
• D. moved away

Explanation: To let the grass grow under one's feet means to delay or remain inactive instead of taking action. Loitered around is the closest option.

• A. going on slowly
• B. hotly debated
• C. stuck up
• D. ignored

Explanation: A matter that is hanging fire is delayed or left unresolved, often awaiting action or a decision.

• A. a keen contest
• B. a huge attraction
• C. a lovely spectacle
• D. a game without any result

Explanation: A big draw is a person, event or attraction that brings in a large audience. The boxing match was therefore a huge attraction.

• A. To beguile others
• B. To be winning sometimes and losing at other
• C. times
• D. To play with someone's feeling
• E. To play tricks

Explanation: To play fast and loose means to behave irresponsibly or deceitfully, often by disregarding rules or commitments.

• A. The choice of teachers
• B. Given choice
• C. No choice at all
• D. Choice to live or die

Explanation: Hobson’s choice refers to an apparent choice in which only one option is available, so there is effectively no choice.

• A. notice of
• B. notice about
• C. notice from
• D. notice to

Explanation: “Take notice of” is the established expression meaning to pay attention to something.

• A. away
• B. down
• C. out
• D. off

Explanation: The phrasal verb “put out” means extinguish a fire. “Put off” means postpone, while “put down” and “put away” have different meanings.

• A. up
• B. on
• C. back
• D. in

Explanation: “Turn up” means arrive or appear, so the question asks whether the boys attended practice.

• A. very
• B. too
• C. so
• D. as

Explanation: “Too good to be true” is the fixed expression for something seeming so favorable that it is difficult to believe.

• A. about
• B. into
• C. at
• D. down

Explanation: “Come about” means happen or take place, so the question asks how these things happened.

• A. call it
• B. call at
• C. call off
• D. call in

Explanation: “Call it a day” means stop working for the day, which suits the speaker’s exhaustion. The other phrasal verbs do not express this idiom.