idioms

Common idioms with their meanings

1. To paddle one’s own canoe – To be independent and self-reliant

2. To throw in the towel – To give up or admit defeat

3. To strike while the iron is hot – To take advantage of an opportunity while it lasts

4. To blow one’s own trumpet – To boast or praise oneself

5. To turn over a new leaf – To start afresh or change one’s behavior for the better

6. To lay one’s cards on the table – To be open and honest about one’s intentions or plans

7. To leave no stone unturned – To try every possible means to achieve something

8. To bury the hatchet – To make peace and end a conflict

9. To hit the nail on the head – To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem

10. To get into hot water – To get into trouble

Happy learning with Noor E Alam 

University of Dhaka 

English Medium Teacher 

Narration exceptional rules

 

Some exceptional rules for changing Narration.

Please make note as it is very handy!

1. "Good!" the teacher exclaimed.

=The teacher gave an exclamation of satisfaction.

2. Bravo/ splendid/ Marvellous!" cried out the spectators.

= The spectators gave an exclamation of encouragement.

3. "Oh/ wow!"cried out his friends.

= His friends gave an exclamation of surprise. 

4. "Fie/ uh!" exclaimed the people.

= The people gave an exclamation of disgust.

...............................×.......................

Direct to indirect:

1. Good morning/ good afternoon/ good evening/ have a nice time =wished

2. Good bye/ good night= bade

3. Thank you= thanked

4. Congratulations= congratulated

5. Welcome = welcomed

6. Yes= replied in the affirmative ( and told that)

7. No= replied in the negative (and told that)

8. Address করলে addressing as .....( যেমন: brother, come here- addressing him as brother)

9. By Allah/ By God= swearing by Allah/ swearing by God

10. Come থাকলে go হয়,  কিন্তু come in/ come back থাকলে যা আছে তাই হয়।

11. Bring থাকলে take

12. Sure থাকলে giving assurance

13. Well = very much

14. Ok/ all right= agree/ being convinced

15. Hello = drawing the attention of + person

16. Sorry= sadly ( sub + be Verb + sorry)

17.  I am sorry= apologized

Examples:

1. My friend said to me, " Good morning."

= My friend wished me good morning. / My friend wished good morning to me.

2. He said, " Good bye, my friends."

=He bade his friends good bye.

3. He said, " congratulations!"

= He congratulated me.

4. He said, " Welcome"

= He welcomed me.

5. He said to me, " Good luck."

= He wished me good luck.

6. Trisha said, " Yes, I have done the work."

= Trisha replied in the affirmative and told that she had done the work. 

7. Tajbir said, " No, I will not go now."

= Tajbir replied in the negative and told that he wouldn't go then. 

8. I said to my Headmaster, " Sir, I need two days' leave."

= I told my teacher respectfully that I needed two days' leave.

9. I said to the boy, " Are you busy, friend?"

= Addressing him as friend I asked the boy if he was busy. 

10. He replied, "By Allah, I will not leave this place."

= Swearing by Allah he replied that 

he wouldn't leave that place. 

11. He said to me, " Bring the book."

= He ordered to take the book.

12. He said to her, " Sure, I will be with you."

= Giving assurance he told her that he would be with her. 

13. He said to Amreen, " Ok/ All right, I wii go with you."

= He agreed and told Amreen that he would go with her.

14. Mother replied, "Ok, take rest now."

= Mother being convinced ordered me to take rest then. 

15. I said, " Hello rickshawpuller, will you go to Rampura?"

= Drawing the attention of the rickshawpuller I asked him if he would go to Rampura. 

16. The student said, " Sorry sir, I didn't do my homework."

= The student sadly replied with respect that he hadn't done his homework.

17. He said, " I am sorry."

= He apologised. 

Happy learning with Noor E Alam 

University of Dhaka 

Narration mixed

 

Mixed Narration Exercises

Change the narration as directed:

1. He said, "I can solve the problem easily." (Direct to Indirect)

2. She said that she was watching a movie. (Indirect to Direct)

3. I said to him, "Where are you going?" (Direct to Indirect)

4. He asked me if I had seen the movie. (Indirect to Direct)

5. The teacher said, "Complete your homework." (Direct to Indirect)

6. They told us to be quiet in the library. (Indirect to Direct)

7. She said, "What a lovely dress it is!" (Direct to Indirect)

8. He exclaimed that it was a horrible night. (Indirect to Direct)

9. Father said, "May you always be happy!" (Direct to Indirect)

10. The monk prayed that we might live in peace. (Indirect to Direct)

11. She said to me, "Do you need any help?" (Direct to Indirect)

12. He asked me what I was doing at that moment. (Indirect to Direct)

13. The captain said, "Follow my orders strictly." (Direct to Indirect)

14. They advised us to drive carefully. (Indirect to Direct)

15. I said, "Alas! We have lost the match." (Direct to Indirect)

16. She exclaimed with joy that she had passed the exam. (Indirect to Direct)

17. The boy said, "I will not tell a lie." (Direct to Indirect)

18. He said that his brother was working in Dubai. (Indirect to Direct)

19. She said, "May your dreams come true!" (Direct to Indirect)

20. The teacher wished that the students might do well in the exam. (Indirect to Direct)

Narration exercises

 

1. “The man who was wearing a black coat might have escaped through the backdoor,” said the detective. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The detective said that the man who had been wearing a black coat might have escaped through the backdoor.

2. She asked him, “Why didn’t you call me when you arrived?” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: She asked him why he hadn’t called her when he had arrived.

3. He said that he would have helped me if I had asked. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: He said, “I would have helped you if you had asked.”

4. I asked her why she had been crying since morning. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: I said to her, “Why have you been crying since morning?”

5. “Let no one enter this room without my permission,” the officer commanded. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The officer commanded that no one should enter that room without his permission.

6. He ordered the guards not to let anyone in without his permission. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: He said to the guards, “Do not let anyone in without my permission.”

7. “Had I known about the delay, I wouldn’t have come so early,” she said. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: She said that if she had known about the delay, she wouldn’t have come so early.

8. She said that she wished she had taken the opportunity when it was offered. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: She said, “I wish I had taken the opportunity when it was offered.”

9. The prophet said, “Speak the truth even if it is bitter.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The prophet advised to speak the truth even if it was bitter.

10. The judge advised the witness to tell the truth regardless of the consequences. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: The judge said to the witness, “Tell the truth regardless of the consequences.”

11. He said to me, “If you had come earlier, you could have met the principal.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: He told me that if I had come earlier, I could have met the principal.

12. The scientist said, “Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius under normal pressure.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The scientist said that water boils at 100 degrees Celsius under normal pressure.

13. The officer said, “You must report to the headquarters by tomorrow morning.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The officer said that I had to report to the headquarters by the next morning.

14. She asked, “Would you mind closing the window?” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: She politely asked if I would mind closing the window.

15. He said that he had been wondering whether she would accept the offer. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: He said, “I was wondering whether she would accept the offer.”

16. The teacher said, “Let’s revise the poem once more before the exam.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The teacher suggested that they should revise the poem once more before the exam.

17. She said that she could not recall where she had kept the key. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: She said, “I can’t recall where I kept the key.”

18. “Why on earth didn’t you tell me the truth?” he said angrily. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: He asked angrily why I hadn’t told him the truth.

19. The child said to the magician, “Please show me another trick!” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The child requested the magician to show him another trick.

20. She remarked that the view from the top of the hill was breathtaking. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: She said, “The view from the top of the hill is breathtaking.”

21. He said to the old man, “Could you please tell me the way to the museum?” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: He respectfully asked the old man if he could tell him the way to the museum.

22. The manager said that the report should have been submitted the previous week. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: The manager said, “The report should have been submitted last week.”

23. She said, “No sooner had I left the house than it started to rain.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: She said that no sooner had she left the house than it had started to rain.

24. He exclaimed with pride that his team had won the championship. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: He said, “Hurrah! My team has won the championship!”

25. “What do you think you’re doing?” the teacher said sternly. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The teacher sternly asked what I thought I was doing.

26. He said to her, “You could have passed the exam if you had studied seriously.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: He told her that she could have passed the exam if she had studied seriously.

27. The captain said, “Had we not acted quickly, the ship would have sunk.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The captain said that if they had not acted quickly, the ship would have sunk.

28. The lawyer asked the witness, “Did you see the accused near the bank on Friday?” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The lawyer asked the witness whether he had seen the accused near the bank on Friday.

29. He said that he was not sure whether he would be able to attend the meeting. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: He said, “I am not sure whether I will be able to attend the meeting.”

30. She exclaimed with surprise that the baby had spoken a full sentence. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: She said, “Wow! The baby has spoken a full sentence!”

31. “You should have listened to my advice,” said the mentor. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The mentor said that I should have listened to his advice.

32. He confessed that he had been cheating in the exam. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: He said, “I have been cheating in the exam.”

33. “How foolish of me to forget my own birthday!” she said to herself. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: She exclaimed to herself how foolish she had been to forget her own birthday.

34. The journalist inquired, “Is it true that the government is planning to raise taxes?” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The journalist inquired whether it was true that the government was planning to raise taxes.

35. The speaker said, “Had we united earlier, the outcome would have been different.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The speaker said that if they had united earlier, the outcome would have been different.

36. She told me that she had barely reached home when the storm began. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: She said to me, “I had barely reached home when the storm began.”

37. “Let us not argue over petty issues,” said the chairman. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The chairman suggested that they should not argue over petty issues.

38. He said, “I am not the kind of person who gives up easily.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: He said that he was not the kind of person who gave up easily.

39. The mother advised her child not to speak with strangers. (Indirect to Direct)

Answer: The mother said to her child, “Don’t speak with strangers.”

40. “I can’t believe it’s already been a year since we met,” she said. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: She said that she couldn’t believe it had already been a year since they had met.

41. He said, “Good morning, Sir.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: He greeted Sir with a good morning.

42. She said, “Goodbye, everyone. I’ll miss you.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: She bade everyone goodbye and said that she would miss them.

43. They said, “Thank you for your help.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: They thanked me for my help.

44. He said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: He apologized and said that he hadn’t meant to hurt me.

45. The teacher said, “Welcome to your first day of school!” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The teacher welcomed the students to their first day of school.

46. “Congratulations on your success!” said the principal. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The principal congratulated me on my success.

47. She said, “Happy birthday, dear!” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: She wished her dear friend a happy birthday.

48. I said, “Farewell, my friend. May we meet again!” (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: I bade my friend farewell and wished that we might meet again.

49. “Excuse me, may I come in?” said the boy. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The boy politely asked to be excused and if he might come in.

50. “Happy New Year to all!” shouted the crowd. (Direct to Indirect)

Answer: The crowd wished everyone a happy New Year.

Happy learning 😁

Somebody, someone, nobody, no one

 

অসংখ্য ইংরেজি শব্দ নিজেই তৈরি করুন ও সহজে মনে রাখুন: Tricks to make various compound words: The words 'somebody' and 'someone' have no difference in meaning but are used differently – 'someone' is commonly used in written English while 'somebody' is used in spoken English. Some | body No | thing Any | one Every | where 1. Somebody ( ছামবডি) কেউ কেউ Somebody may solve the problem. 2. Something ( ছামথিং) Something is better than nothing. 3. Someone (ছাম ওয়ান) Someone may solve the problem. 4. Somewhere (ছামথিং) I want to go somewhere at this winter vacation. 5. Nobody 6. Nothing 7. No one 8. No where 9. Anybody 10. Anything 11. Anyone 12. Anywhere 13. Everybody 14. Everything 15. Everyone 16. Everywhere Happy learning with Noor E Alam Director @ Hopeland 

Uses of idioms

 

Paragraph with 50 Common Idioms:

Last week, our teacher gave us a big group project. At first, we thought it would be a piece of cake, but soon we realized it was no bed of roses. We were all in the same boat, trying to beat the clock.

When our leader didn’t show up, it was a bolt from the blue. It really added fuel to the fire. We didn’t want to throw in the towel, so we decided to put our heads together. Still, nothing worked. We were back to square one and felt like we were chasing our tails.

Some of us started to drag our feet, but I said, “Let’s bite the bullet and get the ball rolling!” We worked around the clock and didn’t cut corners. We were burning the midnight oil but were careful to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.

At one point, someone made a silly mistake, but we didn’t make a mountain out of a molehill. We stayed calm and didn’t cry over spilled milk. Even though the pressure was through the roof, we decided to go the extra mile.

When we finally finished, we were on cloud nine. Our teacher said our project was top-notch! We all let our hair down and celebrated. It was a tough week, but every cloud has a silver lining.

I learned that actions speak louder than words, and if you break a sweat, you can move mountains. It’s important not to put all your eggs in one basket and always have a plan B.

We were told we could call the shots for the next class activity. That was the icing on the cake! We wanted to hit the ground running, so we made sure to stay on the same page.

Some students who didn’t help tried to take credit, but we knew the truth. We just smiled and played it cool. Sometimes, you have to let sleeping dogs lie.

In the end, we were proud because we had given it our best shot. We didn’t beat around the bush, we got straight to the point, and we learned not to judge a book by its cover. That project was a blessing in disguise—a hard task that helped us grow.

Now we’re ready to face the music for our next big test. We won’t sweep problems under the rug. We’ll keep our fingers crossed, keep our chin up, and do our best to turn over a new leaf every day!

50 Idioms & Meanings:

1. Piece of cake – Very easy

2. No bed of roses – Not easy

3. In the same boat – In the same situation

4. Beat the clock – Finish something before time runs out

5. Bolt from the blue – A big surprise

6. Add fuel to the fire – Make things worse

7. Throw in the towel – Give up

8. Put our heads together – Think as a team

9. Back to square one – Start over

10. Chasing our tails – Busy but not getting results

11. Drag our feet – Move slowly on purpose

12. Bite the bullet – Do something hard bravely

13. Get the ball rolling – Start something

14. Around the clock – All day and night

15. Cut corners – Do something too quickly or cheaply

16. Burning the midnight oil – Working late

17. Dot the i’s and cross the t’s – Do everything carefully

18. Make a mountain out of a molehill – Make a small problem big

19. Cry over spilled milk – Be sad about something that can’t be changed

20. Through the roof – Very high

21. Go the extra mile – Do more than expected

22. On cloud nine – Very happy

23. Top-notch – Excellent

24. Let our hair down – Relax and have fun

25. Every cloud has a silver lining – Good can come from bad

26. Actions speak louder than words – What you do matters more than what you say

27. Break a sweat – Work hard

28. Move mountains – Do something difficult

29. Put all your eggs in one basket – Depend on one thing

30. Have a plan B – Have a backup plan

31. Call the shots – Be in control

32. Icing on the cake – An extra good thing

33. Hit the ground running – Start quickly and well

34. Stay on the same page – Agree and work together

35. Take credit – Say they did something they didn’t

36. Play it cool – Stay calm

37. Let sleeping dogs lie – Don’t bring up old problems

38. Give it our best shot – Try our hardest

39. Beat around the bush – Avoid the main topic

40. Get straight to the point – Say what’s important right away

41. Judge a book by its cover – Judge by looks only

42. Blessing in disguise – Something that seems bad but is good

43. Face the music – Accept the result of your actions

44. Sweep under the rug – Hide a problem

45. Keep fingers crossed – Hope for the best

46. Keep your chin up – Stay strong and happy

47. Turn over a new leaf – Start fresh

48. In hot water – In trouble

49. Jump on the bandwagon – Do what everyone else is doing

50. Hold your horses – Wait or be patient

Happy learning with Noor E Alam

University of Dhaka 

Percentage

 

Percentage related Problems for practice 

1. A school had 1,200 students last year. This year, the number of students increased by 25%. However, 10% of the total students left mid-year. How many students are there now?

2. A shopkeeper increases the price of a product by 40% and then offers a 25% discount on the increased price. If the original price was $500, what is the final selling price?

3. A student scored 20% more marks in English than in Math. If the total marks in Math and English together are 220 and the marks in Math are 100, find the marks in English.

4. The population of a town increases by 10% annually. If the current population is 50,000, what will be the population after 2 years?

5. A man spends 80% of his income. If his income increases by 25% but his expenses increase by 10%, what is the percentage increase in his savings?

Profit and Loss Problems:

6. A shopkeeper buys an article at a 20% discount on its marked price of $2,000. He then sells it for 10% more than the marked price. Find his profit percentage.

7. A businessman sells a watch for $1,440 after offering a 20% discount. If he still makes a 20% profit, what was the cost price of the watch?

8. A dealer buys a laptop for $50,000. He marks it at 30% above the cost price and then gives a 20% discount. What is his actual profit or loss percentage?

9. By selling an item for $2,400, a shopkeeper makes a loss of 20%. What should be the selling price to gain a 25% profit?

10. A dishonest milkman mixes 20 liters of water with 80 liters of milk and sells the mixture at the price of pure milk. If the cost price of pure milk is $30 per liter, what is his profit percentage?

Prepared by Noor E Alam