Students complete nine sentences categorizing expressions as idioms, adages, or proverbs using definitional clues. The matching activity pairs 'pull someone's leg,' 'two wrongs don't make a right,' 'a stitch in time saves nine,' and 'cost an arm and a leg' with their correct category.
Matching familiar sayings to their category trains students to apply the definitions of idiom, adage, and proverb as an analytical tool rather than memorizing individual examples.
Style:
Idioms, Adages & Proverbs
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. "On thin ice" is an idiom because its figurative meaning differs from its literal words.
2. "Honesty is the best policy" is an adage that states a general truth.
3. "Look before you leap" is a proverb because it gives practical advice.
4. An idiom uses figurative language that cannot be understood from the individual words alone.
5. Both adages and proverbs are traditional sayings passed down over many years.
6. "Burn the midnight oil" means to work late into the night.
7. "Every cloud has a silver lining" means something good can come from a bad situation.
8. "The ball is in your court" means it is your turn to make a decision.
9. "Where there's a will, there's a way" means determination helps you find solutions.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Pull someone's leg
→ Idiom (joke)
Proverb
Two wrongs don't make a right
→ Adage
Idiom (joke)
A stitch in time saves nine
→ Proverb
Idiom (expensive)
Cost an arm and a leg
→ Idiom (expensive)
Adage
Idioms, Adages & Proverbs
★ Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1) "On thin ice" is an idiom because its figurative meaning differs from its literal words.
2) "Honesty is the best policy" is an adage that states a general truth.
3) "Look before you leap" is a proverb because it gives practical advice.
4) An idiom uses figurative language that cannot be understood from the individual words alone.
5) Both adages and proverbs are traditional sayings passed down over many years.
6) "Burn the midnight oil" means to work late into the night.
7) "Every cloud has a silver lining" means something good can come from a bad situation.
8) "The ball is in your court" means it is your turn to make a decision.
9) "Where there's a will, there's a way" means determination helps you find solutions.
★ Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1) Match each item to its correct answer.
Pull someone's leg
→ Idiom (joke)
Proverb
Two wrongs don't make a right
→ Adage
Idiom (joke)
A stitch in time saves nine
→ Proverb
Idiom (expensive)
Cost an arm and a leg
→ Idiom (expensive)
Adage
Ready to Practice?
Complete each section carefully.
10 Questions
10-15 minutes
Auto-graded
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