ESL Idioms Test on Idioms | C1-C2 ESL Grammar Test

Grammar

The grammar section of this ESL test will test your knowledge of the idioms; butterflies in one’s stomach, get something off one’s chest, a taste of one’s own medicine, a piece of cake, and see eye to eye through various grammar activities.

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Composed At ease Nervous excitement Calm On edge Laid-back

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Keep it bottled up Vent your feelings Stay silent Confess Hold it in Say nothing

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Be kind to someone. Get treated the same way you treat others. Help someone in need. Feel what you made others feel. Say sorry. Forgive someone.

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Difficult Simple task Challenging Complicated Very easy Tricky

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Have a falling out Argue constantly Clash regularly Share the same view Be on the same page Disagree

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Get something off one’s chest. A taste of one’s own medicine. A piece of cake. Butterflies in one’s stomach.

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Butterflies in one’s stomach. A taste of one’s own medicine. Get something off one’s chest. See eye to eye.

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See eye to eye. Butterflies in one’s stomach. A taste of one’s own medicine. A piece of cake.

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A taste of one’s own medicine. See eye to eye. A piece of cake. Get something off one’s chest.

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A piece of cake. See eye to eye. A taste of one’s own medicine. Butterflies in one’s stomach.

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Is the statement true or false?

Correct. Incorrect.

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Is the statement true or false?

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Is the statement true or false?

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Is the statement true or false?

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Is the statement true or false?

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feel butterflies in her stomach feels butterflies in her stomach feeling butterflies in her stomach had felt butterflies in her stomach

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get things off your chest gets things off your chest getting things off your chest got things off your chest

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took him a taste of his own medicine made him a taste of his own medicine gave him a taste of his own medicine did him a taste of his own medicine

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it’s piece of cake it be a piece of cake it going be a piece of cake it’ll be a piece of cake

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see eye to eye saw eye to eye seeing eye to eye has seen eye to eye

Reading

The reading section of this ESL test will test your knowledge of the idioms; butterflies in one’s stomach, get something off one’s chest, a taste of one’s own medicine, a piece of cake, and see eye to eye through various reading activities.

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Before the big presentation, Sarah felt the familiar butterflies in her stomach. Despite years of experience, the fluttering sensation never disappeared completely. It was a mix of nervousness and excitement, a reminder that what she was about to do mattered deeply. As she stood backstage, listening to the crowd, her heart raced and her palms sweated. But once she stepped under the spotlight and started speaking confidently, those feelings transformed into energy and focus. That nervous flutter was not a weakness but a sign she cared—and it often helped her perform at her best.

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The author suggests that feeling nervous before an important event is actually a __________.

sign of weakness. sign she cared. sign she doesn't care. sign she caring.

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Before the big presentation, Sarah felt the familiar butterflies in her stomach. Despite years of experience, the fluttering sensation never disappeared completely. It was a mix of nervousness and excitement, a reminder that what she was about to do mattered deeply. As she stood backstage, listening to the crowd, her heart raced and her palms sweated. But once she stepped under the spotlight and started speaking confidently, those feelings transformed into energy and focus. That nervous flutter was not a weakness but a sign she cared—and it often helped her perform at her best.

Is this statement true or false:

Sarah’s butterflies completely disappeared once she started her presentation.

True. False.

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For weeks, Anna was anxious about a mistake she made at work. She accidentally deleted an important report and hadn’t told anyone. The stress kept growing until one evening she decided to get it off her chest. She called her manager and explained everything honestly. To her surprise, her manager appreciated her honesty and helped find a solution. Speaking openly lifted a huge weight from Anna’s shoulders. She learned that hiding problems only makes them worse, and sometimes, being honest—even about mistakes—is the best way to move forward.

Which of the following best summarises Anna’s experience?

Anna hid a mistake from her manager and faced serious consequences. Anna confessed to a mistake, which relieved her stress and led to a positive outcome. Anna avoided telling anyone about her mistake because it was minor. Anna’s manager ignored her explanation and blamed her harshly.

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For weeks, Anna was anxious about a mistake she made at work. She accidentally deleted an important report and hadn’t told anyone. The stress kept growing until one evening she decided to get it off her chest. She called her manager and explained everything honestly. To her surprise, her manager appreciated her honesty and helped find a solution. Speaking openly lifted a huge weight from Anna’s shoulders. She learned that hiding problems only makes them worse, and sometimes, being honest—even about mistakes—is the best way to move forward.

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Being honest, even about mistakes, can help you __________.

be forward go forward change forward move forward

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Jessica was known for being very critical of her coworkers. She often pointed out their mistakes in a harsh way. Then, her boss started giving her the same kind of sharp feedback on her work. Jessica felt what it was like to get a taste of her own medicine. It made her understand how hard it is to receive constant criticism. She decided to change and began giving kind and helpful advice instead. This experience helped Jessica become more understanding and a better team player.

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Jessica ignored criticism from her boss and kept being harsh. Jessica was promoted after showing leadership skills. Jessica’s coworkers criticized her more than she criticized them. Jessica’s experience of receiving harsh feedback led her to become more empathetic.

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Jessica was known for being very critical of her coworkers. She often pointed out their mistakes in a harsh way. Then, her boss started giving her the same kind of sharp feedback on her work. Jessica felt what it was like to get a taste of her own medicine. It made her understand how hard it is to receive constant criticism. She decided to change and began giving kind and helpful advice instead. This experience helped Jessica become more understanding and a better team player.

Is this statement true or false:

Jessica understood how difficult constant criticism is after receiving the same treatment.

True. False.

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When Tom started learning to drive, he worried it would be difficult. However, the first lesson turned out to be a piece of cake. The instructor’s calm guidance and clear instructions made everything feel manageable. Tom quickly gained confidence, finding it surprisingly easy to handle the controls and follow road rules. Although some aspects like parallel parking required practice, the overall experience was much less intimidating than expected. This early success motivated him to keep improving, showing how breaking a big challenge into smaller steps can make even the hardest tasks feel like a piece of cake.

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Tom expected driving lessons to be __________ but found the first lesson surprisingly __________.

boring / exciting difficult / easy easy / hard tiring / energising

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When Tom started learning to drive, he worried it would be difficult. However, the first lesson turned out to be a piece of cake. The instructor’s calm guidance and clear instructions made everything feel manageable. Tom quickly gained confidence, finding it surprisingly easy to handle the controls and follow road rules. Although some aspects like parallel parking required practice, the overall experience was much less intimidating than expected. This early success motivated him to keep improving, showing how breaking a big challenge into smaller steps can make even the hardest tasks feel like a piece of cake.

Is this statement true or false:

The text suggests that breaking tasks into smaller steps can make difficult things easier.

True. False.

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Maria and John worked closely on the new marketing campaign but often disagreed on strategies. After several meetings, they finally saw eye to eye on the best approach to reach their audience effectively. This alignment improved teamwork and productivity, as they could focus on shared goals instead of conflicts. Seeing eye to eye doesn’t mean agreeing on everything but finding common ground to collaborate successfully. Their ability to compromise and respect each other’s ideas made the project smoother and more enjoyable, demonstrating the power of mutual understanding in any partnership.

Which sentence best captures the main idea of the text?

Maria and John never agreed and stopped working together. Maria and John completely agreed on everything from the start. Maria and John found common ground, improving teamwork and productivity. Maria and John ignored each other’s opinions.

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Maria and John worked closely on the new marketing campaign but often disagreed on strategies. After several meetings, they finally saw eye to eye on the best approach to reach their audience effectively. This alignment improved teamwork and productivity, as they could focus on shared goals instead of conflicts. Seeing eye to eye doesn’t mean agreeing on everything but finding common ground to collaborate successfully. Their ability to compromise and respect each other’s ideas made the project smoother and more enjoyable, demonstrating the power of mutual understanding in any partnership.

Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:

Their ability to __________ helped make the project smoother.

approach compromise teamwork alignment

Listening

The listening section of this ESL test will test your knowledge of the idioms; butterflies in one’s stomach, get something off one’s chest, a taste of one’s own medicine, a piece of cake, and see eye to eye through various listening activities.

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Is the statement true or false?

Mark managed to completely calm down before entering the interview room.

True. False.

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Mark describes the feeling of butterflies in his stomach as...

a signal that he was underprepared for the interview. something he had never experienced before. a mix of nervousness and excitement that eventually became useful. a sensation that completely vanished once he began the interview.

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Lisa’s decision to speak to her friend was motivated by...

guilt about forgetting an important event and fear of losing the friendship. pressure from her friend to explain her absence on the birthday. advice from a colleague who noticed she was feeling overwhelmed. her desire to avoid seeing her friend in person until things calmed down.

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Is the statement true or false?

Lisa directly told her friend she forgot the birthday and apologized for it.

True. False.

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Is the statement true or false?

James believes that being more critical has helped him gain more respect from his team.

True. False.

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James’ experience of receiving blunt feedback...

confirmed that directness is always the most efficient approach in a professional setting. made him more defensive and less open to feedback from colleagues. encouraged him to confront his manager about being too critical. forced him to reflect on his own past behaviour and adjust his communication style.

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Is the statement true or false?

Emma believes that mastering advanced Photoshop features was just as easy as the basic ones.

True. False.

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Emma’s positive first experience with Photoshop...

surprised her because she had assumed the software would be very difficult to learn. was due entirely to her previous experience with similar design tools. convinced her that she could master every feature without additional help. left her feeling unmotivated to try more advanced functions.

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Is the statement true or false?

Dan believes that respecting Rachel’s perspective helped strengthen their teamwork.

True. False.

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Dan and Rachel’s eventual ability to collaborate effectively was the result of...

Rachel accepting Dan’s vision completely. Dan deciding to lead the project alone. both of them adapting their ideas and finding a balanced solution. removing all elements of conflict from their meetings.

Speaking

The speaking section of this ESL test will test your knowledge of the idioms; butterflies in one’s stomach, get something off one’s chest, a taste of one’s own medicine, a piece of cake, and see eye to eye through various speaking activities.