Common Idioms-Idioms-I
if worst comes to worst
- if the worst possible thing happens
If worst comes to worst we can cancel our holiday and go next year.
ill at ease
- feel nervous/uncomfortable
He appeared to be ill at ease during the interview.
in a bind
- in trouble
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Common Idioms-Idioms -J
jam on the brakes
- quickly put the brakes on in a car to stop
He jammed on the brakes and was able to avoid hitting the child.
jam-packed
- crowded, full
The train that we took this morning was jam-packed with people.
jazz up
- brighten up, add more noise or movement or color
They really jazzed up the community center for the party tonight.
John Doe
- name used for an unknown person
Why do the application forms use “John Doe” as the name of the person who is applying for something?
John Henry (John Hancock)
- signature
Please sign your John Henry here and we will process your order right away.
Johnny-come-lately
- new-comer
He`s a Johnny-come-lately and doesn`t really know what he is talking about.
Johnny-on-the-spot
- be at the right place when needed, right on time
He`s always Johnny-on-the-spot. Just when we need him he arrives.
jump all over someone
- criticize, scold, blame
As soon as I began to talk about my plans for the summer he jumped all over me.
jump at
- take or accept quickly and gladly
He jumped at the chance to go to Europe on company business.
jump bail
- run away and fail to come to trial and give up the money you have already paid to the court
He jumped bail and decided to go and live in a foreign country.
jump down someone`s throat
- criticize or become angry with someone
As soon as I reached the office he jumped down my throat over the missing file.
jumping-off place
- the starting place of a long trip
We gathered early in the morning at the jumping-off place for our trip to the mountains.
jump on someone
- scold, criticize, blame
Everyone jumped on him at the meeting because they were angry about the new schedules.
jump on the bandwagon (also get or climb on the bandwagon)
- join a popular activity
Everyone has jumped on the bandwagon to try and stop smoking in the workplace.
jump out of one`s skin
- be badly frightened
I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him at the window.
jump the gun
- start before you should
He jumped the gun and started selling the tickets before he should.
jump through a hoop
- do whatever one is told to do, obey any order
He is always ready to jump through a hoop for his boss so he is not very popular with the other employees.
jump to conclusions
- make a quick conclusion without thinking
Please don`t jump to conclusions over who broke the computer.
just about
- nearly, almost
I waited just about one hour before the concert started.
just now
- this very moment, a minute ago
The accident happened just now. The police haven`t even arrived yet.
just so
- with great care, very carefully
She always makes sure that her hair is just so before she goes out.
just the same
- nevertheless
I told her not to come early but just the same she came early anyway.
As you may know, nouns are a class of words that relate to names of objects, places, and living things. Unfortunately, when you are trying to sort out the subject of a sentence, it can be difficult to tell which words are being used as nouns, and which ones are being used in a more descriptive fashion. For example, the word “city” can be a noun, or it can describe a specific population density. Therefore, when determining where nouns are in a sentence, you’ll need to use cues within the sentence to make sure that you’ve identified them correctly.
Nouns in regular sentences
In many cases, you’ll find that either the first or second word of a sentence is a noun. For example, in the sentence “Mary went to the store”, “Mary” is a noun and the subject of the sentence. Regardless of where the name of a person or specific place appears in a sentence, it will be capitalized. This should help you determine where the nouns are in most typical sentences.
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Conjunctions :and, but, or, because, so
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words that conjoin things - they connect sentences and parts of a sentence. This post deals with five conjunctions: and, but, or, so and because.
And
And is oftne used to join nouns, for example:
- I like spaghetti and pizza.
And is also used to show time sequence, for example:
- I ate spaghetti for lunch and pizza for dinner.
But
But is used to show an exception or conflict. For example:
- I like spaghetti, but I don’t like hamburgers.
Or
Or is used to show choice, for example:
- You can eat spaghetti or pizza for dinner.
So
So is used to show the result of something. For example:
- I like all Italian food, so I like pizza.
So can also be used give additional information, for example:
- I like Italian food, and so does my brother.
Because
Because is used to show the cause of something. For example:
- I eat a lot of pizza because I like it.
- I study English because I want a good job.
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