20 Inspiring Phrases

20 INSPIRING
PHRASES
©2022 English Like A Native All Rights Reserved

English Like A Native 20 Inspiring Phrases
1. THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

used to say that there are no limits and that anything is possible
“You can achieve anything if you really want to. The sky's the
limit."
2. EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING
every sad or difficult situation has a positive side
“Every cloud has a silver lining, and although I lost my job many
good things have happened to me.”
3. THERE'S LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

something that makes you think that a difficult situation will
improve
“As the exams approached, she felt that at last she could see the
light at the end of the tunnel.”
4. WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE

LEMONADE
you need to do your best and turn a bad situation that might
happen to you into something good
“When life gives you lemons – make lemonade,” that’s my way
of approaching negative situations.”
5. THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER

you are in a position to take the opportunities that life has to
offer
“You’re young and healthy and you’ve got no commitments, so the
world is your oyster."
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6. GO THE EXTRA MILE

to make more effort than is expected of you
"He's a nice guy, always ready to go the extra mile for his friends."
7. WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER ONE OPENS

even though you may have lost an opportunity to do
something, an opportunity to do something else appears
“Don't keep looking at the door that is shut. When one door
closes, another one opens.”
8. BREAK A LEG!
used in speech to wish good luck to someone (such as a
performer)
“The show’s about to start. Break a leg!”
9. SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE

taking one's time and working hard to do something right
usually ends in success and your persistence and consistency
often pays off
“After reading the classic fable called “The Hare and the Tortoise”
I finally understood how ‘slow and steady’ wins the race.”
10. OFF TO A FLYING START

having a very successful beginning to something
“Aston Villa got off to a flying start with a three-goal lead after
just 20 minutes.”
11. THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM

people who move swiftly and act early have an advantage
“I didn’t expect to see you studying at the library at this hour of the
morning. The early bird catches the worm, huh?”
12. FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE

a successful person is often one who is willing to take risks
“'Fortune favours the brave' because brave person makes efforts!”
13. TO DO SOMETHING WITH BELLS ON

to do something enthusiastically.
This idiom probably comes from a time in the past when people
put bells on horses when they were going to parties, dances, or
other kinds of celebrations.
"Are you coming to Paul's tonight."
"Sure, I'll be there – with bells on."
14. TO EAT, SLEEP AND BREATHE SOMETHING

to be completely consumed with a single subject or endeavour
“David is a PhD student – he eats, sleeps and breathes Japanese
history.”
15. TO SOW THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS

to create a situation in which something positive is likely to
happen or develop
“Ensuring children get a good education sews the seeds of success
in every nation on earth.”
16. CHIN UP!

something that you say to someone in a difficult situation in
order to encourage them to be brave and to try not to be sad
“I know that things have been difficult for you recently, but keep
your chin up!”
17. GET/PULL YOUR FINGER OUT

(very informal) stop being lazy and start making an effort
“I wish you’d pull your finger out and help me move the furniture.”
18. TO BE ON CLOUD NINE

to be extremely happy
“She has been on cloud nine ever since she was offered the job
in Lviv.”
19. TO SHOOT FOR THE STARS

to encourage someone else to set their goals at a challenging
level
“Shoot for the stars, sure, but give yourself a reasonable
amount of time to reach them.”
20. YOU'VE GOT TO HANG IN THERE

a way of telling someone to not give up, despite difficulties
“Work can get tough in the middle of a term but hang on in there
and it'll be OK.”
QUIZ
1 If you're “on cloud nine“, it means...
a you’re feeling dizzy

b you’re looking forward to something
c you’re very happy
2 If you are asked “to pull your finger out“ you need to...
a stop being lazy

b speak clearly
c start talking
3 If someone tells you to keep going and “shoot for the stars“
it means...
a aim as high as possible

b use your crossbow to shoot as far as you can
c try your best to become a celebrity
4 What does “When life gives you lemons – make lemonade”

mean?
a in life you can’t always do what you want, accept it

b when something bad happens, you should try to turn it into
something good
c you need to take bad things for granted
QUIZ
5 Finish the sentence.
“If you have enough money, ____.”
a the world is your oyster

b you won’t break a leg
c slow and steady wins the race
6 If you want that promotion, you have to ______ and show

your boss that you're worth it.
a chin up
b break a leg
c go the extra mile
7. When would you NOT say to your friend, “Chin up”?
a when he tells you that he didn’t get the job he applied for
b when he tells you he’s getting married
c when he tells he’s broken up with his girlfriend
8 Which of these phrases has a similar meaning to “chin up”?
a off to a flying start

b hang in there
c shoot for the stars
QUIZ
9 Fill the gap: Claire spends all her time on her new
hobby – she _______ baking.
a shoots for the stars

b breaks a leg
c eats, sleeps and breathes
10 Your colleague says to you “I’ve been working 12 hours a

day on this project for the last 3 weeks – I’m exhausted”.
What is the most appropriate way to respond:
a Another project manager is starting next week – there’s light at

the end of the tunnel.
b Another project manager is starting next week – pull your finger
out.
c Another project manager is starting next week – the early bird
caches the worm.
Key: 1c 2a 3a 4b 5a 6c 7b 8b 9c 10a

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20 INSPIRING

©2022 English Like A Native All Rights Reserved

1. THE SKY'S THE LIMIT

3. THERE'S LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

4. WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE

5. THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER

6. GO THE EXTRA MILE

7. WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER ONE OPENS

9. SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE

10. OFF TO A FLYING START

11. THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM

12. FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE

13. TO DO SOMETHING WITH BELLS ON

14. TO EAT, SLEEP AND BREATHE SOMETHING

15. TO SOW THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS

16. CHIN UP!

17. GET/PULL YOUR FINGER OUT

18. TO BE ON CLOUD NINE

19. TO SHOOT FOR THE STARS

20. YOU'VE GOT TO HANG IN THERE

1 If you're “on cloud nine“, it means...

a you’re feeling dizzy

a stop being lazy

a aim as high as possible

4 What does “When life gives you lemons – make lemonade”

a in life you can’t always do what you want, accept it

a the world is your oyster

6 If you want that promotion, you have to ______ and show

7. When would you NOT say to your friend, “Chin up”?

8 Which of these phrases has a similar meaning to “chin up”?

a off to a flying start

a shoots for the stars

10 Your colleague says to you “I’ve been working 12 hours a

a Another project manager is starting next week – there’s light at

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