C2 Key Word Transformation Training #6

Version 1
Look at the expressions in bold and try to guess the meaning.
1. We all had to burn the midnight oil to finish the costumes for the show.
Meaning
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2. She fell behind on her rent payments and had to ask for a loan from the bank.
Meaning
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3. After 2.5 hours the film really started to drag on and I have to admit that I nodded off.
Meaning
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4. I really put my foot in it when I brought up my brother’s ex-girlfriend in front of his new one.
Meaning
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5. After so many years of partying, she’s decided to turn over a new leaf and go teetotal.
Meaning
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6. My parents are always telling me to take a leaf out of my sister’s book, she’s always been the golden
girl.
Meaning
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7. If need be, I can stay on for a couple of extra hours to clean up after the conference.
Meaning
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8. Only on rare occasions do we all get together as a family.
Meaning
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9. As he started trying to climb the lamppost, a group of students gathered to egg him on.
Meaning
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10. Being at a loose end, she called her grandma to see if she needed any help in the garden.
Meaning
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11. Please don't give me any more bad news; I'm already at a low ebb.
Meaning
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12. When all the controversy around the policy died down, they quietly did away with it.
Meaning
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13. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt before we start accusing him. There may be a good
explanation for what happened.
Meaning
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14. The news that she had finally beaten the cancer gave her a new lease of/on life,
Meaning
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15. The boss can be very strict so it’s important to toe the line and stay in his good graces.
Meaning
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16. The party got out of hand and someone called the police.
Meaning
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17. After the beautiful speech her students gave her at her retirement party, she was at a loss for words.
Meaning
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18. I know you're a little worried about me being around all of these beautiful women, but I only have eyes
for you, my darling.
Meaning
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19. The two dogs took an instant liking to each other and spent the afternoon playing in the garden.
Meaning
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20. How many times have I told you not to stick your nose into other people’s business Susan?
Meaning
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21. The new discovery has called into question everything we thought we knew about the planet’s
atmosphere.
Meaning
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22. He’s just not in the right frame of mind to make important decisions at the moment.
Meaning
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Version 2
Use the key words to help you remember the expressions.
Look at the expressions in bold and try to guess the meaning.
1. We all had to stay up late to finish the costumes for the show. (OIL)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
2. She missed a few of her rent payments and had to ask for a loan from the bank. (BEHIND)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
3. After 2.5 hours the film really started to get boring and I have to admit that I fell asleep. (DRAG, OFF)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
4. I really made a faux pas when I mentioned my brother’s ex-girlfriend in front of his new one. (FOOT, UP)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
5. After so many years of partying, she’s decided to change her behaviour for the better and quit drinking.
(LEAF, GO)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
6. My parents are always telling me to copy my sister, she’s always been the golden girl. (LEAF)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
7. If necessary, I can stay on for a couple of extra hours to clean up after the conference. (BE)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
8. We all rarely get together as a family. (OCCASIONS)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
9. As he started trying to climb the lamppost, a group of students gathered to encourage him. (EGG)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
10. As she didn’t have anything else to do, she called her grandma to see if she needed any help in the
garden. (END)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
11. Please don't give me any more bad news; I'm already feeling pretty down. (LOW)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
12. When all the controversy around the policy faded, they quietly got rid of it. (DOWN, AWAY)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
13. Let's not jump to conclusions before we start accusing him. There may be a good explanation for what
happened. (DOUBT)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
 14. The news that she had finally beaten the cancer gave her new hope and energy. (LEASE)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
15. The boss can be very strict so it’s important to stay within the rules and keep him happy. (LINE,
GRACES)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
16. The party became out of control and someone called the police. (HAND)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
17. After the beautiful speech her students gave her at her retirement party, she didn’t know what to say.
(WORDS)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
18. I know you're a little worried about me being around all of these beautiful women, but I only love you, my
darling. (EYES)
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19. The two dogs got on well instantly with each other and spent the afternoon playing in the garden. (TOOK)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
20. How many times have I told you not to get involved in other people’s business Susan? (NOSE)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
21. The new discovery has made us doubt everything we thought we knew about the planet’s atmosphere.
(QUESTION)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
22. He’s just not in a good mental state to make important decisions at the moment. (MIND)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Conversation
1. When was the last time you burned the midnight …… to finish a work/study project? Is it something you
tend to do often? What time of day do you think you’re most productive?
2. How can you catch up with work if you ……. behind? Has this ever happened to you?
3. Have you ever nodded …… at the cinema? Was the film dragging ……? What about when watching
TV/films at home?
4. Can people ever really change? How difficult is it to …… over a new leaf and stick to it? Do you know
anyone who has tried recently? How are things going?
5. Has anyone ever told you to take a leaf …… of someone else’s book? Who? How did it make you feel?
Whose book would you like to take a leaf …… of?
6. Would you consider …….. teetotal? Do you know anyone who is teetotal? Why do you think the current
younger generations are drinking less than the young people of the past?
7. If you were in government, which laws or policies would you do away ……?
8. Have you ever …… your foot in it in a social situation? What did you say? How did people react?
9. Have you ever been at a party that has gotten …… of hand? Why do you think celebrations at football
matches and other events have a tendency to get …… of hand?
10. If you’re at a ……. end at home, what sort of things do you tend to do?
11. Have you ever been in a situation where a group of people have been egging someone …… to do
something bad? How susceptible do you think you are to peer pressure?
12. How can you lift someone’s spirits when they’re at a low …….? What would be one thing your friends
could do to cheer you up when you’re at a low …..?
13. If your best friend was accused of stealing something, would you …… then the benefit of the doubt?
14. When was the last time you ……. an instant liking to someone you had met for the first time? What
about an instant dislike? How important are first impressions? Do you think you are a good judge of
character?