English for Everyday Life: B2- Practical Conversations

Chapter 1: From Literal to Figurative – Understanding Idioms and Metaphors

In this chapter, together we will explore how idiomatic language and metaphorical expressions are used in everyday English to add richness and fluency. Understanding these expressions helps speakers sound more natural and interpret native speaker conversations more accurately.

Grammar Focus This unit focuses on three key grammar areas:

Idiomatic verb phrases and phrasal verbs

Figurative use of past tenses for storytelling

Passive voice used in idiomatic or descriptive contexts

Grammar Explanation

Idiomatic verb phrases and phrasal verbs These are combinations of verbs and particles (like ‘get up’, ‘run out of’, ‘look forward to’) that take on a new meaning. Their meanings are often not clear from the words themselves.

Example:

I ran out of milk. (not literally running, but no milk is left)

She looked up the word. (searched for information)

Figurative use of tenses

The past simple or past continuous is often used to describe situations for storytelling—even if the events aren’t important for time reference but rather mood or style. Example:

It felt like my world was falling apart.

I was walking through the city when I suddenly realised...

Passive voice in idiomatic contexts

The passive voice is used to shift focus from the subject doing the action to the action itself. In idiomatic expressions, this can sound more formal or descriptive. Example:

He was taken by surprise.

The idea was thrown around, but no decision was made.

Now read aloud the Dialogue and see how it is used.

Mike: You won’t believe what happened at work yesterday.

Sarah: Oh no, don’t tell me—another disaster?

Mike: Pretty much. I was thrown into a meeting with no preparation.

Sarah: That’s rough. I hate when things are sprung on you like that.

Mike: Exactly. And to top it all off, I was asked to present last year’s figures—I hadn’t even looked them over.

Sarah: That sounds like a nightmare. But