7 English Idioms - Idiom Examples and Exercises for Students #5

Welcome to the fifth set of idiom definitions, examples and exercises in this series for students. Good luck!

Common Idioms

Actions speak louder than words
Back to the drawing board
Beat around the bush
Cat got your tongue
Out of the woods
Play it by ear
The ball is in your court

Idiom Definitions

Actions speak louder than words: What you do is more important than what you say.
Back to the drawing board: When a plan or idea doesn’t work, sometimes it is better to go back to a fresh start with a new plan or idea.
Beat around the bush: When someone avoids talking about something directly and talks about other things instead.
Cat got your tongue: When someone is silent and unsure what to say.
Out of the woods: When you are no longer in a difficult or dangerous situation.
Play it by ear: Making decisions as you go along, without having a plan beforehand.
The ball is in your court: It’s your turn to make a decision or take action.

Example Sentences

Sarah said she would help, but her actions speak louder than words because she never actually helps anyone.
Our science experiment didn’t work as we expected, so we’ll have to go back to the drawing board and try again.
Instead of telling me directly, my friend likes to beat around the bush and talk about everything else except the topic we need to discuss.
When the teacher asked him to read aloud, he suddenly became quiet. It’s like the cat got his tongue!
Jack was very sick, but now he’s feeling better and out of the woods.
We didn’t make a schedule for the picnic. Instead, we decided to play it by ear and do whatever we feel like doing.
I’ve given you all the information you need. Now, the ball is in your court to decide what we should do next.

Example Conversations

Sarah: “I promise I’ll help you with your homework.”” Emily: “Well, let’s see if you actually help me. Remember, actions speak louder than words.”

Mark: “Our plan to build a play house didn’t work.” Lily: “That’s okay! We can go back to the drawing board and come up with a new plan.”

Amy: “Can you tell me why you’re upset?”
David: “Well, instead of directly addressing the issue, you keep beating around the bush and talking about other things.

Lucy: “Why were you so quiet during the class today, cat got your tongue?” Tim: “Sorry, I didn’t know what to say.”

Dad: “You were really sick, how are you feeling now, much better?” Emma: “Yes, I’m glad I’m out of the woods. I can finally go back to school and play with my friends.”

Lisa: “What should we do this weekend?” Mike: “I’m not sure yet. Let’s play it by ear and decide as we go.”

Tina: “I’ve finished my part of the project. Now, it’s your turn to complete your tasks.” Sam: “Okay, I understand. The ball is in my court, and I’ll make sure to finish my tasks on time.”

Idiom Exercises

Identify the Correct Idiom

Delete the incorrect idiom:

Instead of directly answering the question, Mary tends to (beat around the bush / have the ball in her court) and talk about unrelated topics.
When the teacher called on him to answer, he suddenly went silent. It seemed like (he was out of the woods/ the cat got his tongue).
John always promises to help with the project, but (his actions speak louder than words / the cat got his tongue) when he never shows up to do any work.
I have presented all the facts and options. Now, (you have egg on your face/ the ball is in your court) to make the final decision.
Our first attempt at solving the puzzle failed, so we need to (go back to the drawing board / play it by ear) and come up with a new strategy.
We don’t have a fixed plan for the weekend. Let’s just (go back to the drawing board/ play it by ear) and decide what to do as we go along.
After months of hard work and preparation, we finally finished the project and we’re (out of the woods / playing it by ear).

Complete the Sentence with the Correct Idiom

Fill in the blanks:

I have presented all the facts and options. Now, ________ to make the final decision.
After facing real danger of failing, we finally completed the project successfully and are ________.
Instead of giving a direct answer, he tends to ________ and avoid making a decision.
We don’t have a fixed plan for the weekend. Let’s just ________ and decide what to do as we go along.
He always talks about how talented he is, but his lack of action shows that ________.
When the teacher asked him to give a presentation, he froze and couldn’t speak. It seemed like ________.
Our marketing campaign didn’t have the desired impact, so we need to ________ and come up with a new strategy.

Give an Example with Idiom Use

Give an example when you would say the following:

Back to the drawing board
Beat around the bush
Out of the woods
Play it by ear

Example #1: I kept my side of our agreement, not the ball is in your court

Reading Comprehension Exercises

The English for study skills lessons will have a section to improve reading skills. Follow this link to read the reading texts and answer the simple reading comprehension questions.

Comprehensive List of Idioms

If you are interested in learning idioms then visit our series of articles with definitions, examples and exercises. If you want to find the meaning of an idiom then there is an ultimate list where you will find many idioms with the definitions and example sentences.