Idioms are words
and phrases in a language that have come into existence for a variety of
reasons, some obvious enough, some inexplicable, but most of them appropriately
and delightfully characteristic of the race that created them. American idioms
are no exception; they reflect American culture at every social level. They are
used in everyday life, in speaking and in writing, in movies and on television,
and by people from all walks of life. Some of them may be unfamiliar even to
some Americans, especially ESL (English as a Second Language) learners.
In this book, there
are approximately nine-hundred American idioms selected for ESL learners to
provide them with a better understanding of American English. Learn them so
that you may know what they mean when they are used by Americans, and use them
in their right context in your speaking and writing in your daily contacts with
Americans.
Each American idiom
comes with a simple explanation followed by one or more examples, showing you
how to use it. Make an effort to learn ten American idioms a day, and then
review what you have learned over the weekend. Then proceed to learning another
ten, and so on and so forth. You may not remember all the American idioms that
you have learned, but, rest assured, they will come back to you when you hear
them in your social contacts with Americans.
Learning American
idioms is as important as learning the vocabulary, the sentence structure, and
the grammar usage of American English. If you plan to stay in the United States
For example:
For example:
Take to one’s heels: run away
e.g. Before the police could come, the thief took
to his heels.
Feel like: have a
desire for something
e.g. I feel like eating a hamburger.
Under a cloud:
under suspicion
e.g. He has been under a cloud; the police
has been investigating him for some time.
Stephen Lau
No comments:
Post a Comment