7/31/2019 Idioms Buat Kelompo

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IDIOMS

A. What are idioms?An expression like turn up (meaning arrive), break even

(meaning make neither a profit nor a loss) or a can be difficult to

understand, because its meaning is different from the meanings of the

separate words in the expression. (if you know break and even, this does

not help you at all to understand break even.) Expressions like these are

called idioms. Idioms are usually special to one language an can not be

translated word for word (though related languages may share some

idioms).

B. Situational languageThe expressions that are used in typical everyday situations are often

idiomatic in the same sense. With the help of a dictionary and grammar,

one could invent various possible ways of expressing a particular idea, but

generally there are only one or two ways that happen to be used by English

speakers, and one has to know what they are in order to speak or write

naturally. Some examples:

Could you check the oil? (More natural than could you inspect theoil? Or could you see how much oil there is in engine?)

Is it a direct flight or do I have to change? (More natural than doesthe plane go straight there or another one?)

Sorry I kept you waiting. (More natural than sorry I made youwait.)

Could I reserve a table for three for eight oclock? (More naturalthan could you keep me a table for three persons for eight

oclock?)

7/31/2019 Idioms Buat Kelompo

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C. Using IdiomIdiom are common in all kinds of English, formal and informal,

spoken and written. However, informal spoken language is often very

idiomatic.

Students should not worry because they do not know all the

collections and other idiomatic expressions that are commonly used by

English speakers. If they use non idiomatic ways of expressing ideas,

they will normally be understood, and English speakers do not expect

foreigners to speak perfectly idiomatically or correctly. It is therefore not

necessary for students to make a special effort to learn and use idioms:

they will learn the most common idiomatic expressions naturally along

with the rest of their speech and writing with idioms the effect will

probably be every strange.

Note that books of idioms often contain expressions which are

slangy, rare or out of date, and which students should avoid unless theyunderstand exactly how and when the expressions are used. This is

particularly true of colourful idioms like raining cats and dog, hit the nail

on the head,eat like a horse or as old as the hills.