A Quick Guide to Overcome Fear and Develop Your English Speaking Fluency Within a Week

 

A Quick Guide to Overcome Fear and Develop Your English Speaking Fluency Within a Week and Empowering You to Speak English Creating an Instant Impression in any Situation

 

One of the biggest challenges Indians are facing in becoming global professionals is their fear of communicating in the English language. Even though the fear is not real it requires a ritual kind of process to be able to master this language or any language for that matter. People are looking for shortcuts to become proficient in English without getting into the nitty-gritty of grammar.

 

IS IT POSSIBLE?

 

Well, there are certain paths that you can take to shorten your struggle and effort to learn to communicate in English. It will surely reduce your learning curve and give you an edge when it comes to conversing in English. Here I am assuming that you are not learning English to teach at school or college or even university level. Teaching English will surely require you to have a deep and thorough knowledge and understanding of English Grammar. 

 

While trying to master the language, I invite you to relook at idioms, phrases, and proverbs. If we increase our capability to remember more of them the idioms, phrases, and proverbs, they will help us speak English with quiet ease and fluency.

 

If you are interested in not just speaking in English, but would like to discover a more colourful side of English conversation that you can easily add to your very own talk to enhance your English speaking skills then the idioms, phrases, and proverbs given below will empower you for the same.

 

These idioms are also essential reference tools for students as well as teachers of the English language and even for officials who are looking forward to testing the candidates on English through Verbal Ability.

 

In addition to providing the meaning of the idioms used, I have also given one example sentence for each. This will help you understand and build you’re your sentences in any given situation that you come across.

 

So, let’s get the ball rolling.

 

ENHANCE YOUR ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS BY MAKING THESE IDIOMS / PHRASES / PROVERBS A PART OF YOUR DAILY CONVERSATION

 

1. An armchair critic: a person is said to be an armchair critic who has the knowledge of a subject that is based only on what he has read or heard about and criticizes without having real experience or first-hand knowledge.

Example Sentence:

People don’t take his harsh comments and criticism seriously because he is just an armchair critic.

 

2. Argue the toss: To dispute a decision, verdict or choice already made.

Example Sentence:

The decision has been made, it’s no use arguing the toss.

 

3. Sail under false colours: It’s used to express a situation where someone disguises their true nature or intentions.

Example Sentence:

When the management found that he was sailing under false colours they instantly fired him.

 

4. Blow away the cobwebs: to banish a state of laziness; pep up or refresh yourself. To feel energized.

Example Sentence:

Exercising daily and being active helps me blow away the cobwebs.

 

5. Watch the clock: to wait eagerly for the working hours to end.

Example Sentence:

If you really want to make a mark in your profession stop watching the clock.

 

6. A bowl of cherries: A very pleasant or enjoyable situation. A pleasing experience.

Example Sentence:

I got a promotion and a handsome salary hike. These days’ life is a bowl of cherries.

 

7. A chapter of accidents: Faced with a series of bad or unfortunate happenings.

Example Sentence:

First having a flat tire, second running out of petrol, and finally banging the car into a wall. The whole trip has been a chapter of accidents.

 

8. Yesterday's man: a man, mainly a politician, whose career is finished or someone who has passed the peak of his or her career either due to age or some unforeseen situation or some wrongdoings.

Example Sentence:

People who don’t upgrade themselves regularly, face the challenge of becoming yesterday’s man.

 

9. In the wrong box: To be placed unsuitably or uncomfortably. Being in the wrong place or facing difficulty or at a disadvantage.

Example Sentence:

To be honest, I find myself in the wrong box with this friendship.

 

10. Gone with the Wind: A phrase used to describe something that has disappeared completely. Someone who has disappeared without a trace

Example Sentence:

As soon as the thief heard the police siren he left everything and was Gone with the Wind.

 

11. Whoop it up: To enjoy or celebrate noisily, usually done in a group. Create excitement or show enthusiasm.

Example Sentence:

After their favourite team’s win, the fans whooped it up all night long.

 

12. Whistle in the wind: Trying without any success to influence something that cannot be changed. To engage in a hopeless task.

Example Sentence:

Are you sure he is guilty or are you just whistling in the wind?

 

13. A wet blanket: someone who has a depressing or discouraging effect on others. A person who spoils the pleasure.

Example Sentence:

Nobody is interested in inviting him to their party because he is a wet blanket.

He is such a wet blanket that he can easily depress a sleeping person.

 

14. Off your trolley: Being mad, crazy, or insane. Behaving in an extremely unusual way.

Example Sentence:

You want to have ice cream in this cold freezing weather! Seriously, are you off your trolley?

 

15. As if there was no tomorrow: Behaving with no regard for the future consequences that their actions may bring.

Example Sentence:

Seeing the free food being offered at the party, he started eating as if there was no tomorrow.

 

16. Know the time of day: Be up-to-date or well informed about something.

Example Sentence:

Technology is evolving so fast that it is important to know the time of the day to remain relevant.

 

17. Punch your ticket: Intentionally and consciously undertake specific assignments that will likely lead to a promotion at work.

Example Sentence:

If you want to rise in your profession and build a strong career, you should know to punch your ticket.

 

18. Talk through your hat: It means to talk foolishly or ignorantly. Talk about something that one knows nothing of or very little of. Talking without understanding.

Example Sentence:

Nowadays people on television debate and on social media just love to talk through their hats.

 

19. Take the starch out of someone: To shake someone's confidence, particularly by degrading or humiliating them. To make someone feel weak or unsure.

Example Sentence:

The negative comment passed by the boss took the starch out of Nikhil.

 

20. Shut (or lock) the stable door after the horse has bolted: Trying to prevent something bad or unwanted when it has already happened and is too late to do so. To act too late to prevent a problem.

Example Sentence:

He has decided to give up smoking because his doctor has warned him that his lungs are severely damaged. He should have done it earlier. Hope he is not shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

 

21. Square the circle: To try to do something that is usually considered to be impossible or impractical.

Example Sentence:

Making him understand the importance of studies is as good as trying to square the circle.

 

22. Come up smiling: To recover from misfortune or hardship and optimistically face the future. To come out of an unpleasant and challenging situation with a positive outlook.

Example Sentence:

Life continuously throws challenges at us but maturity lies in coming up smiling every time.

 

23. Slippery slope: an idea or a course of action that will or may lead unavoidably to something undesirable, wrong, or terribly tragic.

Example Sentence:

Starting a business without having a working knowledge and ample experience is like stepping on a slippery slope.

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