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Idioms and Phrases Practice Questions with Detailed Solutions – Level 3

Advanced practice on idioms like a cat's paw, eat humble pie and fish in troubled waters, plus phrasal verbs such as break down, bring about and give away.

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Questions, answer key and solutions.

Questions
50
Duration
60 min
Marks
50

Negative marking

Attempts
100
Access
Free
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Normal practice, or a Simulated test

Both use the same questions. Normal practice is untimed and needs no account: choose an option and the answer and solution appear at once. The Simulated test is the real computer-based format, with one 60-minute clock, a question palette and full screen, and your score, the key and the solutions arrive when you submit.

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How the two modes differ
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Normal

Untimed

Every question on one page, loading as you scroll. Choose an option and see straight away whether it was right.

  • No timer. Nothing to start and nothing to submit. Stop whenever you like.
  • Answered as you choose. Tap an option and it is marked at once, with the correct answer shown.
  • Solutions in place. The explanation, and the video where one has been added, sit under the question.
  • Open to guests. Normal practice needs no sign-in.
Real exam conditions

Simulated

Timed CBT

The computer-based test format: one clock, a question palette, and a score the moment you submit.

  • A clock that does not pause. 60 minutes from the moment you begin, and the paper is submitted for you when it reaches zero.
  • Question palette. Answered, not answered and marked for review, section by section, as the real interface has it.
  • Full screen, proctored. The test takes over the screen; leaving it three times submits the paper.
  • Answers hidden until you submit. The key, the explanations and your score all arrive together at the end.

About this test

Idioms and Phrases Level 3: Advanced Idioms and Phrasal Verbs Practice

This Level 3 set tests advanced idioms and phrasal verbs, such as to show the white feather, a cat's paw, fish in troubled waters and eat humble pie. Aptitude360 also includes phrasal verbs whose meaning depends on context, like break down, bring about and give away. Each question has a worked solution explaining the correct option.

Topics in the Level 3 idioms and phrases set

  • Less common idioms: show the white feather, a cat's paw, blow hot and cold, eat humble pie
  • Idioms about opportunism and arguments: fish in troubled waters, hold water, throw cold water on
  • Idioms in context, such as at sixes and sevens and burn the midnight oil
  • Phrasal verbs with more than one meaning, such as break down and bring up
  • Phrasal verbs and their synonyms: bring about, give away, give in, look into

Key concepts for advanced idioms and phrasal verbs

  • Many phrasal verbs have several meanings, so the sentence decides which one applies
  • Idioms drawn from stories and history, such as a cat's paw and show the white feather, need to be learnt as fixed units
  • Idioms of inconsistency and humiliation, such as blow hot and cold and eat humble pie, are often tested by meaning
  • Synonym questions on phrasal verbs need a single word with the same sense, such as cause for bring about

Revision tips for Level 3 idioms

  • For each multi-meaning phrasal verb, write one sentence per meaning
  • Learn the story behind idioms like a cat's paw, as it makes the meaning easier to recall
  • Eliminate options that only fit the literal words of the idiom

Who this Level 3 set is for

Students who already handle common and medium-level idioms well and want to test themselves on rarer expressions and context-dependent phrasal verbs.

FAQs about Idioms and Phrases Practice Questions with Detailed Solutions – Level 3

What is the meaning of the idiom to show the white feather?
To show the white feather means to show cowardice or fear.
What does a cat's paw mean?
A cat's paw is a person who is used by someone else to do something risky or unpleasant for that person's benefit.
What is the meaning of to eat humble pie?
To eat humble pie means to admit that you were wrong and apologise, often in a humbling way.
What does to fish in troubled waters mean?
To fish in troubled waters means to try to gain an advantage from a confused or difficult situation.

Test structure

How the paper is split, and how long each part runs. A section you have finished cannot be returned to.

SectionQuestionsTime
Idioms and Phrases Level 35060 min

Marking & rules

Total marks
50 across 50 questions.
Negative marking
A wrong answer costs marks. Leaving a question unanswered costs nothing.
Attempts
100 in total. An attempt is spent the moment you begin one.

What you get when you submit

The analysis is ready the moment you submit the paper.

Score and accuracy

Marks, percentage, right, wrong and skipped, and the time you took.

Section by section

The same figures for each section, so a weak one cannot hide in an average.

The full answer key

Every question with your answer, the right one, the working, and the video where there is one.

Where you stand

Your score against the spread of everyone else who has sat this test.

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