Courseversity

Lesson

Idiomatic expressions

Primary EducationGrade 5English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G05-ELA-U05-L0645–60 min

You will learn

  • Recognise idioms.
  • Explain figurative meaning.
  • Recognise proverbs.
  • Use idioms in context.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Notice odd literal meaning.
  2. Use context to infer.
  3. State the real meaning.
  4. Use it appropriately.

Words to know

idiom
a phrase whose meaning differs from its words
proverb
a short saying that gives advice or a truth
literal
exactly what the words say
figurative
not literal; with an imagined meaning

1. Discover: Sayings at the compound

Baba Ade tells the children: “Do not count your chickens before they hatch.” Chidi laughs: “We have no chickens!” Ama explains that it is a proverb meaning do not assume a good result before it happens. Later Chidi says, “I am over the moon!” after passing his test, an idiom meaning very happy.

Think: What is the difference between literal and figurative meaning?

2. Understand: When words do not mean what they say

Idea 1: Idioms

An idiom cannot be understood word by word: over the moon means delighted.

Idea 2: Proverbs

A proverb gives advice or a truth: A stitch in time saves nine means fix small problems early.

Idea 3: Literal vs figurative

The literal meaning is exact; the figurative meaning is the imagined one. Use context to decide.

Remember: Idioms and proverbs have figurative meanings that context and knowledge help you understand.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Idiom

What does over the moon mean?

  1. Happy.

Answer: very happy

Example 2 (We do it together): Proverb

What does the chickens proverb mean?

  1. Do not assume.

Answer: do not assume a good result before it happens

Example 3 (You try): Literal

Why did Chidi laugh?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Chickens.

Answer: he took it literally because they have no chickens

Did you know?

Many idioms are hard for people learning English because they cannot be translated word for word.

Why this matters

Knowing idioms helps you understand speech, stories and conversations.

4. Explore: Idiom detective

Explain idioms.

  1. Collect three idioms.
  2. Draw the literal picture.
  3. Write the figurative meaning.
  4. Use each in a sentence.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can explain idioms.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • Literally it means ___.
  • Figuratively it means ___.
  • The context clue is ___.
  • I could use it when ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. A phrase meaning something other than its words is an ___.

idiom

Question 2. A short saying giving advice is a ___.

proverb

Question 3. Exactly what words say is ___.

literal

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A phrase meaning something other than its words is an ___.
  2. A short saying giving advice is a ___.
  3. Exactly what words say is ___.
  4. Not literal is ___.
  5. Over the moon means very ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Who told the proverb?
  2. Who explained it?
  3. When did Chidi say he was over the moon?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Can idioms be literal?
  2. Do proverbs give advice?
  3. Does context help?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Explain two idioms or proverbs you know in a sentence each.

Show a sample answer

two explanations

Another one. Ask a family member for a proverb and explain what it means.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can recognise idioms.
  • I can explain figurative meaning.
  • I can recognise proverbs.
  • I can use idioms in context.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. An idiom’s meaning differs from its ___.

2. A proverb gives advice or a ___.

3. Literal means exactly what the words ___.

4. Figurative means not ___.

5. Over the moon means ___.

6. It is raining cats and dogs means ___.

7. Do not count your chickens means do not ___.

8. Break the ice means ___.

9. A piece of cake means ___.

10. A stitch in time saves nine means ___.

11. How can you work out an idiom?

12. Why learn idioms?

Challenge 1. Which sentence uses an idiom correctly?

Challenge 2. What does hit the books mean?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Notice odd literal meaning.
  • Use context to infer.
  • State the real meaning.
  • Use it appropriately.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Contextual vocabulary. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is an idiom? [1 mark]
  2. What is a proverb? [1 mark]
  3. Explain over the moon. [1 mark]
  4. Explain the chickens proverb. [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to understand an idiom. [3 marks]

Total: 7 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a phrase whose meaning differs from its words [1]
  2. a short saying that gives advice or a truth [1]
  3. very happy [1]
  4. do not assume a good result before it happens [1]
  5. notice it is not literal [1]; use context clues [1]; state the figurative meaning [1]

Score guide: 6 to 7 = secure. 5 to 5 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A phrase meaning something other than its words is an ___.
  2. A short saying giving advice is a ___.
  3. Exactly what words say is ___.
  4. Not literal is ___.
  5. Over the moon means very ___.
  6. Who told the proverb?
  7. Who explained it?
  8. When did Chidi say he was over the moon?
  9. Can idioms be literal?
  10. Do proverbs give advice?

Homework

Ask a family member for a proverb and explain what it means.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A phrase meaning something other than its words is an ___. idiom 1
2. A short saying giving advice is a ___. proverb 1
3. Exactly what words say is ___. literal 1
4. Not literal is ___. figurative 1
5. Over the moon means very ___. happy 1
6. Who told the proverb? Baba Ade 1
7. Who explained it? Ama 1
8. When did Chidi say he was over the moon? after passing his test 1
9. Can idioms be literal? no 1
10. Do proverbs give advice? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 idiom; 2 proverb; 3 literal; 4 figurative; 5 happy. Level 2: 1 Baba Ade; 2 Ama; 3 after passing his test. Level 3: 1 no; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Recognise idioms Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Explain figurative meaning Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Recognise proverbs Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Use idioms in context Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: recognise idioms; explain figurative meaning; recognise proverbs; use idioms in context.

Prerequisite knowledge. Figurative language.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 7-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 5 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.5.5b (explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs); Cambridge Primary English Stage 5 (idioms). These sources informed the lesson.

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