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Unit 06
Problems, Success & Decisions
the last straw, hit the nail on the head…
Talking About Problems and Choices
These idioms help you comment on situations: how serious a problem is, whether something was a success, and how people make decisions. Several of them are also common in news articles and opinion pieces.
Problems & Difficulties
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in hot water | in trouble | He's in hot water for missing the deadline. |
| in the same boat | in the same difficult situation as others | We're all in the same boat — nobody got a pay rise. |
| the last straw | the final problem that makes a situation impossible to accept | His rude email was the last straw. |
| a blessing in disguise | something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good | Losing that job was a blessing in disguise. |
| bite off more than you can chew | to try to do more than you can manage | With three jobs, she's bitten off more than she can chew. |
| a vicious circle | a situation in which one problem causes another that makes the first one worse | Stress causes bad sleep, which causes more stress — it's a vicious circle. |
| sweep something under the carpet | to hide a problem instead of dealing with it | The company tried to sweep the scandal under the carpet. |
Success
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| hit the nail on the head | to describe a situation or problem exactly right | You hit the nail on the head — the real problem is communication. |
| on the right track | doing something in a way that will lead to success | Your research is on the right track. |
| the sky's the limit | there is no limit to what can be achieved | With your talent, the sky's the limit. |
| by leaps and bounds | very quickly (about progress) | Her English has improved by leaps and bounds. |
| a long shot | something that is unlikely to succeed but worth trying | It's a long shot, but let's apply anyway. |
| steal the show | to attract the most attention and praise | The youngest dancer stole the show. |
Decisions
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sit on the fence | to avoid choosing a side | You can't sit on the fence forever — decide! |
| make up your mind | to make a decision | I can't make up my mind which phone to buy. |
| jump the gun | to act too early, before the right time | Don't jump the gun — wait for the official results. |
| have second thoughts | to start to doubt a decision | I'm having second thoughts about moving abroad. |
| weigh up the pros and cons | to consider the advantages and disadvantages | Weigh up the pros and cons before you decide. |
| a grey area | a situation where the rules are not clear | Using AI for homework is still a grey area. |
| play it by ear | to decide what to do as the situation develops | We don't have a plan — let's play it by ear. |
| cross that bridge when you come to it | to deal with a problem only when it actually happens | "What if it rains?" "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." |
Watch Out
- Grey (UK) / gray (US) area — both spellings are correct.
- Sweep something under the carpet (UK) = sweep something under the rug (US).
- The last straw comes from the saying the straw that broke the camel's back.
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectYouverbhitobjectthe nail on the head.
↳ hit the nail on the head = be exactly right.
subjectThat commentverbwasobjectthe last straw.
↳ the last straw = the final problem.
subjectI'mverbhavingobjectsecond thoughts.
↳ have second thoughts = start to doubt.
Common Mistakes
We're in the same ship.
→
We're in the same boat.
Fixed form: in the same boat.
You hit the nail on the top.
→
You hit the nail on the head.
Fixed form: on the head.
Make up your decision.
→
Make up your mind.
Fixed form: make up your mind.
Her English improved by jumps and bounds.
→
Her English improved by leaps and bounds.
Fixed form: by leaps and bounds.