One of the areas of English which you need to have a good knowledge of to do well in the Cambridge Proficiency (CPE) exam expressions. In both the Reading/Use of English and Listening parts of the exam you will find lots of different expressions (idioms, sayings, similes, metaphors) used on them.
Although some of them that you will find used are quite common expressions and in all likelihood you'll have probably encountered them before, others will not be.
So, to improve your chances of passing the exam, one of the things you really need to do is to improve your knowledge of expressions that are used in English.
In order to help you do this, below you will find a list of 50 expressions for CPE exam. For each of the 50 English expressions in the list, there is a YouTube video for you to watch which will help you learn and remember its meaning and when it is used.
I’m sure that you already know some of these. But even if you do, I think it would be beneficial for you to watch the video for them (it will make it more likely that you will use them in either your writing or speaking in the exam (which is a very good thing to do, if you use them correctly)).
For those in the list you don't know or are unsure about, I would definitely recommend that you watch the video.
After watching the video for each expression, make sure that you use them (write or say one or two sentences where they are used in). Doing this will help you to remember them in the future.
A list of 50 CPE expressions
To watch the YouTube video, click on the expression you want to learn the meaning of.
- A last resort
- A pain in the neck
- A piece of cake
- A tall order
- Bear in mind
- Beyond the pale
- Bide your time
- Bite your tongue
- Bury your head in the sand
- By the skin of your teeth
- Change your tune
- Cost an arm and a leg
- Cross the line
- Down in the dumps
- Draw the line at
- Fly off the handle
- Get to the bottom of something
- Get your just deserts
- Get your own way
- Give someone the cold shoulder
- Have a way with
- Have a whale of a time
- Have cold feet
- Have it in for someone
- Hit the nail on the head
- Lay in store for
- Like chalk and cheese
- Make ends meet
- Miss the boat
- Not be your cup of tea
- Not see eye to eye
- Once in a blue moon
- On the cards
- On the spur of the moment
- Out of the blue
- Out of your depth
- Over the moon
- Over the top
- Over your head
- Prey on your mind
- Pulling your leg
- Ring a bell
- Sleep like a log
- Speak your mind
- Take something with a pinch of salt
- The last straw
- The spitting image of
- The writing’s on the wall
- Turn a blind eye
- When pigs fly