Context: The American Revolution
Part 1, Speaking: Review and discuss the following idioms, providing your own examples.
1. to drive off: to temporarily expel
(informal, separable, neutral, emphatic)
Example: Poor customer service can drive
off customers.
2. to drive out: to permanently expel
(informal, separable, neutral, emphatic)
Example: Catholics were
driven out of colonial New England.
3. to
hold off: to
successfully resist an attack (informal, separable, positive, desperate)
Example: We couldn’t
hold off the rioters any longer.
4.
to take on: to challenge
(informal, separable, positive, optimistic)
Example: Apple took on
Microsoft in the tablet market and has won.
5. to throw off: to reject control (formal,
separable, positive, emphatic)
Example: Slaves who threw off
their masters followed the underground railroad to the north.
Part 2, Reading: Complete the passage below with the most appropriately
conjugated idioms.
The American War of Independence
(1775-1783) developed out of the failure of the British crown to address
American colonists’ political grievances, beginning with protests against what
was perceived as unjust taxation. This culminated in Samuel Adams and his
associates, the Sons of Liberty, __________ the hated Tea Act by boarding three
British ships and dumping hundreds of chests of tea into Boston harbor.
Although British troops had previously
murdered 5 civilians in the March 5th, 1770 incident that would become known as the Boston Massacre,
the colonists’ frustrated political movement became a real revolution when
colonial militias were able __________ British regulars at the April 19th,
1775 Battle of Lexingon and Concord, forcing a tactical withdrawl to Charlestown.
This was followed by the Siege of Boston,
in which the militias, now the Continental Army, besieged British troops in
Boston. This permitted Washington __________ British forces from deploying to
other areas of New England.
Victories and defeats continued on both
sides for years. The war concluded with the new nation __________ the last
British garrison from New York with cheers and jeers during their evacuation
and the formal __________ of the shackles of the British empire in the signing
of the Treaty of Paris, both in 1783.
© James Doyle, 2013
English Class:
Are you interested in learning more idioms? Take this great class!
http://www.mylanguagesolutions.com/#!advanced-integrated-english-skills-workshop/c12pt
Are you interested in learning more idioms? Take this great class!
http://www.mylanguagesolutions.com/#!advanced-integrated-english-skills-workshop/c12pt
Answers:
The answers to this exercise are available at the following link:
