Understanding Idioms: Putting Things on the Back Burner

The video tutorial explains the concept of idioms, which are phrases that don't mean exactly what the words say. It emphasizes the importance of using context clues to understand idioms, as they cannot be translated literally. The tutorial provides an example with the idiom 'put on the back burner,' illustrating how context helps infer its meaning as 'to postpone or delay.' The video also suggests visualizing idioms to aid comprehension and outlines steps to determine their meanings.

What is an idiom?

• A word that has multiple meanings

• A sentence that follows grammatical rules

• A phrase whose meaning is not deducible from the individual words

• A phrase that means exactly what the words say

Why can't idioms be translated word for word into another language?

• They are grammatically incorrect

• They are not used in everyday language

• They have a unique meaning understood only by speakers of that language

• They are too complex

In the example given, what does 'put on the back burner' mean?

• To prioritize something

• To cook something slowly

• To postpone or delay something

• To forget about something

What is the first step in understanding an idiom?

• Imagine the exact words in detail

• Ignore the idiom

• Ask someone for the meaning

• Translate it into another language

How can drawing a picture help in understanding an idiom?

• It makes the idiom more complex

• It helps visualize the idiom and context clues

• It distracts from the meaning

• It is not helpful at all