Self Study English

One of the most important aspects of learning English is learning
English idioms. In any language there are expressions in which the

individual words that form this expression lose their original
meaning. The general meaning of such an expression does not
consist of the meanings of individual words. For native speakers
such expressions are familiar, but for those studying this language as
a foreign language they are incomprehensible. The English language
has a long history. Over the centuries, it has accumulated a large
number of phraseological expressions that were once uttered by
someone, people liked them and became entrenched in the language,
being successful, apt and beautiful. This is how a special layer of
language arose - phraseology, a set of set expressions that have a
reinterpreted meaning.
Studying the phraseology of the English language enriches the
speaker’s speech, expands vocabulary, promotes the correct
communicative use of phraseological units in statements, generalizes
knowledge about the culture of Britain and is one of the elements of
better mastery of the English language.
Subject and tasks of phraseology
The science that studies idioms is called phraseology. Phraseology is

a branch of linguistics that studies stable combinations in language.
Phraseology is also called a set of stable combinations in the
language as a whole, in the language of a particular writer, in the
language of a separate work of art, etc.
A particularly complex branch of phraseology is the translation of
phraseological units, which requires considerable experience in the
field of research in this discipline. “Some linguists at first even
argued that phraseological units are untranslatable into other
languages.
In the many linguistic traditions, idioms are usually called
phraseological units. In the last 10-15 years, the term “idiom” has
become widespread. Idioms or phraseological units, which translated
from Greek mean “peculiar”, are stable expressions or figures of
speech that are used as a whole and the meaning of which is not
equal to the meaning of the words that make them up. Therefore,
idioms often cause difficulties when learning languages, since if they
are translated literally, the result will be nonsense. In English they
are also called “idioms”.
So what is an idiom? An idiom is a new, unexpected meaning for a
group of words, each of which has its own meaning.
Various aspects of idioms
When and where to use idioms
One of the main difficulties in using idioms is that the language
learner does not know in what situations one or another idiom can be
used. He does not know the specifics of the style, that is, he does not
know whether the idiom can be used in a formal or informal
situation. The choice of words depends on the person with whom we
are talking, as well as on the situation or place at the time of the
conversation. If the person is our friend or the situation is purely
personal, we can use informal expressions or even slang. In a formal
situation where we do not know the person we are talking to very
well, or in a formal situation, we need to choose our words much
more carefully. It would be wrong to choose an informal expression
in some rather formal situation, and choosing a slang expression in
such cases is a sign of bad manners. This means that we can convey
the same information or express an idea in different ways, using
different levels of language. Here's one example. If someone is late
for a meeting with a friend, a typical informal way of apologizing is:
“Sorry I'm late!” - but I got badly held up." However, if you are late
for a meeting with foreigners or for a business meeting, another
expression is suitable for an apology, for example: “I do apologise
for being late. I'm afraid my train was delayed."
Expressions marked "formal" in dictionaries appear more often in
written language (rather than in spoken English); they emphasize a
certain distance between the interlocutors. Such expressions should
be used, for example, in a report to a large audience. Expressions
marked "informal" are used in everyday spoken language and in
personal letters. (Slang is used in very informal situations between
good friends. Language learners should not use slang often, as it
usually - and unexpectedly - looks old-fashioned and sounds
strange.) We advise you to pay attention to expressions marked
"informal" and unmarked expressions - they neutral in style and can
be used in any situation.

Self Study English

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Self Study English

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One of the most important aspects of learning English is learning

English idioms. In any language there are expressions in which the

The science that studies idioms is called phraseology. Phraseology is

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