Expressions Quiz: Describing People

You can do this quiz online or print it on paper. It tests comprehension of common English expressions used when Describing People.

Read each sentence and choose the answer with the closest meaning to the words in italics.

1. Everyone says that Neil has a heart of gold.

is good at making money
will live a long life
is kind and generous
a) is good at making money b) will live a long life c) is kind and generous

2. She hardly ever asks for advice because she's so sure of herself.

self-assured
self-conscious
selfish
a) self-assured b) self-conscious c) selfish

3. Nobody likes Bobby because he's so full of himself.

self-confident
self-centred
introverted
a) self-confident b) self-centred c) introverted

4. Are you one of those people who always looks on the bright side?

is pessimistic
is realistic
is optimistic
a) is pessimistic b) is realistic c) is optimistic

5. Sometimes Arnie does the wrong thing, but he means well.

has good intentions
doesn't mean to
means to
a) has good intentions b) doesn't mean to c) means to

6. Those cops who killed thousands of drug addicts have hearts of stone.

are strong and determined
are cruel and heartless
are calm and firm
a) are strong and determined b) are cruel and heartless c) are calm and firm

7. Jenny might be our youngest engineer, but she knows her stuff.

knows her limits
understands herself
knows what she's doing
a) knows her limits b) understands herself c) knows what she's doing

8. His boss said he was a waste of space and fired him.

a useless person
a wasteful person
an annoying person
a) a useless person b) a wasteful person c) an annoying person

9. I moved overseas to show my family I could stand on my own two feet.

be independent
be adventurous
be ambitious
a) be independent b) be adventurous c) be ambitious

10. My sister is known for giving her all when she plays sport.

enjoying herself
helping other players
trying as hard as she can
a) enjoying herself b) helping other players c) trying as hard as she can

Your score is:

Correct answers:

Contributor: Matt Errey. Matt is the author of several books including 1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context and Common English Idioms for learners, and Matt's ESL Games and Quizzes for teachers.