Expressions Quiz: Emotions

You can do this quiz online or print it on paper. It tests comprehension of common English expressions used when talking about our own or another person's emotions.

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

1. It was going to be my first parachute jump, but I lost my nerve at the last minute.

was overcome by fear
stopped being nervous
lost all sensation
a) was overcome by fear b) stopped being nervous c) lost all sensation

2. Anne got promoted before John, and he's had it in for her ever since.

been attracted to her
had respect for her
been nasty to her
a) been attracted to her b) had respect for her c) been nasty to her

3. Should gay kids take no notice of the insults they get at school, or should they do something?

report
accept
ignore
a) report b) accept c) ignore

4. If you look sure of yourself, you'll have a better chance of getting the job.

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

5. Even if she wins a bronze medal instead of the gold, she'll be over the moon.

delighted
disappointed
depressed
a) delighted b) disappointed c) depressed

6. Tom often gets carried away when he's talking about politics.

becomes overexcited
becomes confused
becomes bored
a) becomes overexcited b) becomes confused c) becomes bored

7. After winning back his world boxing title, Manny was walking tall once again.

wealthy
proud
happy
a) wealthy b) proud c) happy

8. We used to be good friends, but I can't stand her now.

really miss
really dislike
rarely think about
a) really miss b) really dislike c) rarely think about

9. Kim says he's looking forward to next week's final exams, but I don't believe him.

nervously foreseeing
hopefully forwarding
excitedly anticipating
a) nervously foreseeing b) hopefully forwarding c) excitedly anticipating

10. Ben loves animals so much that he sees red whenever someone's cruel to one.

gets very embarrassed
gets very depressed
gets very angry
a) gets very embarrassed b) gets very depressed c) gets very angry

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.