Expressions Quiz: Knowing

You can do this quiz online or print it on paper. It tests comprehension of common English expressions used when talking about knowing or not knowing something.

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

1. I failed the exam because I went to a party instead of studying. I should have known better.

acted more sensibly
known better people
been better known
a) acted more sensibly b) known better people c) been better known

2. Jenny works in personnel, so she's in the know when it comes to promotions.

important
well known
knowledgeable
a) important b) well known c) knowledgeable

3. When Isaac Newton saw an apple fall from a tree, he had a light bulb moment.

suddenly lit up
suddenly understood
suddenly felt light-headed
a) suddenly lit up b) suddenly understood c) suddenly felt light-headed

4. After reading an article on quantum physics, I was none the wiser.

as confused as before
much less confused
as wise as anyone
a) as confused as before b) much less confused c) as wise as anyone

5. Charles drives a taxi, so he knows this city like the back of his hand.

hardly at all
reasonably well
extremely well
a) hardly at all b) reasonably well c) extremely well

6. After getting to know our neighbourhood, they started to feel at home.

reading about
hearing about
becoming familiar with
a) reading about b) hearing about c) becoming familiar with

7. Ben doesn't know the first thing about fixing cars, and he still got the job.

knows nothing about
knows a little about
knows everything about
a) knows nothing about b) knows a little about c) knows everything about

8. If you're up to speed on futures trading, you can make money on the futures market.

using the speediest apps
getting the latest information
making the quickest deals
a) using the speediest apps b) getting the latest information c) making the quickest deals

9. When it comes to corruption, everyone who lives here knows the score.

knows the cost
knows the truth
knows the result
a) knows the cost b) knows the truth c) knows the result

10. None of the players knew the club was bankrupt. The owners kept them in the dark.

didn't want them to know
forgot to let them know
didn't want to expose them
a) didn't want them to know b) forgot to let them know c) didn't want to expose them

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.