Hit the Road | Burn the Midnight Oil | Cut Corners | Bark up the Wrong Tree

Exercise 1Vocabularyhit the roadPhrasehɪt ðə roʊdto leave; to begin a journeyI'd better hit the road, or I’ll miss my flight!She has to hit the road very early in the morning.

burn the midnight oilPhrasebɜːrn ðə ˈmɪdˌnaɪt ɔɪlto stay up late in order to work or studyI have an exam tomorrow, so I'll be burning the midnight oil tonight.I’m burning the midnight oil in hopes of getting a promotion.

cut cornersPhrasekʌt ˈkɔrnərzto do something the easiest or cheapest way in order to save time or money; often with negative results or at the expense of qualityOur budget has been reduced this month. We’ll have to cut corners!They've had to cut corners to repair their car on such a small budget.

bark up the wrong treePhraseˈbɑrk ʌp ðə rɔŋ tri:to pursue a mistaken course of actionIf you think he's guilty, you're barking up the wrong tree.Tanya didn’t make any mistakes. You’re barking up the wrong tree if you blame her.

hit the sackPhrasehɪt ðə sækto go to bedI’m so tired. I’ll hit the sack early today.She's going to hit the sack - she's exhausted.

Exercise 2Dialogue PracticeRead the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

David	Ah, I keep dozing off...
Daisuke	I guess it’s time to hit the sack.
David	Definitely. I’m behind schedule with work, so I’ve been burning the midnight oil lately.
Daisuke	You definitely need some rest.
David	To be honest, I’m extremely annoyed with the company. I’ve been given tasks that I have never done in my life. And they’re blaming me for falling behind! They’re definitely barking up the wrong tree. It is Steve’s job to sort out all the documents. I just don’t have enough time!
Daisuke	That is horrible. Maybe you should... Cut corners?
David	I thought about doing that. But it’s an important job; I have to do everything correctly.
Daisuke	How about asking your co-workers for some help?
David	I tried, but the only person who could help was Jack. And he has a holiday coming up. He will hit the road later this week.
Daisuke	If I were you, I’d talk to the head of the department.
David	That's a good idea actually!

Exercise 3ArticleRead the passage aloud with your teacher.

Carl is an excellent employee. His colleagues respect him a lot. He always works hard and never cuts corners. He will burn the midnight oil whenever there's something important that needs to be done.

Carl never scolds people for their mistakes, as he knows how easy it is to bark up the wrong tree at times.

Unfortunately, due to putting in long hours at work, Carl has a habit of hitting the sack as soon as he gets home. As a consequence, he misses hanging out with his friends and doing things he enjoys after work.

However, every weekend Carl takes his backpack and hits the road with a couple of friends. They go hiking, mountain climbing, and camping.

Exercise 4Fill in the BlanksFill in the blanks with the correct idioms to complete the dialogue.

Arisa and Alex are talking on the phone.
Arisa	Sorry for not coming to your party! I had to (1) at work. I was extremely tired.
Alex	Well, you missed out!
Arisa	I know, I know. I (2) the minute I got home. I was too sleepy to text you.
Alex	You could have called me on your way home.
Arisa	Alex, you’re (3)! I didn’t mean to...
Alex	Okay, okay. I understand.
Arisa	Thank you. I wish I didn't have to spend so much time at work, but this project is really important. I really can't afford to (4) at all. Are you still mad, Alex?
Alex	No! I know what your work is like. I really understand.
Arisa	Thanks, Alex! Anyway, I'd better (5)! I have a meeting soon. Talk to you later!

Choose answers from the options below that fit in blanks 1 to 5Answer Pool (Questions 1-5)

burn the midnight oil
hit the road
barking up the wrong tree
hit the sack
cut corners

Exercise 5Fill in the BlanksFill in the blanks with the correct idioms to complete the sentences.1.This brand . As a result, the products aren’t very high quality.2.I'm going camping this weekend; I can't wait to !3.He already. I think it’s a bad idea to wake him up.4.My dad frequently when I was a child. I remember because he would never read bedtime stories to us.5.Officer, you’re ! I'm not the guy you're looking for!6.I’d better go home and . I’m exhausted.7.It’s about time we ! The weather has cleared up.8.Louise was all along. Katy didn’t take her purse.9.I won’t anymore! It’s bad for my health.Exercise 6Sentence BuildingCreate sentences using the following idioms.

cut corners
burn the midnight oil
hit the road
bark up the wrong tree
hit the sack

Hit the Road | Burn the Midnight Oil | Cut Corners | Bark up the Wrong Tree | Hit the Sack