Time Idioms Practice Test (A2-B1) — Vocabulary Exercises with Answers

⏱ Time: 10:00 📝 Questions: 20 📊 Level: A2, B1 📚 Type: Vocabulary ⭐ XP: up to +20 (on pass)
⮕ Want to study the topic first? Browse all Time Idioms lessons

Preparing for an English exam? Practise Time Idioms with 20 exercises at Level A2-B1. The questions test meaning, collocation, and word choice — the core vocabulary skills examined in IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge tests.

⏱ You have 10:00 to answer 20 questions. The timer only starts when you click Begin.

Q1  20
Q1 20

Question 1: We need to hurry. We are running out of ___.

Question 1 options
'Running out of time' is a common idiom meaning there is very little time left. 'Space' refers to physical area, 'money' refers to finances, and 'luck' refers to fortune — none fit the context of needing to hurry.
Q2 20

Question 2: What does the idiom 'in the nick of time' mean?

Question 2 options
'In the nick of time' means at the very last moment, just before it is too late. It does not mean early, slowly, or at the wrong moment.
Q3 20

Question 3: Don't worry about the deadline. We have ___ of time.

Question 3 options
'Plenty of time' is a natural collocation meaning more than enough time. 'Lots' would need 'lots of time,' but 'plenty' is the standard idiom here. 'Many' and 'several' do not collocate with uncountable 'time' in this sense.
Q4 20

Question 4: The idiom 'kill time' means to do something to pass the time while waiting.

Question 4 options
True. 'Kill time' means to occupy yourself with unimportant activities while waiting for something, not to waste time in a harmful way.
Q5 20

Question 5: The new employee needs to learn the job. Give her ___.

Question 5 options
'Give her time' is a common expression meaning to allow someone enough time to adjust or learn. 'Clock,' 'hour,' and 'watch' do not form natural idioms in this context.
Q6 20

Question 6: Which word is closest in meaning to 'around the clock'?

Question 6 options
'Around the clock' means continuously, all day and all night without stopping. 'Occasionally' means sometimes, 'rarely' means almost never, and 'briefly' means for a short time.
Q7 20

Question 7: Time flies when you're having ___.

Question 7 options
'Time flies when you're having fun' is a well-known English saying meaning that time seems to pass quickly when you enjoy yourself.
Q8 20

Question 8: He always arrives late. He has no sense of ___.

Question 8 options
'No sense of time' is an idiom describing someone who is unaware of time passing and therefore often late. 'Direction,' 'humor,' and 'style' refer to different senses entirely.
Q9 20

Question 9: Match each time idiom to its meaning.

Question 9 options
once in a blue moon
behind the times
on borrowed time
ahead of time
living beyond expected time
before the scheduled moment
very rarely
old-fashioned

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

'Once in a blue moon' means very rarely. 'Behind the times' means old-fashioned. 'On borrowed time' means living beyond the expected time. 'Ahead of time' means before the scheduled moment.
Q10 20

Question 10: Stop wasting time! We can't afford to ___ any longer.

Question 10 options
'Dawdle' means to waste time by being slow or idle, which fits the context of someone telling another to stop wasting time. 'Sprint' means to run fast, 'celebrate' means to mark a happy event, and 'concentrate' means to focus — none fit the warning about wasting time.
Q11 20

Question 11: What does 'time is money' mean?

Question 11 options
'Time is money' is a proverb meaning that time is a valuable resource and should not be wasted, just like money. It does not literally mean clocks are expensive or that money controls time.
Q12 20

Question 12: The project is taking too long. We need to ___ time somehow.

Question 12 options
'Save time' is a standard collocation meaning to reduce the amount of time spent on something. 'Freeze,' 'catch,' and 'hold' do not form natural idioms meaning to reduce time spent.
Q13 20

Question 13: The expression 'better late than never' suggests it is better not to do something at all if you cannot do it on time.

Question 13 options
False. 'Better late than never' means the opposite — it is better to do something late than not to do it at all.
Q14 20

Question 14: She was so nervous before the exam that every minute felt like an ___.

Question 14 options
'Every minute felt like an eternity' is an idiomatic expression meaning time seemed to pass extremely slowly. 'Afternoon,' 'evening,' and 'instant' do not convey the sense of time dragging.
Q15 20

Question 15: Which word is closest in meaning to 'procrastinate'?

Question 15 options
'Procrastinate' means to delay or postpone doing something, especially out of laziness. 'Hurry' means to rush, 'organize' means to arrange things, and 'complete' means to finish.
Q16 20

Question 16: The meeting started ___ on time — not a second late.

Question 16 options
'Bang on time' is an informal idiom meaning exactly on time, with no delay at all. 'Nearly,' 'roughly,' and 'almost' all imply approximation rather than exactness.
Q17 20

Question 17: After the long winter, the warm weather was a ___ change for everyone in the village.

Question 17 options
'A long-awaited change' means something people have been waiting and hoping for over a long period. 'Sudden' implies unexpected, 'minor' implies unimportant, and 'brief' implies short-lived — none capture the anticipation after a long winter.
Q18 20

Question 18: The idiom 'turn back the clock' is closest in meaning to which phrase?

Question 18 options
'Turn back the clock' means to return to a situation in the past, often with a sense of nostalgia. It does not mean to speed up, to plan carefully, or to accept the present.
Q19 20

Question 19: He decided to ___ the bullet and quit his job, even though the timing was terrible.

Question 19 options
'Bite the bullet' means to force yourself to do something difficult or unpleasant, often when time pressure makes further delay impossible. 'Chew,' 'swallow,' and 'dodge' do not form this fixed idiom.
Q20 20

Question 20: The company's outdated policies show they are living in the ___.

Question 20 options
'Living in the past' is an idiom meaning someone refuses to accept modern changes and clings to old ways. 'Present,' 'future,' and 'moment' do not create idioms about being outdated.