WREN & MARTIN's English grammar-10 MCQs on the Usage of "Under the Weather" and "Spill the Beans"
10 MCQs on the Usage of "Under the Weather" and "Spill the Beans"
1. "She could not attend the annual conference because she had been feeling under the weather for the past few days." — What does "under the weather" mean in this sentence?
- A) To be caught in a sudden and unexpected storm outdoors
- B) To feel slightly unwell or not in the best of health
- C) To be in an extremely serious and life-threatening medical condition
- D) To feel anxious and nervous about an upcoming important event
Answer: B) To feel slightly unwell or not in the best of health ("Under the weather" is an idiom meaning to feel mildly ill or not quite well — it is used to describe a state of minor physical discomfort or illness and does not refer to a serious or life-threatening medical condition.)
2. "He accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise birthday party that had been planned for his sister." — What does "spill the beans" mean here?
- A) To deliberately ruin a party by creating an unnecessary mess
- B) To reveal a secret or confidential information unintentionally or prematurely
- C) To share food generously with others at a gathering or celebration
- D) To carefully keep a secret from someone who is not supposed to know
Answer: B) To reveal a secret or confidential information unintentionally or prematurely ("Spill the beans" is an idiom meaning to accidentally or prematurely reveal information that was meant to be kept secret — it is used when someone discloses confidential or surprise information before the intended time.)
3. "The manager told the team that she was feeling a little under the weather and would be working from home for the rest of the week." — What is the grammatical function of "under the weather" in this sentence?
- A) It functions as a noun phrase
- B) It functions as a verb phrase
- C) It functions as an adjective phrase
- D) It functions as an adverb phrase
Answer: C) It functions as a predicate adjective phrase ("Under the weather" functions as a predicate adjective phrase after the linking verb "was feeling" — it describes the state of health of the manager and serves as the complement of the subject "she" in the sentence.)
4. "The child accidentally spilled the beans to her father about the gift her mother had been secretly preparing for his birthday." — What is the grammatical function of "spilled the beans" in this sentence?
- A) It functions as a noun phrase
- B) It functions as an adjective phrase
- C) It functions as an adverb phrase
- D) It functions as a verb phrase
Answer: D) It functions as a verb phrase ("Spilled the beans" functions as the main verb phrase of the sentence — it describes the action performed by the child in revealing the secret gift to her father before the intended time of disclosure.)
5. "He had been feeling under the weather since Monday and finally decided to visit the doctor on Thursday afternoon." — Which of the following best explains why "under the weather" is used here?
- A) He was experiencing severe and life-threatening symptoms that required emergency care
- B) He was feeling mildly unwell and not in his usual state of good health for several days
- C) He was suffering from extreme exhaustion caused by overworking for several weeks
- D) He was feeling anxious and emotionally distressed about a personal problem
Answer: B) He was feeling mildly unwell and not in his usual state of good health for several days ("Under the weather" is used here to describe a mild and prolonged state of illness — the idiom always refers to a general feeling of being unwell or slightly ill rather than a serious medical emergency or emotional distress.)
6. "It was the youngest member of the team who spilled the beans about the company's confidential merger plans to the press." — Which of the following is the closest in meaning to "spill the beans"?
- A) To guard a secret with the utmost care and discretion
- B) To let the cat out of the bag by revealing secret information
- C) To deliberately withhold important information from others
- D) To listen carefully to confidential information without sharing it
Answer: B) To let the cat out of the bag by revealing secret information ("Let the cat out of the bag" is the closest in meaning to "spill the beans" — both idioms describe the act of revealing secret or confidential information either accidentally or prematurely — the other options describe the opposite behaviour of keeping or withholding information.)
7. "Which of the following sentences uses under the weather correctly?"
- A) She was under the weather because she had just received a prestigious award at the ceremony.
- B) He felt under the weather after spending the entire day celebrating his promotion with his colleagues.
- C) She called in sick and told her manager that she was feeling under the weather with a bad cold.
- D) They were under the weather because they had just returned from a wonderful holiday abroad.
Answer: C) She called in sick and told her manager that she was feeling under the weather with a bad cold. ("Under the weather" is correctly used here because she is feeling unwell due to a cold — the idiom must always describe a state of mild physical illness or discomfort and cannot be used to describe happiness celebration success or any other positive emotional state.)
8. "She had promised to keep the secret but ended up spilling the beans when her friend asked her directly about the surprise." — Which of the following situations would most appropriately call for the use of "spill the beans"?
- A) A person who carefully guards a secret and never reveals it to anyone
- B) A person who deliberately keeps confidential information from those who need it
- C) A person who accidentally reveals a surprise or secret before the right moment
- D) A person who listens attentively to a confidential conversation without participating
Answer: C) A person who accidentally reveals a surprise or secret before the right moment ("Spill the beans" is most appropriately used when someone reveals a secret or surprise before the intended time — the idiom describes the premature or accidental disclosure of information that was meant to be kept confidential until a specific moment or occasion.)
9. "The entire cast had been under the weather during the final rehearsals which made the opening night performance all the more impressive." — Which of the following is the closest in meaning to "under the weather"?
- A) In the best possible state of physical fitness and health
- B) Feeling slightly ill and not quite at one's best
- C) Experiencing extreme emotional distress and anxiety
- D) Suffering from a serious and debilitating chronic illness
Answer: B) Feeling slightly ill and not quite at one's best ("Feeling slightly ill and not quite at one's best" is the closest in meaning to "under the weather" — both expressions describe a mild and temporary state of physical unwellness rather than a serious illness or an emotional condition.)
10. "Which of the following sentences uses the idiom spill the beans incorrectly?"
- A) She spilled the beans about the relocation plans before the official announcement had been made.
- B) He accidentally spilled the beans about the engagement when he mentioned it at the family dinner.
- C) The journalist spilled the beans by carefully protecting the identity of his confidential source.
- D) She spilled the beans about the surprise party when she could not resist telling her best friend.
Answer: C) The journalist spilled the beans by carefully protecting the identity of his confidential source. ("Spill the beans" cannot be used to describe the act of protecting or concealing information — the idiom specifically means to reveal or disclose a secret and using it alongside "carefully protecting" creates a direct contradiction that makes the sentence idiomatically incorrect and logically absurd.)
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