Idioms: loyalty and betrayal

This ESL worksheet helps learners understand, practice, and discuss common English idioms related to loyalty, trust, betrayal, and relationships.

Idioms practised: have someone’s back, in your corner, throw someone under the bus, a stab in the back, show one’s true colours, once bitten, twice shy, through thick and thin, ride-or-die, two-faced, leave someone high and dry, bite the hand that feeds you, trust someone with your life

Activities Overview:

First, students read a short workplace dialogue focused on competition, teamwork, and betrayal. They identify idioms used in context and match them to clear definitions. This activity helps learners understand meaning from context. To practise, students read short real-life situations and complete summary sentences using the most appropriate idiom from Activity 1. This reinforces idiom meaning, accuracy, and appropriate usage. After that, learners discuss open-ended questions about trust, loyalty, and personal values. Questions encourage critical thinking, opinion sharing, and extended speaking practice using the target idioms in a meaningful way.

The rest of the idioms are introduced through short dialogues, each containing 1 idiom. Students match them to their definitions. Then, they complete sentences using their own ideas and experiences (e.g., loyalty, betrayal, trust). They then share their sentences with a partner, promoting personalisation, fluency, and peer interaction. Next, learners complete a multiple-choice activity. Finally, students answer deeper discussion questions about character, pressure, and long-term relationships. The focus is on expressing opinions, justifying ideas, and using idioms flexibly rather than mechanically.

For more speaking practice, you can use the printable conversation cards.