Idioms: image and reputation

This ESL worksheet helps learners master 14 idiomatic expressions related to image and reputation, such as skeletons in the closet, throw someone under the bus, fall from grace, air your dirty laundry, and clear your name. Through realistic dialogues, matching exercises, sentence completion, headline interpretation, and open-ended discussion tasks, students build fluency and confidence using these idioms in real-world conversations. You might also like the worksheet “Idioms: role models“.

In the first activity, learners are introduced to idioms like saving face, fall from grace, took a hit, and skeletons in the closet through a short, engaging dialogue. Students then match the bolded idioms to their correct definitions, reinforcing understanding through context. Next, students complete sentences by choosing the correct idiom from a word bank. Next, 2 speaking activities follow, in which students discuss public figures who have suffered a hit to their reputation, and other conversation questions.

In a series of short scripted dialogues, students encounter additional idioms such as dragged one’s name through the mud, lose face, air your dirty laundry, and make a name for yourself. Students then match these expressions to definitions in a follow-up activity. They complete a multiple-choice activity to practice and ensure understanding.

Learners then analyse fictional tabloid headlines—e.g., “Olympic Hero’s Fall from Grace Shocks Nation” or “Governor Throws Deputy Under the Bus”—and speculate on the events behind each story. This task sharpens inference skills and encourages creative thinking using idiomatic language.

In the final activity, students explore thought-provoking questions such as “Should a single mistake define someone’s reputation forever?” and “Is it harder to clear your name in the digital age?” Students are prompted to use idioms naturally while discussing ethical dilemmas and real-life issues.

This worksheet is perfect for high-intermediate to advanced ESL learners who want to expand their vocabulary, improve fluency, and confidently discuss topics related to reputation, scandal, and redemption.

For extended speaking practice, pair this worksheet with the printable conversation cards.