Responsibility and control
A. Read the idioms and their meanings:
- Be in the driver’s seat/Carry the ball=take responsibility/control to do the job
- Get out of hand=become impossible to control
- Call the shots=have the authority to make important decisions
B. Find the idioms in the paragraph:
When Mr. Allington was sick, Ms. Moon, the substitute teacher, was in the driver’s seat to teach the 5th grade students. As Mr. Allington’s condition was not getting better and he was on sick leave for another week, Ms. Moon had to carry the ball for the upcoming school project. At first, everything went smoothly, but soon the class started to get out of hand as some groups started arguing about their projects, while some others lost their assignments. Realizing things were getting chaotic, Ms. Moon stepped in to call the shots and reorganized the class to get back on track. With the new plan, all students were able to submit their final projects on time.
C. Let’s watch a cool video about these idioms and more:
D.Match the idioms with their meanings:
|
Expression |
Synonym |
|
1. Be in the driver’s seat / Carry the ball |
A. Run the show |
|
2. Get out of hand |
B. Spin out of control |
|
3.Call the shots |
C. Take the lead |
E. Fill in the blanks with the correct idiom.
1
Arjun: Ever since Maya got promoted, things have totally _______ at the office.
Lily: Yeah, no one knows who’s doing what anymore.
Arjun: It’s chaos.
2
Jonas: Who’s organizing the event this year?
Cleo: Ryan is. He said he’ll _______ and handle everything.
Jonas: Let’s hope he knows what he’s doing.
3
Nora: So, is Carla really the one making all the big decisions now?
Zane: Yep, she definitely _______ around here.
Nora: Interesting shift in power.
F. Write your own sentences using these idioms.
Answers: D. 1. C 2. B 3. A
E. 1. get out of hand. 2. carry the ball. 3. calls the shots
