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[A+] Grounds

LET'S UNLOCK WORDS AND PHRASES 🔐

undermine

[ uhn-der-'mahyn ]

verb

- to make someone less confident, less powerful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually

The president has accused two cabinet members of working secretly to undermine his position.

alienate

[ 'ey-lee-uh-neyt ]

verb

- to cause someone or a group of people to stop supporting and agreeing with you

All these changes to the newspaper have alienated its traditional readers.

mumble

[ 'muhm-buhl ]

verb

- to speak quietly and in a way that is not clear so that the words are difficult to understand

He mumbled his apology, barely audible to anyone in the room.

reap

[ reep ]

verb

- to get something, usually something good, as a result of your actions or other people's actions

She studied every evening and reaped the benefit at exam time.

redeem

[ ri-'deem ]

verb

- to recover or make up for something, often used in the sense of regaining honor or worth

After his poor performance in the golf tournament two weeks before, he was determined to redeem himself by playing well.

LET'S UNDERSTAND! 📚

Direction: Read and understand the different idiomatic expressions below.

A. cut the ground from under the/one's feet

  • to weaken someone’s position or undermine their efforts

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Dialogue

Icon_Learner

Tom

How did the opposition manage to counter your proposal so effectively?

Icon_Michael

Allan

They cut the ground from under my feet by presenting contradictory evidence.

Icon_Learner

Tom

That must have been frustrating, especially after all your preparation.

Icon_Michael

Allan

It was, but I’ll revise my strategy and address their claims.

B. on dangerous ground

  • in a risky or precarious situation, especially regarding opinions or actions

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Dialogue

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Mia

Did you hear his remarks during the debate?

Icon_Learner

Tom

Yes, he’s treading on dangerous ground by challenging such a sensitive issue.

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Mia

It’s bold, but it might alienate his supporters.

Icon_Learner

Tom

True, but sometimes controversy sparks necessary conversations.

C. get in on the ground floor

    • to become involved with something at its earliest stage

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Dialogue

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Mia

How did she secure such a significant role in the tech startup?

Icon_Learner

Tom

She got in on the ground floor before the company gained traction.

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Mia

That’s brilliant. It’s always smart to recognize potential early on.

Icon_Learner

Tom

Agreed. Her foresight is paying off handsomely.

D. wish the ground would swallow me up

  • to feel extreme embarrassment or humiliation

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Dialogue

Icon_Learner

Tom

How did your presentation go?

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Mia

Awful. My slides froze, and I mumbled through the key points—I wished the ground would swallow me up.

Icon_Learner

Tom

That’s tough, but everyone has moments like that.

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Mia

I hope so. I just want to redeem myself next time.

E. gets something off the ground

  • to start or successfully launch a project, idea, or endeavor

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Dialogue

Icon_Learner

Tom

How’s the new community initiative progressing?

Icon_Michael

Allan

Slowly, but we’re finally getting it off the ground after securing funding.

Icon_Learner

Tom

That’s excellent news. What’s the next step?

Icon_Michael

Allan

Building partnerships to ensure its long-term sustainability.

LET'S PRACTICE! 📝

Part I

Direction: Choose the appropriate expressions to complete each of the sentences.

get in on the ground floor on dangerous ground
wish the ground would swallow me up get something off the ground
cut the ground from under the/one’s feet of

  1. Just as she was about to present her idea to the team, her colleague raised the exact same point, effectively .

  2. By questioning the manager’s decision in front of the entire team, he was treading and risking his job.

  3. When I realized I’d sent the email to the wrong person, I was so embarrassed that I wanted to .

  4. It took months of planning, but the team finally managed to and launch their innovative project.

  5. Investing early in a tech start-up allows you to and potentially reap significant rewards if the company succeeds.

Part II

Direction: Listen as your mentor reads the statements twice. Then, repeat after your mentor.

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Part III

Direction: Paraphrase the following sentences. Make sure to paraphrase the underlined idiomatic expressions.

  1. By questioning the CEO’s decision during the meeting, he knew he was on dangerous ground, but he felt it was necessary to voice his concerns.

  2. The tech startup promised huge returns for investors who managed to get in on the ground floor before their product launch.