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English Quiz - Proverbs (Questions)

It's time to take a look at proverbs. This quiz aims to introduce children in KS1 to a style of speech that they may frequently hear but not understand, especially as proverbs are given as advice and guidance. This adds another feather in the cap when it comes to English and literacy!

A proverb is a wise saying that has been used for hundreds of years. Often, people use them without realising. See how much you know about proverbs.

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1. What does 'All good things must come to an end' mean?
[ ] Anything good must end - eventually.
[ ] You must always turn left.
[ ] Never eat too much.
[ ] Say please and thank you.
2. What does 'Two wrongs don't make a right' mean?
[ ] Take revenge on bullies.
[ ] Just because someone hurts you, doesn't mean you should hurt them back.
[ ] Always look left and right before crossing the road.
[ ] This is a maths equation.
3. What does 'When in Rome, do as the Romans' mean?
[ ] Act like a Roman.
[ ] Act like a Greek.
[ ] Go to Rome.
[ ] Act like everyone around you.
4. What does 'People that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones' mean?
[ ] Don't live in a greenhouse.
[ ] Don't criticise other people, as nobody is perfect.
[ ] Grow flowers in greenhouses.
[ ] Don't throw stones.
5. What does 'Better late than never' mean?
[ ] Better to turn up than to not turn up at all.
[ ] Better to turn up late.
[ ] Better to turn up early.
[ ] Don't turn up.
6. What does 'A picture is worth a thousand words' mean?
[ ] Pictures are beautiful.
[ ] Writing is better than any picture as stories are the best.
[ ] Take a picture of lots of words, maybe a thousand words.
[ ] A picture can show emotions and visions that can't be achieved through writing or speech.
7. What does 'There is no such thing as a free lunch' mean?
[ ] You should always pay for your lunch.
[ ] You should share your lunch.
[ ] You should eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.
[ ] Nothing is really free, they will want something from you.
8. What does 'The early bird catches the worm' mean?
[ ] Start early and you will do much better than those that start late.
[ ] Start late and you will do much better than those that start early.
[ ] Eat worms as they are good for you, full of protein.
[ ] Wake up early and hear the birds tweet.
9. What does 'You can't always get what you want' mean?
[ ] If you stamp your feet you might get something.
[ ] Don't complain if you don't get something because that's life!
[ ] If you don't want something then you get it.
[ ] You should write to Father Christmas.
10. What does 'Practise makes perfect' mean?
[ ] Work hard.
[ ] Don't try new things.
[ ] The more you try something, the worse you will be at it.
[ ] The more you try something, the better you will be at it.
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English Quiz - Proverbs (Answers)
1. What does 'All good things must come to an end' mean?
[x] Anything good must end - eventually.
[ ] You must always turn left.
[ ] Never eat too much.
[ ] Say please and thank you.
This one is quite easy - it means that if you are sad that something like a birthday party is over, know that everything ends.
2. What does 'Two wrongs don't make a right' mean?
[ ] Take revenge on bullies.
[x] Just because someone hurts you, doesn't mean you should hurt them back.
[ ] Always look left and right before crossing the road.
[ ] This is a maths equation.
You may hear this one a lot, especially in the playground. This means that if somebody hurts you, you shouldn't hurt them back and instead - tell a teacher or adult.
3. What does 'When in Rome, do as the Romans' mean?
[ ] Act like a Roman.
[ ] Act like a Greek.
[ ] Go to Rome.
[x] Act like everyone around you.
Most people just say, 'When in Rome' as everyone knows the end of the proverb.
4. What does 'People that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones' mean?
[ ] Don't live in a greenhouse.
[x] Don't criticise other people, as nobody is perfect.
[ ] Grow flowers in greenhouses.
[ ] Don't throw stones.
This one is very true. It is easy to accuse somebody of being mean and forget that maybe we have been too.
5. What does 'Better late than never' mean?
[x] Better to turn up than to not turn up at all.
[ ] Better to turn up late.
[ ] Better to turn up early.
[ ] Don't turn up.
This one means what it says, but if somebody says this to you then they are still a little annoyed that you didn't turn up or hand something in on time.
6. What does 'A picture is worth a thousand words' mean?
[ ] Pictures are beautiful.
[ ] Writing is better than any picture as stories are the best.
[ ] Take a picture of lots of words, maybe a thousand words.
[x] A picture can show emotions and visions that can't be achieved through writing or speech.
Helen of Troy is known as the face that launched a thousand ships. That picture would definitely be worth more than a thousand words!
7. What does 'There is no such thing as a free lunch' mean?
[ ] You should always pay for your lunch.
[ ] You should share your lunch.
[ ] You should eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.
[x] Nothing is really free, they will want something from you.
This one means you should always be suspicious of other people...which is quite sad! Hopefully people give you free things without expecting something in return!
8. What does 'The early bird catches the worm' mean?
[x] Start early and you will do much better than those that start late.
[ ] Start late and you will do much better than those that start early.
[ ] Eat worms as they are good for you, full of protein.
[ ] Wake up early and hear the birds tweet.
Blackbirds are ground feeders and often pull worms out of the mud to eat them.
9. What does 'You can't always get what you want' mean?
[ ] If you stamp your feet you might get something.
[x] Don't complain if you don't get something because that's life!
[ ] If you don't want something then you get it.
[ ] You should write to Father Christmas.
This one is often said to children because there are so many toys that you may want and unfortunately, just because you want something - it doesn't mean you're going to get it.
10. What does 'Practise makes perfect' mean?
[ ] Work hard.
[ ] Don't try new things.
[ ] The more you try something, the worse you will be at it.
[x] The more you try something, the better you will be at it.
This one is certainly true for your handwriting. Only through practising can you get better at forming your letters correctly.