How to use the Idiom Explainer.
An idiom explanation should separate literal wording from its contextual meaning. Include register and a natural example, and check whether the phrase has a different meaning in the supplied sentence.
Make the workflow fit your task.
Read the idiom within its sentence and explain its intended meaning separately from the literal image. Describe register and give a natural example. Note alternative meanings when the context does not establish a single interpretation.
- What you provide
- Idiom and sentence context.
- What you get
- Meaning, register and natural example usage.
See the input and the result.
Illustrative input and output · a teaching example, not a live WebAct run
Example input
Explain the phrase break the ice in: We played a short game to break the ice.
Completed example
Meaning: help people feel more comfortable when meeting or beginning a conversation. Here it refers to easing social tension, not damaging frozen water. It is common in everyday English.
Load this input into the prompt, then copy it to WebAct to try the task. Your result may differ from the illustration.
Decisions and troubleshooting.
Should an idiom be translated word for word into another language?
Usually explain the intended meaning first, then choose a natural equivalent if one exists in the target context.
Why does the idiom explanation not fit the sentence?
The phrase may be literal, ironic or used in another sense. Recheck the surrounding passage.
Try it with your own source.
Replace the example with your material in the task prompt. Keep the requirements you need, then copy the task into WebAct.
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