Proverbs

A proverb is a short, well-known saying that gives advice or shares a truth about life. Proverbs have been passed down for many years, and people use them to express ideas in a clever and memorable way.

What You'll Learn

• What proverbs are and why people use them
• The meanings of common proverbs tested in primary school
• How to match a proverb to its correct meaning
• How to choose the right proverb to complete a sentence

When to Use

1. To give advice: "My father always says, 'A stitch in time saves nine,' whenever I put off doing my homework."
2. To describe someone's behaviour: "Wei Jie never brags about his test scores. He truly believes that actions speak louder than words."
3. To explain a lesson learnt from experience: "After losing her wallet at the hawker centre, Priya understood that prevention is better than cure."
4. To encourage someone: "When Hao Ming felt like giving up on his swimming practice, his coach reminded him that practice makes perfect."
5. To warn someone about a choice: "Mei Ling's mother told her not to judge the new pupil by his appearance because you should never judge a book by its cover."

How to Form

What Makes a Proverb Different from an Ordinary Sentence?

Common Proverbs and Their Meanings

Proverbs About Actions and Effort

Proverbs About Being Careful and Wise

Proverbs About People and Relationships

Key Rules

1. Proverbs are fixed phrases: You cannot change the words in a proverb. Say "A stitch in time saves nine", not "A stitch in time saves ten". The wording has been the same for many years.

2. The meaning is usually not literal: When someone says "Don't put all your eggs in one basket", they are not really talking about eggs. They mean you should not depend on only one plan. Always look for the deeper meaning.

3. Use context clues to find the meaning: If you see a proverb you do not know, look at the sentence around it. The situation described will help you work out what the proverb means. For example, "After Ravi studied every night for two weeks and finally passed his Science test, his mother said, 'Practice makes perfect.'" The context tells you the proverb is about improving through repeated effort.

4. Match the proverb to the situation: Each proverb fits a particular type of situation. "The early bird catches the worm" is about being early or quick, not about being careful. Make sure the proverb matches the message of the sentence.

5. Do not mix up similar proverbs: Some proverbs sound alike but mean different things. "A stitch in time saves nine" (fix problems early) is different from "Prevention is better than cure" (stop problems before they start). The first is about acting quickly; the second is about planning ahead.

6. Proverbs are used in everyday speech and writing: You will see proverbs in comprehension passages, cloze passages, and vocabulary questions. Being familiar with common proverbs helps you understand texts more easily.

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Clues that a proverb is about effort or hard work

practised, tried again, kept going, worked hard, did not give up, improved, determination

Clues that a proverb is about being careful or planning

thought carefully, checked first, planned ahead, was cautious, prepared, avoided trouble

Clues that a proverb is about judging others

appearance, looks, first impression, surprised, turned out to be different, did not expect

Clues that a proverb is about time or acting quickly

early, before it was too late, right away, without delay, sooner, on time

Tip: When you see a blank in a sentence and need to choose the right proverb, first ask yourself: "What lesson is this sentence trying to teach?" Then pick the proverb whose meaning matches that lesson. The situation described in the sentence is your biggest clue.

Practice Tips

1. The situation-matching test: Read the sentence carefully and ask, "What is happening here?" Then ask, "Which proverb gives advice for this situation?" For example, if someone is fixing a small tear in their school uniform before it gets bigger, the matching proverb is "A stitch in time saves nine."

2. The meaning recall method: Cover the meaning column in the tables above and try to recall the meaning of each proverb from memory. Then uncover and check. Repeat until you can remember all of them.

3. Group proverbs by theme: Organise proverbs into categories -- effort, caution, relationships, time. It is easier to remember a proverb when you know which group it belongs to, just as it is easier to find a book when you know which shelf it is on.

4. Spot proverbs in your reading: When you read storybooks or comprehension passages, look out for proverbs. Write down the proverb, its meaning, and the sentence you found it in. This helps you see how proverbs are used in real texts.

Quick Reference