After each of the following sentences, a list of possible interpretations of the sentence is given. Choose the…

Step 1: Analyze the question The question tests your knowledge of idioms. The phrase "at daggers drawn" is not meant literally. You are asked what it means when applied to James and Henry.

Step 2: Explain the concept "At daggers drawn" is an English idiom meaning to be in bitter conflict or deep hostility with someone. The picture behind it is two people with their daggers already pulled out, ready to attack each other. It describes strong enmity, not an actual fight with weapons.

Step 3: Work through the options

• A. were always angry with each other: This matches the idea of constant hostility between the two men. It is the closest meaning.
• B. always wore daggers: This takes the idiom literally, so it is wrong.
• C. were good at drawing daggers: This plays on the word "drawn" as in sketching, which is a trap. It is wrong.
• D. were fighting everybody: The idiom is about hostility between two people, not toward everyone. It is wrong.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is A. James and Henry were bitterly hostile toward each other.

Step 5: Exam tip When an idiom appears in a sentence, don't read it word for word. Options that repeat the idiom's own words, like "wore daggers" or "drawing daggers", are usually distractors. Pick the option that gives the figurative meaning. Other idioms of this kind include "at loggerheads" (in disagreement) and "cat and dog relationship" (constant quarrelling).