After each of the following sentences, a list of possible interpretations are given. choose the interpretation…

Analyze the question: The sentence uses an idiom, "carried the day." You are asked to choose the meaning that best fits it.

Explain the concept: An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is not the same as the literal meaning of its words. "To carry the day" means to win, to be victorious, or to succeed in a contest, argument, or battle. The phrase comes from military history, where the side that "carried the day" won the battle.

Solution:

• A. missed the debate: Wrong. The school took part in the debate, since it "carried the day in the debate."
• B. won the debate: Correct. "Carried the day" means emerged victorious.
• C. choose the date for debate: Wrong. This is only a play on the word "day" and has nothing to do with the idiom.
• D. had very good points: Not the best choice. Good points may have helped the school win, but the idiom states the outcome (victory), not the reason for it.

Answer: B. won the debate.

Tip: In idiom questions, don't read the words literally. Ask yourself, "What is the outcome or situation being described?" Related idioms worth learning are "win the day" (same meaning), "save the day" (rescue a situation), and "call it a day" (stop working). Watch out for options that only echo a word from the phrase, like "date" for "day."