My grandmother once told me that old habits die hard. This means that old habits are

Step 1: Analyze the question The sentence uses an idiom: "old habits die hard." You are asked to choose the meaning that best fits it.

Step 2: Explain the concept An idiom has a meaning that is different from the literal meaning of its words. "Die hard" here means "to take a long time to disappear" or "to resist ending." So the saying means that habits we have had for a long time are very difficult to stop or change.

Step 3: Work through the options

• A. easily corrected: This is the opposite of the idiom's meaning. Eliminate it.
• B. difficult to change: This matches the meaning. Habits "die hard" because they are hard to get rid of.
• C. short-lived: This means they do not last long, but the idiom says they persist. Eliminate it.
• D. forever changing: This suggests habits keep changing, which is not what the idiom says. Eliminate it.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is B. difficult to change.

Exam tip: For idiom questions, first work out what the phrase suggests as a whole, then look for the option that matches it. Watch out for options that mean the opposite, like A here. Examiners often include them to catch students who rush. Other similar idioms are "a leopard cannot change its spots" and "habit is second nature."