Question

Select the meaning of the given idiom/phrase-
To bring to book
(a)To punish
(b)To take a legal action
(c)To scold
(d)To make a person read a book

Answer 1

Hint: Try to guess the meaning of the given idiom, if you don’t already know it. Now go through the options, try to understand what they mean and choose the one which seems appropriate to the context of the given idiom.

Complete answer: An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. To bring to the book means to punish someone for something they are accountable for. For eg, It was frustrating how the victim was unnecessary yelling the fact that he was innocent and the policemen and the court failed to bring anyone to book for the crime.
Now we will examine each option selectively and know how it’s used:
Option 'a' is To punish means to punish someone for the act they did. For example: To punish somebody if they have committed something wrong is a constitutional right. This is not the desired answer.
Option 'b' is To take legal action means the act of using a lawyer or a court to help settle a disagreement, etc. that you have with a person or an organization. For example, The lawyer threatened the man that he would take legal action against him for the act he performed outside the court in front of so many people. This is the desired answer.
Option 'c' is To scold means to find fault noisily or angrily and to reply in an uneven tone. For example, The teacher started to scold the child in front of their parents for the percentage he attained in the class. This is not the desired answer.
Option 'd' is To make a person read a book means to allow a person to read a book intentionally. For example: To make a person read a book while he is in no mood to do it is one of the difficult tasks ever given to him. This is not the desired answer.

Note: All the other options are plausible distractions. Don't confuse between 'to punish' and 'to scold'. Scolding is when you yell at someone for something they have done, unlike 'punishment'.