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Welcome to English in a Minute!
Swimming is a great form of exercise. But what do you think could this means?
Sink or Swim
Speaker A: How’s your new publishing job going, Anna?
Speaker B: Don’t get me started. I’ve had no training! I don’t know what to do or how to do it.
Speaker A: Sounds like you’ve been left to sink or swim.
Speaker B: Yes, Jonathan! And I am sinking. I am sinking!
Speaker A: Sorry!
Imagine being thrown into a body of water. Do you sink, or do you start swimming?
The expression “sink or swim” describes a situation in which you either succeed or fail on your own, without much help or guidance.
And that’s English in a Minute!
*This article has been edited and reprinted from VOA Learning English with permission from Voice of America (VOA) for use in English language materials.