THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Take a leaf out of someone’s book
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
To copy a useful way of doing something from another person’s example.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- I should take a leaf out of Priya’s book and review my notes every Friday.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.
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Can you recall the expression?
Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?
To copy a useful way of doing something from another person’s example.
Show the answer
Take a leaf out of someone’s book — To copy a useful way of doing something from another person’s example.
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Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Take a leaf out of someone’s book” about your own life.
Check your sentence
Does your sentence match this meaning?
To copy a useful way of doing something from another person’s example.
Compare: I should take a leaf out of Priya’s book and review my notes every Friday.
Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.
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More ways to understand and use it
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When to use it
Use it when someone has a habit or approach worth adopting. It suits friendly advice and workplace conversation.
More examples in context
- Our club took a leaf out of the library’s book and started a monthly newsletter.
- You could take a leaf out of your brother’s book by preparing your bag the night before.
Usage note
Replace someone’s with the person whose example you follow. It means learning from their approach, not copying their written work or removing a page.
A short conversation
A: How does Amir stay so organised?
B: He plans tomorrow’s tasks before leaving work. I might take a leaf out of his book.
A: That sounds worth trying.
One more practice question
Who takes a leaf out of a colleague’s book?
A. Someone who adopts the colleague’s effective planning habit.
B. Someone who refuses to learn anything from the colleague’s approach.
Check your answer
A. They copy a useful example to improve their own approach.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.