idiom · neutral
read between the lines
/riːd bɪˈtwiːn ðə ˈlaɪnz/read·be·TWEEN·the·LINES
speakingtask2
to understand the hidden meaning in what someone says or writes
Examples
“She didn't say she was unhappy, but I could read between the lines.”
“When an email is very short, you sometimes need to read between the lines.”
“In political speeches you often have to read between the lines to find the real message.”
Band 8 sentence
“Given what she didn't say, you have to read between the lines to grasp her dissatisfaction.”
Collocations
- read between the lines of a statement
- have to read between the lines
Word family
read between the lines idiom (v)reading between the lines gerund
Common mistakes
read the lines→read between the lines
read between lines→read between the lines
Say it for a higher band
5guess→6infer→7+read between the lines
Synonyms
infer
Easily confused
take something literally
“Don't take his joke literally; he was only teasing.”
Related words
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