Mark had completely forgotten about his presentation for class. The night before, his friend reminded him. “Oh no! I’m really up against the clock now,” Mark said.

He opened his laptop and started working. He knew it wouldn’t be perfect, but he had to think on his feet.

While gathering information, his internet suddenly stopped working. Mark almost gave up but told himself, “I have to roll with the punches.”

He moved to a coffee shop with Wi-Fi and kept going. After hours of work, he finally finished the slides. “It’s not perfect,” he thought, “but at least I’m back on track.”

The next day, during the presentation, one slide didn’t load. Mark stayed calm and played it by ear. He explained the missing part without panicking.

In the end, the professor said, “Well done, Mark. You handled it like a pro.”

Idioms Used in the Story

1. Up against the clock

Meaning: Having very little time to do something.

Examples:

We’re up against the clock to finish this project.

I was up against the clock to meet the deadline.

2. Think on your feet

Meaning: To react quickly and effectively without preparation.

Examples:

You need to think on your feet in a debate.

She thought on her feet when the client asked tough questions.

3. Roll with the punches

Meaning: To deal with difficulties calmly and flexibly.

Examples:

Life is full of changes—learn to roll with the punches.

He rolled with the punches when the plan changed.

4. Back on track

Meaning: Returning to the right path or schedule.

Examples:

We’re back on track after fixing the problem.

I missed some classes but now I’m back on track.

5. Play it by ear

Meaning: To deal with a situation as it happens, without a plan.

Examples:

Let’s play it by ear and decide when we get there.

The weather is uncertain, so we’ll play it by ear.