Question

Before the final exam, Anil burned the midnight oil every night.

What does “burn the midnight oil” mean?

Options

• (A) To waste electricity
• (B) To cook late at night
• (C) To start a fire
• (D) To work or study late into the night

Answer

(D) To work or study late into the night

Solution

1. The idiom comes from the time when people used oil lamps to work after dark.
2. In the sentence, Anil is preparing for an exam, so he is studying.
3. Burning the midnight oil means working or studying late into the night, which is option D.