In this idiom question, choose the option that best expresses the meaning of the phrase Strain every nerve.

Introduction / Context:
The idiom strain every nerve is used in English to describe making the maximum possible effort to achieve something. It appears in literature, newspapers, and exam passages, so understanding it helps with both vocabulary and comprehension questions.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Idiom: Strain every nerve. - Options: Try all tricks, Work very hard, Beg before others, Spend a large amount. - No example sentence is given, so you must rely on idiom knowledge.

Concept / Approach:
The word strain here means to put under intense effort or pressure, as when muscles are strained. Nerves are associated with physical and mental exertion. Together, strain every nerve creates a vivid picture of using all strength and energy. Therefore, the idiom means to work very hard or make every possible effort, not to use tricks, beg, or spend money.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that strain suggests effort or tension, not trickery or begging. Step 2: Understand that every nerve emphasises total involvement of the body and mind. Step 3: Combine the two to get the idea of making the utmost effort. Step 4: Compare with options. Work very hard directly expresses maximum effort. Step 5: Try all tricks suggests resorting to dishonest or clever methods, which is not implied. Step 6: Beg before others and Spend a large amount introduce completely different ideas of begging or spending, unrelated to the idiom. Step 7: Therefore, the best meaning is Work very hard.

Verification / Alternative check:
Use an example: The team strained every nerve to win the championship. If we replace strained every nerve with worked very hard, the sentence remains accurate in meaning. Replacing it with tried all tricks changes the tone towards dishonesty, which may not be intended. Begging or spending money would not fit naturally in such contexts, confirming that the correct answer must be related to intense effort.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Try all tricks implies using deceitful or manipulative methods, which is not part of the idiom s usual sense. Beg before others shifts the meaning toward pleading for help or charity. Spend a large amount refers to financial expenditure, unrelated to nervous or muscular effort.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to focus on every and assume the idiom must mean trying every possible method, including tricks. However, the core word strain signals physical or mental exertion, not cunning schemes. To avoid such errors, learners should pay attention to the central image of the idiom and recall example sentences from reading practice where the phrase appears.

Final Answer:
The idiom Strain every nerve means Work very hard.