8. Idioms Flashcards
When do you use “Evidence for…”, “evidence of…”, and “Evidence that…”?
- Something can yield evidence for a noun (e.g. “her poor performance yielded damning evidence for her boss”)
- It is also possible to yield evidence of a noun (e.g. “her poor performance yielded evidence of incompetence”)
- If the intention is to talk about a more complex result presented in the form of a clause, then the proper structure is “yield evidence that” (e.g. “her poor performance yielded damning evidence that she was not qualified to do the job”)
When do you use “simultaneously of”, “simultaneously” and “simultaneously with”?
- It is possible to say “independently of the city-states”, but it is not correct to say “simultaneously of the city-states” or “simultaneously the city-states”
- The correct idiom is “simultaneously with the city-states”
When do you use “hopes for…” and “hopes that…”?
- “Hopes for” should be followed by a noun (e.g. “she hopes for a reconciliation”)
- “Hopes that” should be followed by a clause (e.g. she hopes that a reconciliation will occur)
Which is correct: “estimated at…” or “estimated to be”?
“Estimated to be” is the correct idiom to use when estimating a number
“As big as”
CORRECT: Killer whales can grow to be as big as a house.
INCORRECT: Killer whales can grow to be as big as 30 feet long.
“Dated to be”, “dated at”, “dated as being”
The correct idiom for estimating the age of something is “dated at” a certain age
CORRECT: “Rock samples have been dated at 3.5 billion years old.”
INCORRECT: “Rock samples have been dated to be 3.5 billion years old.”
Which is correct: “establish restrictions on” or “establish restrictions for”?
The correct idiom is to “establish restrictions on” the amount or usage of something
CORRECT: Congress established tighter restrictions on the amount of grain farmers are allowed to grow.
INCORRECT: Congress established tighter restrictions for the amount of grain farmers are allowed to grow.
Which is correct: “as a means for”, “as a means of” or “as a means to”?
Both “as a means to” and “as a means of” are valid idioms; “as a means for” is not
CORRECT: Cities are stressing the arts as a means to greater economic development.
INCORRECT: Cities are stressing the arts as a means for greater economic development.
**Idiom: Ability
CORRECT: I value my ABILITY TO sing.
WRONG: I value my ABILITY OF singing.
WRONG: I value my ABILITY FOR me TO SING.
**Idiom: Allow
CORRECT: The holiday ALLOWS Maria TO WATCH the movie today (= permits)
CORRECT: Maria WAS ALLOWED TO WATCH the movie
WRONG: The holiday ALLOWED FOR Maria TO WATCH the movie
**Idiom: And
CORRECT: We are concerned about the forests AND the oceans
WRONG: We are concerned about the forests, ALSO the oceans
**Idiom: As
CORRECT: AS I walked, I became more nervous (=during)
CORRECT: AS I had already paid, I was unconcerned (=because, since)
CORRECT: AS we did last year, we will win this year (=in the same way)
CORRECT: AS the president of the company, she works hard (=in role of)
WRONG: My first job was an apprenticeship OF a sketch artist
WRONG: They worked AS a sketch artist (needs to agree in number)
WRONG: WHILE BEING a child, I delivered newspapers
WRONG: AS BEING a child, I delivered newspapers
**Idiom: As…As
CORRECT: Cheese is AS GREAT AS people say.
WRONG: Cheese is NOT SO great AS people say
**Idiom: Because
CORRECT: BECAUSE the sun shines, plants grow.
CORRECT: BECAUSE OF the sun, plants grow
CORRECT: Plants grow, FOR the sun shines
WRONG: Plants grow BECAUSE OF the sun SHINING
WRONG: BECAUSE OF SHINING, the sun makes plants grow
**Idiom: Being
CORRECT: BEING infected does not make you sick
CORRECT: The judge saw the horses BEING led to the stables
SUSPECT: BEING an advocate of reform, I would like to make a different proposal
NOTE: “being” can be used correctly as a gerund or as a participle
**Idiom: Believe
CORRECT: She BELIEVES THAT Gary IS right
CORRECT: She BELIEVES Gary TO BE right
CORRECT: Gary is BELIEVED TO BE RIGHT
SUSPECT: Gary IS BELIEVED BY her TO BE right
**Idiom: Both…And
CORRECT: She was interested BOTH in plants AND in animals
CORRECT: She was interested in BOTH plants AND animals
WRONG: She was interested BOTH in plants AND animals
WRONG: She was interested BOTH in plants AS WELL AS in animals
**Idiom: But
CORRECT: I STUDY hard BUT TAKE breaks.
CORRECT: ALTHOUGH I TAKE frequent naps, I STUDY effectively
CORRECT: DESPITE TAKING frequent naps, I STUDY effectively
WRONG: I STUDY effectively ALTHOUGH TAKING frequent naps
**Idiom: Can
CORRECT: The manager CAN RUN the plant
SUSPECT: The manager IS ABLE TO RUN the plant
SUSPECT: The manager IS CAPABLE OF RUNNING the plant
SUSPECT: The plant HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF CAUSING damage
**Idiom: Consider
CORRECT: I CONSIDER her a friend
CORRECT: The law IS CONSIDERED illegal
WRONG: The judge CONSIDERS the law AS illegal
WRONG: The judge CONSIDERS the law SHOULD BE illegal
WRONG: The judge CONSIDERS the law AS IF IT WERE illegal
**Idiom: Expect
CORRECT: We EXPECT the price TO FALL
CORRECT: We EXPECT THAT the price WILL FALL
CORRECT: There IS an EXPECTATION THAT the price will fall
WRONG: The price IS EXPECTED FOR IT TO FALL
WRONG: IT IS EXPECTED THAT the price SHOULD FALL
**Idiom: In order to
CORRECT: She drank coffee IN ORDER TO STAY awake
CORRECT: She drank coffee to stay awake
WRONG: She drank coffee FOR STAYING awake
WRONG: Coffee was drunk by her IN ORDER TO STAY awake.
**Idiom: Indicate
CORRECT: A report INDICATES THAT unique bacteria LIVE on our skin
WRONG: A report INDICATES unique bacteria LIVE on our skin
WRONG: A report INDICATES unique bacteria TO LIVE on our skin
**Idiom: Like
CORRECT: Like his sister, Matt drives fast cars
CORRECT: Matt drives fast cars LIKE his sister
CORRECT: Matt drives fast cars LIKE his sister’s
WRONG: Matt drives fast cars LIKE his sister does
WRONG: LIKE his sister SO Matt drives fast cars
**Idiom: Likely
CORRECT: My friend IS LIKELY TO EAT worms
WRONG: My friend IS LIKELY THAT he WILL EAT worms
**Idiom: Not…But
CORRECT: She DID NOT EAT mangoes BUT ATE other kinds of fruit.
CORRECT: A tomato is NOT a vegetable BUT a fruit
CORRECT: A tomato is NOT a vegetable BUT RATHER a fruit
WRONG: She DID NOT EAT mangoes BUT other kinds of fruit
WRONG: She DID NOT EAT mangoes; RATHER other kinds of fruit
**Idiom: Not only…but also
CORRECT: We wore NOT ONLY boots BUT ALSO sandals
CORRECT: We wore NOT JUST boots BUT ALSO sandals
WRONG: We wore NOT ONLY boots AND ALSO sandals.
WRONG: We wore NOT ONLY boots BUT, AS WELL, sandals
**Idiom: So that
CORRECT: She gave the money SO THAT the school could offer scholarships (= purpose)
WRONG: She gave money SO the school could offer scholarships
**Idiom: Such as
CORRECT: Matt drives fast cars SUCH AS Ferraris (= example)
CORRECT: Matt enjoys intense activities, SUCH AS DIRVING fast cars
WRONG: Matt drives Ferraris AND THE LIKE
WRONG: Matt enjoys intense activities, SUCH AS TO DRIVE fast cars
**Idiom: Than
CORRECT: His books are MORE impressive THAN those of other writers
WRONG: His books are MORE impressive AS those of other writers
