Idioms

Question 1

Ability

Answer 1

Correct:
Ability TO

Question 2

Allow

Answer 2

Correct:
Allow TO

Question 3

Although / But

Answer 3

CORRECT:
I STUDY hard BUT TAKE breaks.
I STUDY hard, but I TAKE breaks.
ALTHOUGH I TAKE frequent naps, I STUDY effectively.
DESPITE TAKING frequent naps, I STUDY effectively.
I TAKE frequent naps, YET I STUDY effectively

SUSPECT:
DESPITE THE FACT THAT I TAKE frequent naps, I STUDY effectively.
ALTHOUGH a frequent napper, I STUDY effectively. (ALTHOUGH should generally be followed by a clause)

WRONG:
I STUDY effectively ALTHOUGH TAKING frequent naps.
ALTHOUGH I TAKE frequent naps, YET/AND I STUDY effectively.
DESPITE TAKING frequent naps, YET I STUDY effectively.

Question 4

AND

Answer 4

Correct:
X and Y
X, Y, and Z
X, AND

Suspect:
AND ALSO

Wrong:
, ALSO

Question 5

AS

Answer 5

Correct:
AS I walked, I became more nervous. (during)
AS I had already paid, I was unconcerned. (because, since)
(JUST) AS we did last year, we will win this year. (in the same way)
AS the president of the company, she works hard. (in the role of)
AS a child, I delivered newspapers (in the stage of being)
My first job was an apprenticeship AS a sketch artist. (in the role of)
AS PART OF the arrangement, he received severance

Suspect:
AS A PART OF the arrangement, he received severance. (don’t include the word A)

Wrong:
My first job was an apprenticeship OF a sketch artist
The students worked AS a sketch artist (nouns must agree in number)
WHILE/AS BEING a child, I delivered newspapers.
WHILE IN childhood, I delivered newspapers.

Question 6

AS…AS

Answer 6

CORRECT:
AS…AS
NOT AS… AS
AS MANY… AS
X TIMES AS MANY…AS
AT LEAST AS MANY…AS
ABOUT AS MANY AS…
AS MUCH…AS
NOT SO MUCH…AS
AS MUCH..SO..AS

SUSPECT:
AS MANY..AS ORMORE…THAN
AS MANY…AS THERE

WRONG:
SO..AS
NOT SO..AS
SO..THAT
AS…THAT
AS MANY…THAN
SO MANY..AS
AS MANY OR MORE…THAN
X TIMES AS MANY MORE…AS
ABOUT EQUIVAENT TO
NOT…AS

Question 7

BECAUSE / FOR

Answer 7

CORRECT:
BECAUSE…, plants grow
Plants grow BECAUSE
BECAUSE OF …., plants grow
BY SHINING, the sun makes plants grow
Pants grow, FOR the sun shines

SUSPECT:
Plants grow BECAUSE OF the sun, which shines
Plants are amazing IN THAT they grow in the sun (wordy)
The growth of plants IS EXPLAINED BY THE FACT THAT… (wordy)

Question 8

BEING

Answer 8

CORRECT:
BEING infected
The judges saw the horses BEING led to the stables

SUSPECT:
BEING an advocate of reform, I would like to make a different proposal

Note - the word being is often wordy or awkward, but can be used correctly as a gerund or as a participle

Question 9

BELIEVE

Answer 9

CORRECT:
BELIEVES THAT.. IS
BELIEVES .. TO BE
IT IS BELIEVED THAT… IS
IS BELIEVED TO BE

SUSPECT:
IS BELIEVED BY..TO BE

Question 10

BOTH..AND

Answer 10

CORRECT:
She was interested BOTH in plants AND in animals.
She was interested in BOTH plants AND animals.

WRONG
She was interested BOTH in plants AND animals.
She was interested BOTH in plants AS WEL AS in animals.
She was interested BOTH in plants BUT ALSO in animals.

Question 11

CONSIDER

Answer 11

CORRECT:
I CONSIDER her intelligent (a friend(.
I CONSIDER illegal the law passed last week by the new regime.
The law IS CONSIDERED illegal.

SUSPECT:
The judge CONSIDERS the law TO BE illegal.

WRONG:
The judge CONSIDERS the law AS illegal (or AS BEING illegal).
The judge CONSIDERS the law SHOULD BE illegal.
The judge CONSIDERS the law AS IF IT WERE illegal.

Question 12

EITHER…OR

Answer 12

CORRECT:
EITHER/OR

WRONG:
EITHER/AND

Question 13

EXPECT

Answer 13

CORRECT:
We EXPECT the price TO FALL.
The price IS EXPECTED TO FALL.
We EXPECT THAT the price WILL FALL.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT the price WILL FALL.
Inflation rose more than we EXPECTED.
There IS and EXPECTATION THAT the price will fall.

SUSPECT:
There IS an expectation the price WILL FALL.
There IS an expectation OF the price FALLING.

WRONG:
The price IS EXPECTED FOR IT TO FALL.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT the price SHOULD FALL.

Question 14

FROM…TO

Answer 14

CORRECT:
FROM…TO
TO…FROM

WRONG:
FROM…DOWN TO
FROM…UP TO

Question 15

IN ORDER TO

Answer 15

CORRECT:
She drank coffee IN ORDER TO STAY awake.
She drank coffee TO STAY awake. (Infinitive TO STAY indicates purpose.)

SUSPECT:
She drank coffee IN ORDER THAT (or SO THAT) she MIGHT STAY awake.
She drank coffee SO AS TO STAY awake.

WRONG:
She drank coffee FOR STAYING awake.
Coffee was drunk by her TO STAY awake (or IN ODER TO STAY awake). - (the subject COFFEE is not trying TO STAY awake).

Question 16

INDICATE

Answer 16

CORRECT:
A report INDICATES THAT unique bacteria LIVE on our skin.

SUSPECT:
A report IS INDICATIVE OF the presence of unique bacteria on our skin.

WRONG:
A report INDICATES unique bacteria LIVE on our skin. (that is needed(.
A report IS INDICATIVE THAT unique bacteria LIVE on our skin.
A report INDICATES unique bacteria AS present on our skin.
A report INDICATES unique bacteria TO LIVE on our skin.

Question 17

INSTEAD OF /RATHER THAN

Question 18

LIKE (see also SUCH AS)

Answer 18

CORRECT:
LIKE his sister, Matt drives fast cars. (both drive fast cars.)
Matt drives fast cars LIKE his sister’s. (both drive similar cars, or less optimally one of the cars he drives is his sister’s.)

WRONG:
Matt drives fast cars LIKE his sister does.
LIKE his sister, SO Matt drives fast cars.

Question 19

NOT…BUT

Answer 19

CORRECT
She DID NOT EAT mangoes BUT ATE other kinds of fruit.
She DID NOT EAT mangoes BUT LIKED other kinds of fruit AND later BEGAN to like kiwis, too.
A tomato is NOT a vegetable BUT a fruit.
A tomato is NOT a vegetable BUT RATHER a fruit.

WRONG:
She DID NOT EAT mangoes BUT other kinds of fruit.

Question 20

NOT ONLY…BUT ALSO

Answer 20

CORRECT:
We wore NOT ONLY boots BUT ALSO sandals.
We wore NOT ONLY boots, BUT ALSO sandals. (comma is optional.)
We wore NOT JUST boots BUT ALSO sandals.
We wore NOT ONLY boots BUT sandals.

SUSPECT:
We wore NOT ONLY boots BUT sandals AS WELL.
We wore boots AND ALSO sandals.

WRONG:
We wore NOT ONLY boots AND ALSO sandals.
We wore NOT ONLY boots BUT, AS WELL, sandals.

Question 21

RATHER THAN

Answer 21

CORRECT:
He wrote with pencils rather than WITH PENS.

SUSPECT:
He wrote with pencils, BUT NOT pens.

WRONG:
He wrote with pencils INSTEAD OF with pens. (OF WITH is wrong).

Question 22

SO…AS TO

Answer 22

SUSPECT:
The sauce was SO hot AS TO burn my mouth.
>be wary GMAT is inconsistent on right or wrong

WRONG:
The sauce had SUCH heat AS TO burn my mouth.
The sauce had SO MUCH heat AS TO burn my mouth.

Question 23

SO…THAT (see also ENOUGH).

Answer 23

CORRECT:
The book was SO SHORT THAT I could read it in one night.
The book was SHORT ENOUGH FOR me TO READ in one night.

SUSPECT:
The book was SO SHORT I could read it in one night. (that is preferred)
The book was OF SUCH SHORTNESS THAT I could read it.
SUCH was the SHORTNESS of the book THAT I could read it.

WRONG:
The book had SO MUCH SHORTNESS THAT I could read it.
The book was OF SUCH SHORTNESS, I could read it.
The book was SHORT TO SUCH A DEGREE AS TO ALLOW me to read it.

Question 24

SO THAT

Answer 24

CORRECT:
She gave money SO THAT the school could offer scholarships. (purpose)

SUSPECT:
She gave money, SO the school was grateful. (result)

WRONG:
She gave money SO the school could offer scholarships.

Question 25

SUCH AS

Answer 25

CORRECT:
Matt drives fast cars, SUCH AS Ferraris. (introducing examples)
Matt enjoys driving SUCH cars AS Ferraris.
Matt enjoys intense activities, SUCH AS DRIVING fast cars.

SUSPECT:
Matt drives fast cars LIKE Ferraris. (intended to be an example)
–> unlikely

WRONG:
Matt drives Ferraris AND THE LIKE.
Matt drives Ferraris AND OTHER cars SUCH AS THESE.
Matt trains in many ways SUCH AS BY DRIVING on racetracks.
Matt enjoys intense activities, SUCH AS TO DRIVE fast cars.

Question 26

THAN

Answer 26

CORRECT:
MORE
MORE…THAN
LESS…THAN
NO LESS…THAN
…MORE THAN…
MORE THAN…
HIGHER…THAN

WRONG:
MORE…AS
MORE..RATHER THAN
MORE…INSTEAD OF
NO LESS…AS
NONE THE LESS…THAN
AS MUCH AS
AS MANY AS OR AS MORE THAN
HIGHER…OVR

Question 27

UNLIKE (see also contrast)

Answer 27

CORRECT:
Unlike with the spiny anteater, the aardvark is docile.

WRONG:
UNLIKE WITH the spiny anteater, the aardvark is docile.

Question 28

WHETHER

Answer 28

CORRECT:
I do not know WHETHER I will go.

SUSPECT:
I do not know WHETHER OR NOT I will go.

WRONG:
I do not know IF I will go. (IF requires a consequence.)

Question 29

WHEHTER…OR

Answer 29

CORRECT:
I decided to eat the food, WHETHER it was tasty OR NOT.
WHETHER trash OR treasure, the recyclables must be picked up.

WRONG:
WHETHER trash OR ALSO treasure, the recyclables must be picked up.
WHETHER THEY BE trash OR treasure, the recyclables must go.

Question 30

ESTIMATED

Answer 30

CORRECT:
to be

Question 31

Between x ___ y

Answer 31

AND

Question 32

Distinguish x___ y

Answer 32

FROM

Question 33

Estimate x___ y

Answer 33

TO BE

Question 34

View x___ y

Answer 34

AS

Question 35

Mistake x___ y

Answer 35

FOR

Question 36

Whether x___ y

Answer 36

OR