Idioms

Question 1

“between….”

Answer 1

“between…and”

Question 2

“view….”

Answer 2

“view …. as”

Question 3

“not only….”

Answer 3

“not only…but also”

Question 4

“Suggest _______ “

Answer 4

“Suggest that”

Question 5

“forbids…..”

Answer 5

“forbids X to do Y”

never “forbids X from doing Y”

Question 6

“regard X ____ Y”

Answer 6

“regard X as Y”

NOT “regard X to be Y”

Question 7

“doing ______ “

Answer 7

“doing so”

NOT “doing this / that/it”

Question 8

“difference _____”

Answer 8

“difference between”

often needed to correctly compare two things

Question 9

“due to” vs “because of”

Answer 9

“due to” connects two nouns

“because of” connects a clause with a noun.

Question 10

“The Lakers are/is”

“The Rodes are/is”

Singular or Plural?

Answer 10

ethnic groups / families/dynasties / proper names for sports teams, etc, will be plural

Question 11

“prohibit _____”

Answer 11

“prohibit… from”

NEVER “to prohibit A to do…”

Question 12

“explained _____”

Answer 12

“explained by”

NOT “explained as”

Question 13

Which is preferred for examples?

“such as” or “like”

Answer 13

“such as”

Question 14

“which” vs “that”

Answer 14

“which” is generally preceded by a comma + provides EXTRA info;

“that” is generally not preceded by a comma + provides CRITICAL info

Question 15

In comparing two alternatives, use

“whether / whether or not” OR “if” ?

Answer 15

“Whether” / “whether or not” is preferred

Question 16

“either X ______ Y”

Answer 16

“either X or Y”

NEVER “either X and Y”

Question 17

which is better:

“from X to Y “ or “from X down to/ up to Y”

Answer 17

“from X to Y”

NEVER
“from X down to/up to Y”

Question 18

“like” vs “such as”

Answer 18

“like” use in the same meaning as “similar to”

otherwise “such as” is almost always preferred for giving examples

Question 19

“rather _____ “

Answer 19

“rather than”

ex: he wrote with pencils RATHER THAN with pens”
NOT “he wrote with pencils instead of with pens”

Question 20

“so…..THAT”

**often need the “THAT” to clarify the sentence

Answer 20

ex: “The book was so short that I could read it.”

Bad: “The book was so short I could read it.”

Question 21

“persuade….”

Answer 21

“persuade TO”

Question 22

“Approach …”

Answer 22

“approach AS”

never “approach like”

Question 23

“If XYZ” clause needs a verb that is singular or plural?

Answer 23

” If XYZ… to be” always needs a PLURAL verb:

are / were

Question 24

when to use:

“compare to” vs “compare with”

Answer 24

“compare to” - when two things have different natures

“compare with” - when two things have similar natures

Question 25

If a Critical Reasoning question has any math in it…

Answer 25

crunch the numbers and test it. Sometimes will involve the correct answer.

• be weary of percents vs. absolute quantities
• don’t assume we know more about the given #s than we do

Question 26

“fewer” vs “less”

Answer 26

fewer = countable amounts (a certain #)

less = non-countable amounts

*“more” is used both countable & non

Question 27

“capable ____ “

Answer 27

“capable of”

never “capable to”

Question 28

“awareness ____ “

Answer 28

“awareness of”

NOT “awareness about”

Question 29

“_____ instead”

Answer 29

“and instead”

NOT “but instead”

Question 30

“act ____”

Answer 30

“Act LIKE”

not “act as”

Question 31

“___ X ____ to Y “

Answer 31

“so X as to Y”

Question 32

“not so much X as Y” - CORRECT

Answer 32

• can have a phrase in between “X ……. as Y” if needed