Idioms Flashcards
I value my ABILITY TO SING.
RIGHT
ABILITY
I value my ABILITY OF SINGING.
WRONG
ABILITY
I value my ABILITY FOR SINGING.
WRONG
ABILITY
I value the ABILITY FOR me TO SING.
WRONG
ABILITY
The holiday ALLOWS Maria TO WATCH the movie today.
RIGHT
ALLOW (permits an action)
Maria WAS ALLOWED TO WATCH the movie.
RIGHT
ALLOW
The demolition of the old building ALLOWS FOR new construction.
RIGHT
ALLOW (permits the existence of)
The holiday ALLOWED FOR Maria TO WATCH the movie.
WRONG
ALLOW
The holiday ALLOWED Maria the WATCHING OF the movie.
WRONG
ALLOW
The holiday ALLOWS THAT homework BE done.
WRONG
ALLOW (or CAN BE done)
Homework is ALLOWED FOR DOING BY Maria.
WRONG
ALLOW
The ALLOWING OF shopping TO DO.
WRONG
ALLOW (or TO BE DONE)
We are concerned about the forests AND the oceans.
RIGHT
AND
We are concerned about the forests, the oceans, AND the mountains.
RIGHT
AND
The company is profitable, AND the CEO is famous.
RIGHT
AND (Note the comma before AND.)
We are concerned about the forests AND ALSO the oceans.
RIGHT
AND
We are concerned about the forests, ALSO the oceans.
WRONG
AND
AS I walked, I became more nervous.
RIGHT
AS (during)
AS I had already paid, I was unconcerned.
RIGHT
AS (because, since)
AS we did last year, we will win this year.
RIGHT
AS (in the same way)
JUST AS we did last year, we will win this year.
RIGHT
AS (in the same way)
AS the president of the company, she works hard.
RIGHT
AS (in the role of)
AS a child, I delivered newspapers.
RIGHT
AS (in the stage of being)
My first job was an apprenticeship AS a sketch artist.
RIGHT
AS (in the role of)
AS PART OF the arrangement, he received severance.
RIGHT
AS
AS A PART OF the arrangement, he received severance.
RIGHT
AS (Don’t include the word)
My first job was an apprenticeship OF a sketch artist.
WRONG
AS
The students worked AS a sketch artist.
WRONG
AS (The nouns must agree in number.)
WHILE BEING a child, I delivered newspapers.
WRONG
AS
AS BEING a child, I delivered newspapers.
WRONG
AS
WHILE IN childhood, I delivered newspapers.
WRONG
AS
Cheese is AS great AS people say.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
Cheese is NOT AS great AS people say.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
We have AS MANY apples AS need to be cooked.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
We have THREE TIMES AS MANY pears AS you.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
We have AT LEAST AS MANY apples AS you.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
We have 10 apples, ABOUT AS MANY AS we picked yesterday.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
His knowledge springs AS MUCH from experience AS from schooling.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
His knowledge springs NOT SO MUCH from experience AS from schooling.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
He wins frequently, AS MUCH because he plays SO hard AS because he cheats.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
We have AS MANY apples AS OR MORE apples THAN you.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
We have AS MANY apples AS THERE need to be cooked.
RIGHT
AS . . . AS
Cheese is SO great AS people say.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
Cheese is NOT SO great AS people say.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
Cheese is SO great THAT people say.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
Cheese is AS great THAT people say.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
We have AS MANY apples THAN you.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
We have SO MANY apples AS you.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
We have AS MANY OR MORE apples THAN you.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
We have THREE TIMES AS MANY MORE pears AS you.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
We have 10 apples, ABOUT EQUIVALENT TO what we picked yesterday.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
His knowledge springs NOT from experience AS from schooling.
WRONG
AS . . . AS
BECAUSE the sun shines, plants grow.
RIGHT
BECAUSE
Plants grow BECAUSE the sun shines.
RIGHT
BECAUSE
BECAUSE OF the sun, plants grow.
RIGHT
BECAUSE
BY SHINING, the sun makes plants grow.
RIGHT
BECAUSE
Plants grow, FOR the sun shines.
RIGHT
BECAUSE (grammatically correct but very formal)
Plants grow BECAUSE OF the sun, which shines.
RIGHT
BECAUSE
Plants are amazing IN THAT they grow in the sun.
RIGHT
BECAUSE (correct but wordy)
The growth of plants IS EXPLAINED BY THE FACT THAT the sun shines.
RIGHT
BECAUSE (wordy)
Plants grow BECAUSE OF the sun SHINING.
WRONG
BECAUSE
Plants grow AS A RESULT OF the sun SHINING.
WRONG
BECAUSE
BECAUSE OF SHINING, the sun makes plants grow.
WRONG
BECAUSE
ON ACCOUNT OF SHINING or ITS SHINING, the sun makes plants grow.
WRONG
BECAUSE
BECAUSE the sun shines IS the REASON that plants grow.
WRONG
BECAUSE
The ABILITY OF plants TO grow IS BECAUSE the sun shines.
WRONG
BECAUSE
BEING THAT the sun shines, plants grow.
WRONG
BECAUSE
The growth of plants IS EXPLAINED BECAUSE OF the shining of the sun.
WRONG
BECAUSE
The growth of plants IS EXPLAINED BECAUSE the sun shines.
WRONG
BECAUSE
BEING infected does not make you sick.
RIGHT
BEING
The judges saw the horses BEING led to the stables.
RIGHT
BEING
BEING an advocate of reform, I would like to make a different proposal.
RIGHT
BEING
Note: The word BEING is often wordy or awkward. However, having caught on to “BEING is wrong” shortcut, the GMAT problem writers have created a few problems that force you to choose BEING. It’s true that BEING appears in many more wrong answers than right ones; however, the word can be used correctly as a gerund or as participle.
She BELIEVES THAT Gary IS right.
RIGHT
BELIEVE
She BELIEVES Gary TO BE right.
RIGHT
BELIEVE
IT IS BELIEVED THAT Gary IS right.
RIGHT
BELIEVE
Gary IS BELIEVED TO BE right.
RIGHT
BELIEVE
Gary IS BELIEVED BY her TO BE right.
RIGHT
BELIEVE
She was interested BOTH in plants AND in animals.
RIGHT
BOTH . . . AND
She was interested in BOTH plants AND animals.
RIGHT
BOTH . . . AND
She was interested BOTH in plants AND animals.
WRONG
BOTH . . . AND
