Idioms

Question 1

What are idioms?

Answer 1

Idioms are expressions or figures of speech, such as “pushing up the daisies” (a cute reference to being dead - the person is pushing up flowers from under the ground)

Question 2

How idioms are usually covered in GMAT?

Answer 2

They are usually related to using the wrong preposition

Question 3

I prohibit you from leaving school grounds

I forbid you to leave school grounds

Which one is correct?

Answer 3

Both sentences are correct and mean the same thing. Prohibit and forbid mean the same thing. Why does prohibit go with the preposition from plus a gerund (leaving), while forbid goes with the infinitive form (to leave)? No reason. Idioms must be memorized

Question 4

What preposition goes with Ability?

Answer 4

To
I value my ability to sing

Question 5

What preposition goes with Allow?

Answer 5

To and For
Maria was allowed to watch the movie
The demolition of the old building allows for new construction

Question 6

How to correct use the preposition “and” in idioms?

Answer 6

The itens congregated by the conjunction shall have the same form, i.e., we are concerned about the forests and the oceans

Using “also” instead of “and” is not correct

Question 7

How to correct use the preposition “as… as” in idioms?

Answer 7

You will always need to use both “as”. Never match “so” and “as”, or neither “as” and a quantitative measure (than, about equivalent to, etc.)

Question 8

How to correct use the preposition “both… and” in idioms?

Answer 8

The itens congregated by the conjunction shall have the same form, i.e.,
She was interested both in plants and in animals
She was interested in both plants and animals

Question 9

How to correct use the preposition “either… or” in idioms?

Answer 9

The items compared by the conjunction shall have the same form. You can never use “and” instead of “or”

Question 10

How to correct use the preposition “from… to” in idioms?

Answer 10

The preposition does not admit the use of any word before the last comparison word. i.e.,
Wrong sentences:
The price fell from 10 euros down to 3 euros
The price rose from 3 euros up to 10 euros
[the use of “down” and “up” make the sentences wrong]

Question 11

How to correct use the preposition “not…but” in idioms?

Answer 11

The items compared by the conjunction shall have the same form and verbal tense. I.e.
She did not eat mangoes but ate other kinds of fruit

Missing the verb in the second sentence will make the sentence wrong. I.e.
She did not eat magoes but other kinds of fruit