Idioms

Question 1

Ability

Answer 1

CORRECT:
* ability to do

WRONG:
* ability of doing
* ability for doing
* ability for A to do

Question 2

Allow

Answer 2

CORRECT:
* allow A to do (action)
* allow for N (existence)

WRONG:
* allow for A to do
* allow for doing by A
* allow A the action of doing
* allow that … (can) be done

Question 3

Although

Question 4

And

Answer 4

SUSPECT:
* and also

WRONG:
* also (replacing “and” completely)

Question 5

As

Answer 5

CORRECT:
* as part of
* apprenticeship as (in the role of)
* during, because, since
* in the state / phase of being
* in the same way (also “just as”)

SUSPECT:
* as a part of

WRONG:
* apprenticeship of
* as / while being
* as / while in

Question 6

As … as

Answer 6

CORRECT:
* as … as
* at least as many … as
* about as many as
* not so much … as
* as much … so … as

SUSPECT:
* as many … as or more… 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
* as many more … as
* about equivalent to
* not … as

Question 7

Because

Answer 7

CORRECT:
* for = because (formal)
* by doing something

SUSPECT:
* because of A, which does
* in that (wordy)
* is explained by the fact that (wordy)

WRONG:
* as a result of doing
* on account of doing
* because … is the reason
* is explained because / because of
* being that
* the ability of A to do … is because …

Question 8

Being

Answer 8

Often wordy, awkward, and wrong; can still be used correctly as a gerund or as a participle.

Question 9

Believe

Answer 9

CORRECT:
* believe that A is right
* believe A to be right

SUSPECT:
* A is believed by B to be right

Question 10

Both … and

Answer 10

WRONG:
* both … as well as …
* both … but also …

Question 11

But

Answer 11

CORRECT:
* yet, although
* despite doing

SUSPECT:
* despite the fact that
* although N (usually a clause)

WRONG:
* although doing
* although … yet
* although … and
* despite … yet

Question 12

Can

Answer 12

CORRECT:
* can cause
* capable of doing

SUSPECT:
* possible for .. to cause
* possibly cause

WRONG:
* has the capability / ability of doing
* has the possibility of causing

Question 13

Consider

Answer 13

SUSPECT:
* consider … to be …

WRONG:
* consider … as / as being
* consider .. should be
* consider .. as if it were

Question 14

Either … or

Answer 14

WRONG:
* either … and

Question 15

Expect

Answer 15

CORRECT:
* expect to
* expect that A will
* expectation that

SUSPECT:
* expectation A will
* expectation of A doing

WRONG:
* A is expected for it to do
* expect that … should do

Question 16

From … to

Answer 16

WRONG:
* from … down to
* from … up to

Question 17

In order to

Answer 17

SUSPECT:
* in order that / so that … might
* so as to do

WRONG:
* for doing

Question 18

Indicate

Answer 18

SUSPECT:
* indicative of

WRONG:
* missing “that” to connect a clause
* indicative that
* indicate … as
* indicate … to

Question 19

Like

Answer 19

CORRECT:
* similar to
* examples

WRONG:
* like … so
* like with

Question 20

Not only … but (also)

Answer 20

SUSPECT:
* not only … but … as well
* and also

WRONG:
* not only … and also
* not only … but, as well, …

Question 21

Rather than

Answer 21

SUSPECT:
* but not

WRONG:
* instead of with

Question 22

So … as to

Answer 22

SUSPECT:
* so … as to

WRONG:
* such … as to
* so much … as to

Question 23

so … that

Answer 23

CORRECT:
* … enough for A to do

SUSPECT:
* so (missing “that” completely)
* of such … that
* such … that

WRONG:
* so much … that
* of such …
* to such a degree as to allow

Question 24

so that

Answer 24

SUSPECT:
* , so (result; missing “that”)

WRONG:
* so (result without comma)

Question 25

such as

Answer 25

WRONG:
* such as by
* such as to

Question 26

Than

Answer 26

WRONG:
* more … as
* more … rather than
* more … instead of
* no less … as
* none the less … than
* as much as
* as many as or more than
* higher … over a period

Question 27

Whether

Answer 27

SUSPECT:
* whether or not

WRONG:
* if (requires a consequence)

Question 28

Whether … or

Answer 28

WRONG:
* whether … or also

Question 29

Research

Answer 29

CORRECT:
* to research (verb)
* research about (noun)

WRONG:
*

Question 30

Explain

Answer 30

CORRECT:
* explained by (is due to)
* explained as (equate two things)

Question 31

Despite

Answer 31

CORRECT:
* in spite of

WRONG:
* in despite of