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gmatcommonidiomtrick
http://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-idioms-comprehensive-gmat-idiom-lists-80342.html
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Consider, regard...as, think of...as | There is no as after consider, while both regard and think of need the as. |
| To be/being | In general, avoid the construction to be/being because they are usually passive. To be/being are commonly used in junk answer choices. |
| among versus between | Use between when referring to two items or groups, among when referring to three or more. <br>Don’t make me choose between Tom and Tim. <br>Among all five candidates, he’s by far the best qualified <br> |
| Account for versus Account to | When explaining something, the correct idiom is account for: <br>· We had to account for all the missing money. <br>When receiving blame or credit, the correct idiom is account to: <br>· You will have to account to the state for your crimes |
| amount versus number | Use amount when referring to an uncountable quantity, like soup or love, and number when referring to countable things, like jelly beans or people. <br>The amount of work you put into your studies will affect the number of points you will add to your GMA |
| as versus like | Use like to compare nouns; use as to compare actions-in other words, use as when what follows is a clause. <br>Like fine wine, fruitcake tastes better after it has aged. <br>Dogs don't scratch up furniture, as cats often do. |
| both versus each | Use both when pointing out similarities; use each when pointing out differences. Note that each is always singular. <br>Although both cooks enjoy making goulash, each has a different take on this classic dish. |
| compare to versus compare with | On the GMAT, compare with is the generally preferred form. Use compare to point out an abstract or figurative likeness, and compare with to consider likenesses and differences in general. <br>Shall I compare thee to a summer day? <br>Compared with a sum |
| each other versus one another | In GMAT English, each other is used to refer to two things, and one another are used for three or more things. <br>Those two theories contradict each other. <br>Those three theories contradict one another. |
| fewer versus less | Use fewer to describe countable things, like jelly beans or people, and less to describe an uncountable quantity, like soup or love.<See amount versus number above.> <br>I ate fewer hotdogs and less potato salad than I did at last year's picnic. |
| if versus whether | If you're ever given a choice on the GMAT, choose whether. The actual rule states that whether you're discussing a choice between alternatives, you should use whether <as in whether or not to do something>rather than if. On the GMAT if is reserved for con |
| Adapted to/for/from | Adapted to means "naturally suited for". <br>The polar bear is adapted to the subzero temperatures. <br> Adapted for means "created to be suited for". <br>For any "New Order" to be successful, it must be adapted for the continually changing world power |
| Affect/Effect | Effect is a noun meaning "a result". <br> Increased fighting will be the effect of the failed peace conference. Affect is a verb meaning "to influence". <br> The rain affected their plans for a picnic. |
| All ready vs. Already | All ready means "everything is ready". Already means "earlier". |
| Alot vs. A lot | Alot is nonstandard; a lot is the correct form. |
| Being that vs. Since | Being that is nonstandard and should be replaced by since. <br>(Faulty) Being that darkness was fast approaching, we had to abandon the search. <br>(Better) Since darkness was fast approaching, we had to abandon the search. |
| Beside/Besides | Adding an s to beside completely changes its meaning: <br> Beside means "next to". Besides means "in addition". <br>We sat beside (next to) the host. <br>Besides (in addition), money was not even an issue in the contract negotiations. |
| Center on vs. Center around | Center around is colloquial. It should not be used in formal writing. <br>(Faulty) The dispute centers around the effects of undocumented workers <br>(Correct) The dispute centers on the effects of undocumented workers. |
| Correspond to/with | Correspond to means "in agreement with": <br>The penalty does not correspond to the severity of the crime. <br> Correspond with means "to exchange letters": <br>He corresponded with many of the top European leaders of his time. |
| Different from/Different than | The preferred form is different from. Only in rare cases is different than acceptable. <br>The new Cadillac’s are very different from the imported luxury cars. |
| Double negatives | (Faulty) Scarcely anything was learned during the seminar. <br>(Better) Scarcely anything was learned during the seminar. |
| Doubt that vs. Doubt whether | Doubt whether is nonstandard. <br>(Faulty) I doubt whether his new business will succeed. <br>(Correct) I doubt that his new business will succeed. |
| Farther/Further | Use farther when referring to distance, and use further when referring to degree. <br>· They went no further (degree) than necking. <br> He threw the discs farther (distance) than the top seated competitor. |
| On account of vs. Because | Because is always better than the circumlocution on account of. <br>(Poor) On account of his poor behavior, he was expelled. <br>(Better) Because he behaved poorly, he was expelled. |
| Plus vs. And | Do not use plus as a conjunction meaning and. <br>(Faulty) His contributions to this community are considerable, plus his character is beyond reproach. <br>(Correct) His contributions to this community are considerable, and his character is beyond repr |
| Regard vs. Regards | Unless you are giving best wishes to someone, you should use regard. <br>· (Faulty) In regards to your letter, we would be interested in distributing your product. <br>· (Correct) In regard to your letter, we would be interested in distri |
| Regardless vs. Irregardless | Regardless means "not withstanding". Hence, the "ir" in irregardless is redundant. Regardless is the correct form. |
| Speak to/with | To speak to someone is to tell them something: <br>We spoke to Jennings about the alleged embezzlement. <br> To speak with someone is to discuss something with them: <br>Steve spoke with his friend Dave for hours yesterday |
| The reason is because | This structure is redundant. Equally common and doubly redundant is the structure the reason why is because. <br>(Poor) The reason why I could not attend the party is because I had to work. <br> (Better) I could not attend the party because I had to wo |
| Whether vs. As to whether | The circumlocution as to whether should be replaced by whether. <br>(Poor) The United Nations has not decided as to whether to authorize a trade embargo. <br>(Better) The United Nations has not decided whether to authorize a trade embargo. |
| Whether vs. If | Whether introduces a choice; if introduces a condition. A common mistake is to use if to present a choice. <br>(Faulty) He inquired if we had decided to keep the gift. <br>(Correct) He inquired whether we had decided to keep the gift. |
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ramandv
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