Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Goals Idiom List With Examples
Goals Idiom List With Examples
among
as good as/or better than
as great as
attend to (someone)
attribute X to Y/X
attributed to Y
B
based on
begin to
believe X to be Y
between
Both.....and...
C
care about
centers on + noun
choose to
consistent with
connection between
consequence of
contend that
consider + noun
continue + to
contrast A with B
convert to
compare A to B
compare A with B
count on + noun
concerned with
conform to
credit with
D
decide to
decide on
define as
depend on
different from
difficult to
dispute over
E
to be + essential to + noun
except for
Either....or...
.-er than
extent to which
estimate to be
F
flee from
forbid to
From...to...
G
grow from
grow out of
H
help + noun + to
I
indicate that
invest in
identical with
in contrast to
independent from
indifferent towards
in danger of
J
just as....so too
L
leads to
like
localized in
M
mistake + noun + for
modeled after
more than ever
N
native to
a native of
need to
to be + necessary + to
neither...nor
Not.....but<rather. Merely>.....
not only...but also
not so....as
.not so much......as
number
O
Odds with
opposition to
P
perceive as
prohibit from + gerund
potential to
range from X to Y
refer to
regard as
require + noun + to
S
same as
save for
save from
seem to
so that
subscribe to
superior to
T
target at
tie to
to sacrifice X for Y
to contrast X with Y
the same to X as to Y
the -er.....the-er
transmit to
try to
used + infinitive
to be + used to + gerund
.use as
Idioms
Look for these common idiom tricks on GMAT questions:
To be/being
among versus between
Account for versus Account to
as versus like
if versus whether
Adapted to/for/from
Affect/Effect
Beside/Besides
Correspond to/with
Double negatives
Farther/Further
Speak to/with
Whether vs. If
1) estimated ...to be ...(SC-14, pg 699 of OG)
2) distinguishes between X and Y (SC-15,pg 699 of OG)
3) one attributes X (an effect) to Y (a cause) (SC-21,pg 701 of OG)
4) X is attributed to Y (SC-21,pg 701 of OG)
5) not in a flash...but in a ... (SC-22,pg 701 of OG)
The number of students who choose to go to business school has increased in the last ten years.
Your grades are not consistent with your abysmal GMAT scores.
I saw little connection between her words and her deeds.
One consequence of the Supreme Court decision was increased public distrust in the judicial system
He contends that the GMAT has a cultural bias.
How important do you consider the test?
“Consider as” is incorrect
If you continue to study, you will succeed.
If you contrast A with B, you can see the difference.
You may convert muscle to fat if you study too much.
(Compare to stresses similarities). The music critic favorably compared him to Bob Dylan.
(Compare with stresses differences). Broccoli is good for you compared with ice cream.
He counts on management support.
They are concerned with investor relations more than actual profitability.
When you work at a new company, you should try to conform to its corporate culture.
James Joyce is often credited with the invention of the literary form called stream of consciousness.
We decided to continue.
We decided on the new format.
My dictionary defines a clause as group of words containing a subject and verb.
The global economy depends on improving productivity.
The CAT is very different from the paper and pencil GMAT.
Many students find the CAT difficult to take.
This idiom applies only when dispute is used as a noun
The dispute over how to read the punch cards was never properly resolved.
Distinguish between domestic and international production.
Juries must attempt to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Our place in the playoffs depends on whether we win tonight.
Dell Computer grew from a start- up to a Fortune 500 company in less than fifteen years.
Needless to say, they quickly grew out of their first office.
Dell's recent stock trouble may indicate that their growth will not continue to be as rapid.
He is too risk-averse to invest in the stock market
His DNA is identical with his twin's.
The candidate claims to support tax cuts, in contrast to his prior statements.
The Federal Reserve Board is supposed to be independent from political considerations.
Some countries are indifferent towards human rights.
Conservationists fear that the West Indian manatee is in danger of becoming extinct
Just as sand flows through an hourglass, so too flow the days of our lives
Rapid growth often leads to problems.
Usually only used for direct comparison: He walks like Joe walks
Most Internet venture capital is localized in a few areas of the world
There has been far less opposition in the United States than in Europe to the use of genetically
modified foods.
The GMAT scores at top business schools will range from 650 to 750.
If you have any more questions, you should refer to a grammar book.
Wharton's finance program is regarded as the finest in the world.
You require a GMAT score to go to most U.S. business schools.
The rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees is one of the most celebrated
in professional sports.
Stress can lower one's resistance to cold and flu viruses
The manager is responsible for seven entry level employees.
The tax policy change is retroactive to last year.
There is no as after consider, while both regard and think of need the as.
In general, avoid the construction to be/being because they are usually passive. To be/being are
commonly used in junk answer choices.
Use between when referring to two items or groups, among when referring to three or more.
Don’t make me choose between Tom and Tim.
Among all five candidates, he’s by far the best qualified
Use like to compare nouns; use as to compare actions-in other words, use as when what follows is a
clause.
Like fine wine, fruitcake tastes better after it has aged.
Dogs don't scratch up furniture, as cats often do.
Use both when pointing out similarities; use each when pointing out differences. Note that each is
always singular.
Although both cooks enjoy making goulash, each has a different take on this classic dish.
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.
Shall I compare thee to a summer day?
Compared with a summer day it is cold outside
In GMAT English, each other is used to refer to two things, and one another are used for three or
more things.
Those two theories contradict each other.
Those three theories contradict one another.
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.>
I ate fewer hotdogs and less potato salad than I did at last year's picnic.
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 conditional "if -then" statements
Let me know if I behave inappropriately in front of the royal family.<Translation: I may or may not
behave inappropriately, but if I do, I should be informed>.
Tell me whether I behaved inappropriately in front of the royal family.<Translation: Either I behaved
inappropriately or I didn’t; tell me the truth
Adapted to means "naturally suited for".
The polar bear is adapted to the subzero temperatures.
Adapted for means "created to be suited for".
For any "New Order" to be successful, it must be adapted for the continually changing world power
structure.
Adapted from means "changed to be suited for".
Lucas' latest release is adapted from the 1950 B-movie "Attack of the Amazons."
Effect is a noun meaning "a result".
Increased fighting will be the effect of the failed peace conference. Affect is a verb meaning "to
influence".
The rain affected their plans for a picnic.
All ready means "everything is ready". Already means "earlier".
Alot is nonstandard; a lot is the correct form.
Being that is nonstandard and should be replaced by since.
(Faulty) Being that darkness was fast approaching, we had to abandon the search.
(Better) Since darkness was fast approaching, we had to abandon the search.
Adding an s to beside completely changes its meaning:
Beside means "next to". Besides means "in addition".
We sat beside (next to) the host.
Besides (in addition), money was not even an issue in the contract negotiations.
Center around is colloquial. It should not be used in formal writing.
(Faulty) The dispute centers around the effects of undocumented workers
(Correct) The dispute centers on the effects of undocumented workers.
Correspond to means "in agreement with":
The penalty does not correspond to the severity of the crime.
Correspond with means "to exchange letters":
He corresponded with many of the top European leaders of his time.
The preferred form is different from. Only in rare cases is different than acceptable.
The new Cadillac’s are very different from the imported luxury cars.
(Faulty) Scarcely anything was learned during the seminar.
(Better) Scarcely anything was learned during the seminar.
Doubt whether is nonstandard.
(Faulty) I doubt whether his new business will succeed.
(Correct) I doubt that his new business will succeed.
Use farther when referring to distance, and use further when referring to degree.
· They went no further (degree) than necking.
He threw the discs farther (distance) than the top seated competitor.
Because is always better than the circumlocution on account of.
(Poor) On account of his poor behavior, he was expelled.
(Better) Because he behaved poorly, he was expelled.
Do not use plus as a conjunction meaning and.
(Faulty) His contributions to this community are considerable, plus his character is beyond reproach.
(Correct) His contributions to this community are considerable, and his character is beyond
reproach.
Note: Plus can be used to mean and so long as it is not being used as a conjunction.
· (Acceptable) His generous financial contribution plus his donated time has made this project a
success.
In this sentence, plus is being used as a preposition. Note, the verb has is singular because an
intervening prepositional phrase (plus his donated time) does not affect subject verb agreement.
Unless you are giving best wishes to someone, you should use regard.
· (Faulty) In regards to your letter, we would be interested in distributing your product.
· (Correct) In regard to your letter, we would be interested in distributing your product.
Regardless means "not withstanding". Hence, the "ir" in irregardless is redundant. Regardless is the
correct form.
g 714 of OG)
some numeric number) Y's ...(SC-89,pg 717 of OG)
SC-95,pg 718 of OG)
C-98,pg 718 of OG)
.(SC-100,pg 719 of OG)