Idioms GMAT Sc

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IDIOMS

“The most effective way to learn idioms is to practice them.

Whenever you get an idiom question wrong, write down theidiom. Make a list and memorize. There are a finite number of

idioms that could be tested on the GMAT, and with enough

practice, you should be able to cover most of them.”

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EXAMPLE

1. When choosing a car you often have to choose (between/among) practicality andperformance.

Between is correct. Use "between" to distinguish two things, such "practicality" and"performance." Use "among" for more than two things. The bank robbers divided thestolen money "among" the five of them."

2. A small order of french fries has much (fewer/less) fries than the super-sized order.

Fewer is correct. Fewer answers the question "How many?" relating to something thatcould be counted individually." Less "refers to things such as pudding, cake, or flour,which cannot be reasonably quantified

3. I prefer Mozart (to/over) Beethoven.

"Prefer to" is the proper expression.

4. Timothy talks (like/as) his friends do.

This is one of the few instances "like" should be used in English. "Like" is used here as adirect comparison.

5. He was studying (in/at) a rate of two practice GMATs per day.

It's "at a rate of," instead of "in a rate of."

6. The joint-venture contract covers such questions (like/as) the division of profits andcosts.

"Covers… as" is better here. "Like" should be used very rarely, only for directcomparisons (Joe plays like his brother).

7. Dan Marino is regarded (as/to be) one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever playfootball.

The idiom is "regarded as."

8. The studio's retrospective art exhibit refers back to a simpler time in Americanhistory.

The studio's retrospective art exhibit refers back to

The studio's retrospective art exhibit harkens back to

The studio's retrospective art exhibit refers to

The studio's retrospective art exhibit refers from

The studio's retrospective art exhibit looks back to

Choice (A) is incorrect. Retrospective means looking back on the past. Hence, in thephrase refers back, the word back is redundant.

Choice (B) is incorrect because harkens back is also redundant.

Choice (C) is correct. Dropping the word back eliminates the redundancy.

Choice (D) is incorrect because the preposition from is non-idiomatic.

Choice (E) is incorrect because looks back is also redundant.

Note: One could argue that the phrase American history also makes the sentenceredundant. However, it is not underlined in the sentence. It is not at all uncommon tofind questionable structures in parts of the sentence that are not underlined. In fact,

you may even find questionable structures in the underlined part of the sentence thatare not corrected by any of the answer choices because the writers are testing adifferent mistake. Concern yourself with correcting only the underlined part of thesentence.

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Accept/Except:

Accept means "to agree to" or "to receive". Except means "to object to" or "to leaveout".

We will accept (receive) your manuscript for review. No parking is allowed, except(leave out) on holidays.

Account for:

When explaining something, the correct idiom is account for: We had to account for all

the missing money. When receiving blame or credit, the correct idiom is account to: You will have to account to the state for your crimes.

Adapted to/for/from

Adapted to means "naturally suited for". Adapted for means "created to be suited for".Adapted from means "changed to be suited for".

The polar bear is adapted to the subzero temperatures. For any "New Order" to besuccessful, it must be adapted for the continually changing world power structure.Lucas' latest release is adapted from the 1950 B-movie "Attack of the Amazons."

Affect/Effect:

Effect is a noun meaning "a result". Increased fighting will be the effect of the failedpeace conference. Affect is a verb meaning "to influence". The rain affected their plansfor 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.

Among/Between:

Between should be used when referring to two things, and among should be used whenreferring to more than two things. The young lady must choose between two suitors.

The fault is spread evenly among the three defendants.

Being that vs. Since:

Being that is nonstandard and should be replaced by since. (Faulty) Being thatdarkness was fast approaching, we had to abandon the search. (Better) Since darknesswas fast approaching, we had to abandon the search.

Beside/Besides:

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 on vs. Center around

Center around is colloquial. It should not be used in formal writing. (Faulty) The disputecenters around the effects of undocumented workers. (Correct) The dispute centers on

the effects of undocumented workers.Conform to (not with):

Stewart's writing does not conform to standard literary conventions.

Consensus of opinion Consensus of opinion is redundant: consensus means "generalagreement".

Correspond to/with:

Correspond to means "in agreement with": The penalty does not correspond to theseverity of the crime. Correspond with means "to exchange letters": He correspondedwith 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. Thenew Cadillacs are very different from the imported luxury cars.

Double negatives:

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(Faulty) Scarcely nothing was learned during the seminar. (Better) Scarcely anythingwas learned during the seminar.

Doubt that vs. Doubt whether

Doubt whether is nonstandard. (Faulty) I doubt whether his new business will succeed.(Correct) I doubt that his new business will succeed.

Farther/Further:

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 thetop seated competitor.

Fewer/Less:

Use fewer when referring to a number of items. Use less when referring to a continuousquantity. In the past, we had fewer options. The impact was less than what wasexpected.

Identical with (not to): This bid is identical with the one submitted by you.

In contrast to (not of): In contrast to the conservative attitudes of her time, MaeWest was quite provocative.

Independent of (not from): The judiciary is independent of the other branches of government.

Not only . . . but also: In this construction, but cannot be replaced with and. (Faulty)Peterson is not only the top salesman in the department and also the most proficient.(Correct) Peterson is not only the top salesman in the department but also the mostproficient.

On account of vs. Because: Because is always better than the circumlocution onaccount of. (Poor) On account of his poor behavior, he was expelled. (Better) Becausehe behaved poorly, he was expelled.

One another/Each other: Each other should be used when referring to two things,and one another should be used when referring to more than two things. The membersof the basketball team (more than two) congratulated one another on their victory. Thebusiness partners (two) congratulated each other on their successful first year.

Plus vs. And:

Do not use plus as a conjunction meaning and. (Faulty) His contributions to thiscommunity are considerable, plus his character is beyond reproach. (Correct) Hiscontributions to this community are considerable, and his character is beyondreproach. Note: Plus can be used to mean and so long as it is not being used as aconjunction. (Acceptable) His generous financial contribution plus his donated time hasmade 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 donatedtime) does not affect subject verb agreement.

Regard vs. Regards:

Unless you are giving best wishes to someone, you should use regard. (Faulty) Inregards to your letter, we would be interested in distributing your product. (Correct) Inregard to your letter, we would be interested in distributing your product.

Regardless vs. Irregardless

Regardless means "not withstanding". Hence, the "ir" in irregardless is redundant.Regardless is the correct form.

Retroactive to (not from):

The tax increase is retroactive to February.

Speak to/with:

To speak to someone is to tell them something: We spoke to Jennings about the allegedembezzlement. To speak with someone is to discuss something with them: Steve spokewith his friend Dave for hours yesterday.

The reason is because:

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This structure is redundant. Equally common and doubly redundant is the structure thereason why is because. (Poor) The reason why I could not attend the party is because Ihad to work. (Better) I could not attend the party because I had to work.

Whether vs. As to whether

The circumlocution as to whether should be replaced by whether. (Poor) The UnitedNations has not decided as to whether to authorize a trade embargo. (Better) TheUnited 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 topresent a choice. (Faulty) He inquired if we had decided to keep the gift. (Correct) Heinquired whether we had decided to keep the gift.

a long face'Why have you got such a long face?' 'I just lost all my money in the casino.'

ability toCorrect Usage: Bats have the ability to fly in the darkIncorrect Usage: Bats have ability of flying in the dark

act asA big tree can act as an umbrella in the rain.

act like = behave in a certain way"Please stop acting like a child", said the mother to the teenager.

agree (up)onLet's try to agree upon a date for the vacationWe agreed to go to the play together.

agree toWe agreed to share the lottery prize.aid in

The explorers needed aid in finding drinking water.

allow forAllowing for his youth and lack of experience, I forgave him completely for his

oversight.appeal to

The idea of a vacation to Florida this winter appeals to me a lot.

are in danger of Correct Usage: These days, fewer people are in danger of dying due to bacteria relateddiseases.Incorrect Usage:- These days, fewer people are in danger to die due to bacteria related diseases.- These days, fewer people have a danger of dying due to bacteria related diseases

as an adolescentCorrect Usage: As an adolescent, he suffered from acne.

Incorrect Usage: While in adolescence, he suffered from acne.as good asShe owes me an apology - she as good as called me a liar.

ask for The child asked for a glass of water The diners asked the waiter for a type of wine the restaurant didn't have.

associate withI always associate Water with pizza for some reason

attend toPlease attend to your teacher's instructions

attribute toWe attribute our success to your good advice

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base onI based my opinion upon my own seasoned judgment.

begin to see daylightI've been working on my thesis for two years, and at last I'm beginning to see daylight.

between x and yCorrect Usage: He had to choose between studying or going to play.Incorrect Usage: He had to choose between studying with going to play.

burn the candle at both endsShe'd been burning the candle at both ends studying for her exams and made herself ill.

care aboutI care very much about my family.

care forI don't care for sweet desserts

choose forI chose a funny card for his birthday.

choose asWe will choose her as our representative.

claim to or claim thatHe claims that he can run backwards.Columbus laid claim to America through the cunning use of flags.

come to a dead endI've come to a dead end. I'm fresh out of ideas.He compared himself to one of the knights of the round table.

compare withLet's compare the virtues of savings accounts with investing in bonds.

composed of The committee is composed of people from every department.

consider (as)I don't consider you as a possible candidateI consider myself an excellent athlete.

contend withI don't want to have to contend for the job with Ed

continue withDo you mind if I continue with my knitting as we talk?

conform toDoes my casual dress conform to your regulations?

conform withDoes this part conform with the specifications?

consider x yCorrect: Michael Owen is a good football player, but not generally considered an alltime great.Incorrect: Michael Own is a good football player, but not generally considered to be anall timegreat.

In Contrast toIn contrast to previous reports, one senior British official suggested an attack was notimminent,

contrast with The black one contrasts nicely with the white one.

count onWe can count on Bill to get the job done.

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to credit with Correct Usage: Newton is credited with discovering the laws of motionIncorrect Usage:- Newton is credited as discovering the laws of motion- Newton is credited to having discovered the laws of motion- Newton is credited for discovering the laws of motion

credit forMary should get a lot of credit for the team's success.

credit toWe had to credit much of our success to simple good luck.

credit withWe have to credit Jeff with saving us a lot of money.

debate about The candidates debate about taxes tomorrow

debate onAre they still debating on the question?

decide onI decided on the chocolate flavored ice cream.

declared unconstitutionalCorrect Usage: The Dictator declared all fundamental rights unconstitutional.Incorrect Usage: The Dictator declared all fundamental rights as unconstitutional.

define asWe have to define that comment as careless and unthinking.

delighted toI'm delighted to make your acquaintance,

different fromI am very different from my twin sister.

disclose toPlease disclose the names to me at once.

distinguish betweenPsychopaths cannot distinguish between right and wrong.

distinguish fromPsoriatic arthritis can be difficult to distinguish from rheumatoid arthritis

draw a lineLet's draw a line under the whole episode and try to continue our work in a morepositive frame of mind.

draw attention toNow, I would like to draw your attention to Fred, the gentleman we have all heard somuch about

draw (up)onBy the end of the contest I had drawn upon all the energy I had

draw toHe was drawn to the sports car.

dream aboutI dreamed about you all night last night.

dream of I dreamed of a huge chocolate cake.

dwindle awaynoise dwindled away to nothing.

easier said than donefinding a good job is easier said than done.

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easy to come byA good job is not very easy to come by

either x or y The money is either in my wallet or I have lost it.

elect asShe was elected as our president.

elect toWe elected you to office, so do your job.

emerge as The caterpillar would emerge as a butterfly in a short time

enable to This money will enable me to open my own business

encourage inWe want to encourage her in her musical career

encourage toWe encouraged her to develop her musical talents

enough toCorrect Usage: The Kid was not tall enough to go on to the ride.

Incorrect Usage: The Kid was short enough not to go on the ride.escape fromI wish to escape from my addiction.

escape toMax escaped from prison to a hideout in Alabama.

escape noticeI'm sorry. Your letter escaped my notice.

essential toHeat is essential to life.

estimated to be

Correct Usage: The antique picture was estimated to be worth much more than thefloor price.Incorrect Usage: The antique picture's worth was estimated at much more than thefloor price.

except for The car is beautiful and perfect, except for one thing - the priceExcept for being good with numbers, she wasn't anything great.

expected toCorrect Usage: The king was expected to protect his people.Incorrect Usage: The king is expected that it should protect his people.

explain oneself

Jo Cooper? You had better explain yourself, and it had better be good.explain toPlease explain the experiment to me.

explain away You will find it hard to explain away all these mistakes

expose toDo not expose the film to the light.

fail on The teacher failed half the class on the assignment

fail inI hope I do not fail in math.

flee from The children fled from the wrath of the old man.

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flee to The little mouse fled to its hole in the wall when the cat came around.

focus onLet's focus our attention on Tom and discuss his achievements so far.

forbid to They forbade them to enter the castle

forbid from They forbade them from entering the castle.

go to the matWhen he believes in a project, he's willing to go to the mat for it.

grow fromCan you grow a mango tree from a seed?

grow into The child grew into a tall, powerful athlete.

grow out of A big argument has grown out of a tiny disagreement!

have a run of somethingI had a run of bad luck at the casino

help (someone) (get) over somethingI helped the puppy over the barrier.

in contrast to or in contrast withCorrect Usage:- In contrast to his earlier self, the athlete appeared weak & frail.- In contrast with his earlier self, the athlete appeared weak & frail.

Incorrect Usage:As contrasted with his earlier self, the athlete appeared weak & frail

include someone outI am not interested in your games. Include me out of them.

independent of His reasoning was flawed, and appeared to be independent of any logic.

independent from'The children have been independent from their parent

indicate thatStudies indicate that women actually live longer than men.

indicate toFred indicated his assent to me.

indifferent towardsCan you make yourself indifferent towards someone you might love?

in order to

Correct Usage: She began dating the playboy in order to go to the best parties.Incorrect Usage: She began dating the playboy in order that she got to go to the bestparties.

inherit fromMy dark hair was inherited from my father.

invest inI invested five weeks of my time building this model ship.

invest with The constitution invests the vice president with the authority to act on the president'sbehalf in certain conditions.

isolated fromWe isolated the children from the source of the disease

just as x, so y Just as Kate was considered for a seat at Harvard Business School, so was Tina.

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known toCorrect Usage: Even as a young boy he was known to explore different ways of doingthings.Incorrect Usage: Even as a young boy, he was known as wanting to explore differentways of doingthings.

lead away The trainer led away the dog from the other animals.

lead toa life of crime will lead to inevitable sorrow.

left, right and centre The rebels were firing at people left, right and centre.

localized inAre International Charities Becoming More Localized in the Economic Cris

manage withI am sure we can manage with the money that we have

a means toCorrect Usage: For some people, mobile phones are just a means to an end.Incorrect Usage:- For some people, mobile phones are a means for an end.- For some people, mobile phones are a means of an end.

mistake x for yCorrect Usage: Because of the sisters' similar looks, one was often mistaken for theotherIncorrect Usage: Because of the sisters' similar looks, one was often mistaken as theother

modeled afterRobot Modeled After Bat And Dolphin Echolocation Behavior

more than ever

Correct Usage: I regret more than ever not getting into HBSIncorrect Usage: I regret more than never not getting into HBS

much asMuch as she needed the job, she had to refuse.

native of Svetlana is a native of Poland

native to The cobra is native to Africa

necessary toLisa deemed it necessary to go home.

originate from

Some of our customs originate from old beliefsoriginate inAll your troubles originate in your lungs.

originate with This idea originated with the committee.

permit (someone) throughWould you permit me through the door?

permit upShe would not permit me up the ladder

prized above

He prized his only daughter above everyone else in the worldprized aspink corals have been prized as jewelry for 5000 years

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prized forGold Jewellery Has Been Prized for Thousands of Years

prohibit fromCorrect Usage: Only when we prohibit people from driving fast will we reduce thenumber of accidents.Incorrect Usage: Only when we prohibit people to drive fast will we reduce the numberof accidents.

promise the moonMy boss promised the moon, but never gave me a raise

promise toIs this book promised to anyone?

range from The winter weather ranges from bad to terrible in this part of the north.

range over These animals range over a very large territory

reluctant toCorrect Usage: The child was reluctant to jump into the deep end of the pool.Incorrect Usage: The child was reluctant about jumping into the deep end of the pool.

refer toMy doctor referred me to a specialist.

regard asI have always regarded you as my friend.

required to The employees were required to hand over the pass when the quit the company.

require of What is required of me in this job?

resemble in This resembles vanilla ice cream in flavor, but not in consistency.

result fromIt will be interesting to see what results from your efforts.

result inI hope that this will result in the police finding your car.

rival inNo one rivals Ted in pitching a baseball.

sacrifice forWould you sacrifice your bank account for a chance to go to Europe?

sacrifice toI sacrificed a lot of money to a fancy lifestyle

seem likeseemed like such a nice person when I met you.

seem toCorrect Usage: The officer went to question the man who seemed to be hidingsomething.Incorrect Usage: The officer went to question the man who seemed like hidingsomething.

seek outLiz sought out a helper for Karen.

seek fromWe will seek an injunction from the judge

seek afterWe will continue to seek after the thief who stole my car.

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seek revengeI will not seek revenge for what he did to me.

sequence of The sequence of events folded step by step

speak aboutAnd now I will speak about Abraham Lincoln.

speak againstPlease don't speak against cats in my presence.

speak down to (Talk in simple language) There is no need to speak down to me. I can understand anything you are likely to say.

speak fromBelieve me, I speak from experience.

speak upI want to speak up for the rights of students.

speak volumes The unsightly yard and unpainted house speaks volumes about what kind of people livethere.

speak with

He did what? I will speak with him!speak forIs the experiment a success? I think the numbers speak for themselves

think of or think to beCorrect Usage:- I think of him as my best friend.- I think him to be my best friend.

train toCorrect Usage: He was trained to become an athlete ever since he was a child.Incorrect Usage: He was trained as an athlete ever since he was a child.

try to or try andCorrect Usage: He tried to start afresh after the set back.Incorrect Usage: He tried and started afresh after the set back.

unlike x, yUnlike Tom, Brenda loves to go shopping

used asCorrect Usage: language can be used as a weaponIncorrect Usage: language can be used like a weapon.

Compensate v. i. To make amends; to supply an equivalent; -- followed by for.Nothing can compensate for the loss of reputation.

That should not follow directive

That should not follow order The underlying condition prompting an action; a cause. Often used in the plural:grounds for suspicion; a ground for divorce. See Synonyms at base1.

"pleaded guilt to a crime" is idiomatic.

Pleaded guilt of/for a crime is unidiomatic

no sooner + inversion + than + sentence

access to The company has access to large capital reserves.

act as The poison pill in the contract acts as a preventative measureagainst hostile takeovers.

allows for The design of the robot arm allows for great flexibility.

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as....as Chocolate tastes as good as ice cream.

associate with He associates beer with potato chips.

attribute to The poor first quarter results are attributed to the restructuring.

a responsibility to The CEO has a fiduciary responsibility to all shareholders.

a result of The recent Nasdaq decline is a result of higher interest rates.

a sequence of The Sumerian text was a sequence of incomprehensiblesymbols.

agree with The Teamsters do not agree with the Republicans on manyissues.

amongUsed when discussing more than two items. He was the finestpoliceman among the hundreds of rookies.

as good as/orbetter than

The new software is as good as or better than anything on themarket

as great as The new house looks as great as I had hoped.

attend to(someone) The emergency room doctor attended to the injured victim.

attribute X to Y/X We attribute the results to the new management.

attributed to Y The extinction of the dinosaurs has been attributed to anasteroid collision.

based on The results are based on a comprehensive ten year study.

begin to He will begin to study twelve hours before the test.

believe X to be Y After seeing the flying saucer, I believe UFOs to be a realphenomenon.

betweenUsed when discussing two things (if there are more than two,then use among instead). He could not decide between CornFlakes and Raisin Bran.

care about How much do business schools care about your score?

centers on + noun The GMAT centers on the knowledge of basic math andwriting/reading skills.

choose to The number of students who choose to go to business schoolhas increased in the last ten years.

consistent with Your grades are not consistent with your abysmal GMAT scores.

contend that He contends that the GMAT has a cultural bias.consider + noun How important do you consider the test?

continue + to If you continue to study, you will succeed.

contrast A with B If you contrast A with B, you can see the difference.

convert to You may convert muscle to fat if you study too much.

compare A to B(compare to stresses similarities). The music critic favorablycompared him to Bob Dylan.

compare A with B(compare with stresses differences). Broccoli is good for youcompared with ice cream.

count on + noun He counts on management support.

concerned with They are concerned with investor relations more than actual

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profitability.

conform toWhen you work at a new company, you should try to conform toits corporate culture.

decide to We decided to continue.

decide on We decided on the new format.

depend on The global economy depends on improving productivity.

different from The CAT is very different from the paper and pencil GMAT.

difficult to Many students find the CAT difficult to take.

distinguishbetween X and Y

Distinguish between domestic and international production.

distinguish X from Y

Juries must attempt to distinguish truth from falsehood.

depends onwhether

Our place in the playoffs depends on whether we win tonight.

to be + essentialto + noun Speed is essential to success in the Internet marketplace.

except forHe did well on the GMAT, except for the sentence correctionquestions.

flee from The convict fled from the country.

grow fromDell Computer grew from a start- up to a Fortune 500 companyin less than fifteen years.

grow out of Needless to say, they quickly grew out of their first office.

help + noun + to Their direct business model helped them to grow rapidly.

indicate that Dell's recent stock trouble may indicate that their growth willnot continue to be as rapid.

invest in He is too risk-averse to invest in the stock market

identical with His DNA is identical with his twin's.

in contrast to The candidate claims to support tax cuts, in contrast to his priorstatements.

independent from The Federal Reserve Board is supposed to be independent frompolitical considerations.

indifferent

towardsSome countries are indifferent towards human rights.

leads to Rapid growth often leads to problems.

like Usually only used for direct comparison: He walks like Joe walks.

localized inMost Internet venture capital is localized in a few areas of theworld.

mistake + noun +for

I mistook you for an old friend.

modeled after The judicial building is modeled after the Parthenon.

more than ever Companies demand MBA graduates now more than ever.

native to There is a unique business culture native to the U.S.

a native of It infects those who are not even a native of America.

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need to Living in New York City is an experience everyone needs to try.

to be + necessary+ to

It is necessary to get a high GMAT score to get into Stanford.

neither...nor Neither Tom nor Sam has the necessary skills to finish the job.

not only...but alsoStanford not only has the highest GMAT average, but also thehighest GPA.

prohibit from +gerund

You are prohibited from using a calculator on test day.

potential toA graduate of a top business school has the potential to makeover $100,000.

range from X to Y The GMAT scores at top business schools will range from 650 to750.

refer toIf you have any more questions, you should refer to a grammarbook.

regard asWharton's finance program is regarded as the finest in theworld.

require + noun +to

You require a GMAT score to go to most U.S. business schools.

rivalry between Xand Y

The rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees is one of the most celebrated in professional sports.

responsible for The manager is responsible for seven entry level employees.

retroactive to The tax policy change is retroactive to last year.

save for Save for William, no one else passed the exam.

save from Many people use business school to save them from dull jobs.

so that So should not be used as an adjective: GMAT preparation isso... boring. Use it with "that." This guide is designed so thatyou may raise your score.

subscribe toBusiness school students should subscribe to the Wall Street

Journal.

tie to The contract should be tied to concessions.

transmit to The communications system will transmit to anyone withinrange.

used + infinitive Japan used to be the model industrial economy.

to be + used to +

gerund After five practice tests, he was used to the GMAT CAT format.

a debate over created with not so much...as

a lot defined as odds with

a responsibility to depends on whether prohibits X from doing Y

a result of depicted as potential to

a sequence of different from/differ from range from X to Y

agree withdistinguishes between Xand Y regard as

aid in distinguish from regardless

as an instance of doubt that responsible foras good as/or better than either...or resulting in

as great as enable to retroactive to

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as good as...or better than extent to so X as to be Y

as much as fascinated by so (adjective) that

attend to (someone) forbid X to do Y subscribe toattribute X to Y/X isattributed to Y identical with such...as

based on in contrast to the same to X as to Y

believe X to be Y independent from to contrast X with Y

both X and Y indifferent towards to mistake X for Ycenters on modeled after to result in

concerned with not only...but also to sacrifice X for Y

conform to more than ever (no) more...than/(no)less...thanconvicted of neither...nor

ability in SOMETHING *** aim to DO SOMETHING ***

ability TO DO SOMETHING *** aimed at DOING SOMETHING ***

able TO DO SOMETHING allow for SOMETHINGabsent from SOMETHING angry with SOMETHING

accept into + GROUP apologize for SOMETHING

accepted at + COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY appeal to SOMEBODY, Erin Billy, for example

accepted into + GROUP applied to SOMETHING

accepted to + COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY apply to SOMETHING

access to SOMETHING approach (the noun, not the verb) to SOMETHING

accused of SOMETHING BAD approve of SOMETHING

accustom to SOMETHING argue about SOMETHING

acquaint withSOMETHING/SOMEBODY

argue for SOMETHING

act as ROLE arrive at SOMETHING

adapt from WORK arrive in SOMETHING

adapt to SOMETHING *** as... as... ***

addicted to SOMETHING ascribe to BELIEF

admit of SOMETHING ask + SOMEBODY + SOMETHING

advantage of SOMETHING ask + SOMEBODY + TO DO SOMETHING

afraid of SOMETHING ask + TO DO SOMETHING

X agree on + DOING SOMETHING associate with SOMETHING

agree on + SOMETHING *** attribute SOMETHING to SOMEBODY/SOMETHING***

agree to DO SOMETHING averse to SOMETHING TestMagic.com

agree to SOMETHING aversion for SOMETHING (less common, but correct)

agree with SOMEBODY aversion to SOMETHING (most common form)

aid + SOMEBODY or SOMETHING aversion toward SOMETHING (less common, butcorrect)

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aid SOMETHING + in + DOINGSOMETHING

aware of SOMETHING

angry at SOMEBODY (some grammarians consider this unidiomatic)

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