Idiomatic expressions tips
Last updated: 13 Oct 2008
...and just a few more things you should know about idiomatic expressions in the GMAT before you begin the quiz.
- Being
- In general, avoid the construction being. Usually one can express something in a more active tense than anything with being, and very simply, the GMAT question setters have a particular dislike of this form of the verb to be.
- Only use being after words such as after, before, and or, when it is absolutely necessary to do so.
- Because
- A long time ago, you might have been taught never to begin a sentence with because.
- That does not apply to the GMAT. In fact, the GMAT would rather employ because at the beginning of a sentence than use due to.
- Whether
- Normally in the GMAT one has the choice of either whether or if - almost always, you should choose whether.
- Whether is word used to introduce alternative possibilities, and the GMAT will often test whether you know how to use it, since if is over-used in situatiuons calling for whether.
- As well, if the only difference between 2 answer choices is whether and whether or not, choose whether: whether or not is seen as somewhat redundant.
- Consider, regard...as, think of...as
- Problems with these words always come up on the test.
- Remember, there is no as after consider, while both regard and think of need the as. If you see consider, regard, or think of in a problem, they will probably be testing you on that particuar idiomatic Expression problem. Be careful.
Have you got all of those? Ready to try it out? Here is the mini quiz.
