SAT Grammar: Idioms, "Words that Go Together", Confusing Words, the Subjunctive Mood, and Weird Problems

As testing day approaches, you should familiarize yourself with the less common grammar problems.

As there are innumerable idiomatic phrases, I can only give you a few suggestions and pray (figuratively) that you will either encounter idioms you already know or run into the ones below. If you are hoping to advance to the 700+ level but often find yourself struggling with idiomatic phrases and other strange expressions, it is crucial that you review the following.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it's decent.

See this page and this one for more information.

Know the difference between "THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND" and "ONE OF A KIND"
If you use the word "the only", then the idiom is "the only one of its kind". Consider the following:

16. (A) Along the curve of islands known as the Florida Keys (B) lies a reef of living coral, (C) the only one of (D) a kind in the continental United States. (E) No error

(D) is wrong. Circle it.

"One of a kind" can be used correctly as follows: She has an IQ of 190 and knows how to play the piano backwards while rolling a cigarette with her toes. She is one of a kind.

Know how to use "SOMETHING OF A..." and "ALIKE"

(A) Something of a phenomenon in the entertainment world, political satirists (C) are admired by conservatives and radicals (D) alike (E) No error

The correct answer is "No error".

Know "MUCH TO THE...", "MUCH TO HIS/HER/MY/THEIR...",
Much to the chagrin of his parents, he was not accepted into his safety school.
Much to her chagrin, she had accidentally stepped on a strip of toilet paper, which trailed after her as she walked out of the bathroom.
Much to my surprise, I had won the lottery.

OTHER IDIOMATIC PHRASES
SAT Problem: "City Council members frequently meet until the early morning hours in order to work in their stalemates". The correct answer is "work out" or "work through", but not "work in".

Below are some "WORDS THAT GO TOGETHER". Know how to use each of them. Phrases that are marked with an asterisk* appear often on the SAT. Click the Grammar Tab for more details.

Preoccupied / Preoccupation with
Contribute/Contribution to
Inconsistent with*
Between ... and*
Both ... and*
Regarded as*
Either ... or*
Neither ... nor*
Reason ... That*
Just as ... so*
Insight into
Capable of
Able to
Prevent from
Attribute / attributable to
Condemn as
Offer to
Tend / Tendency to
Succeeded in ("to be successful": succeed in. "To take the place of someone": succeed)
Opposite of
Synonym for, Synonymous with (and, conversely, antonym of)
Schedule for
Mistake/mistook/mistaken for
Hardly anyone/anything (NOT "hardly no one" or "hardly nothing")

SOME OTHER TRICKY PROBLEMS

Professor Chen repeated (A) the point that the hero, if (B) given the chance (C) to relive the moment, would choose to (D) do it. No error

The correct answer is (D). Since the pronoun "it" refers to the act of reliving, but the gerund "reliving" (or a similar noun) does not appear anywhere in the sentence, the word "it" presents us with an ambiguous pronoun reference problem. (D) should be changed to "do so".

Problems that use the words "herself" or "himself"

An amateur potter (A) herself, the accountant offered (B) to help the artist with his business accounts, complicated (C) as they were (D) by his unusual system of record keeping. (E) No error

Answer: (E)

Weird tense problems

(A) From about A.D. 700 to 1600, sculptors (B) created (C) nearly 1,000 colossal rock statues on the (D) remote and tiny Easter Island. (E) No error

Many people choose (B) because they think that the verb "create" should be written in the past perfect tense ("had created"). However, the correct answer is (E). The phrase "from about A.D. 700 to 1600" does not indicate the use of the past perfect. Past tense would do just fine. (However, don't forget: The words "by" and "since", when used to indicate time, always necessitate the use of the perfect tense).

Double negative

WRONG: James easily passed the biology exam without hardly studying his lab notes.

The words "without" and "hardly" form a double negative. Just as you cannot say "hardly no one", "hardly nobody", or "hardly nothing", so you cannot say "without hardly". Take out the word "hardly" in that sentence and the problem is fixed.

Quantity: Less vs. Fewer, Number vs. Amount

Fewer indicates quantity: "There are fewer items in this store".
Less indicates amount: "There is more water in that bottle." "I have more testosterone than you."
Number indicates that something is quantifiable: "There is a large number of people". (Remember, "number", without the "s", is singular. And the same goes with such words as "population" or "the zebra".)
Amount indicates that something cannot be quantified: "I drank a large amount of wine."

CONFUSING WORDS (consult Grammar page)

*Word choice problem has appeared on the SAT.

Desirous =/= Desirable*
Imminent =/= Eminent =/= Immanent*
Acrid =/= Arid
Ingenuous (noun, ingenuousness) =/= Ingenious (noun, ingenuity)
Indecisive =/= Undecided*
Uninterested =/= Disinterested
Proceed =/= Precede*
Wary =/= Weary
Epithet =/= epitaph =/= epigram =/= epigraph
Demure =/= Demur
Complaisant =/= Complacent
Impel =/= Impale
Aliment =/= Ailment
Compliment =/= Complement 

Dissatisfied =/= Unsatisfied  

SUBJUNCTIVE CHALLENGE

What is the difference in meaning between the sentences "I insist that he play the piano" and "I insist that he plays the piano"? (See previous post for more information)