On the SAT Grammar Grind: Idioms

raining cats and dogs

Idioms are your not so friendly little monsters if you forget them when the day of the SAT comes along. Remember them and they pile up points for you on the writing section of the test.

Here are some of the common ones...

Idioms with Prepositions 

To be familiar with

To agree with

To disagree with 

To be consistent/inconsistent with something

To enter into

To have insight into

To take an interest in

To have an interest in

To arrive in/at

To succeed in

To have confidence in
To be consistent in (one's action)
To believe in 
To trust in 

To consist of

To accept an offer of

To be convinced of

To be suspicious of 

To gain the respect of

To have an understanding of

To be suspicious of

To have memories of

To take the form of

To gain the trust/mistrust of

To be characteristic of 

To the dismay of
To be in favor of 

In the hope of
At the expense of 


To count on 
To work on 
To stumble (up)on

To turn to

The key to 

To be available to + infinitive
To be indifferent to 

To be prized for

To be grown for

To endure/last for

To call for

To receive compensation for
To argue for 
To blame for 

To predate by

To be engaged by

To be complicated by
To abide by 

To be apparent from

To defend from
To differ from 
To protect from/against 

To protest + noun, no preposition 


To wonder about 
To think about 
To wonder about 

Idioms with Gerund

Regarded as/as being
Viewed as/as being
Seen as/as being 
In the hope of being
Effective in/at being
Enjoy being
Capable of being 
To have difficulty (in) being
Stop being
Insist on being
Deny being
Report being
Consider being
Postpone being
Practice being
Avoid being 
Admit to being 
Resent being
Before being
After being
Without being
While being
Stop being

Idioms with Infinitive

Considered to be
Tempted to be 
Cease to be
Seem to be
Wish to be 
Fail to be
Neglect to be
Refuse to be
Attempt to be
Offer to be
Prepare to be
Arrange to be
Claim to be
Aim to be
Deserve to be
Proceed to be
Agree to be 
Appear to be
Promise to be 
Intend to be
Threat to be
Strive to be
Choose to be
Decide to be 

About Worry about Complain about Wonder about Curious about Think about Bring about To be particular about Against Protect against Defend against At Succeed at Adept at By Confused by Followed by Predate by Puzzled by Perplexed by Impressed by Amazed by Awed by Surprised by Stunned by Shocked by Outraged by Encouraged by Accompanied by

For Named for Recognized for Known for Famous for Celebrated for Have a tolerance for Strive for Compensate for Responsible for Watch for Look out for Wait for Last for Endure for Prized for Necessary for Criticize for Blame for Advocate for From Protect from Defend from Far from Different from Refrain from Apparent from Prevent x from doing y Opposite from Into Enter into Have insight into In Interested in Succeed in Have confidence in Engage in Take pride in In x as in y

On Based on Draw on Insist on Focus on Rely on Reflect on Dwell on Over Have power over Have control over Mull over Of Have an appreciation of Suspicious of A mastery of A command of Capable of Incapable of In recognition of Devoid of A proponent of A source of An offer of An understanding of A knowledge of Approve of Disapprove of In awe of Take advantage of Composed of Comprised of Consist of Convinced of Characteristic of Typical of In awe of In the hopes of A variety of A plethora of An abundance of To be a native of On the verge of Combination of x and y

To Recommend to Listen to Try to – not try and Prefer something to something else Devoted to In contrast to In opposition to A threat to Central to Unique to Similar to Parallel to As an alternative to Inured to Be native to Put questions to In addition to As opposed to Toward Biased toward A tendency toward With Familiar with Unfamiliar with Identify with Correlate with Sympathize with Consistent with Inconsistent with Preoccupied with Cope with/Coping with