大多數SAT語法課程和教材都會把慣用語問題（Idiom questions ）放在最後一個章節講，原因是什麼？慣用語是SAT語法中最沒有規律性的知識點，做對題目必須依賴於英語的儲備以及對短語和詞彙的熟悉程度。
但是，SATPEDIA的老師們向來不推薦死記硬背學英語，我們從海量SAT真題中總結出一些實用的規律，今天毫無保留地全部分享給大家！
慣用語是不符合通用語法規則的短語或表達，每個慣用語都是唯一的。大多數慣用語的象徵意義( figurative meanings)與其字面意義（ literal meanings）完全不同。舉個例子：“at the drop of the hat(馬上/隨時)”，“beat around the bush(旁敲側擊)”，這是SAT語法考試中常見的陷阱題，中國學生丟分幾率很高。
SAT考試中會在兩種慣用語上對大家進行測試：介詞慣用語(prepositional idioms)和帶有動名詞/不定式的慣用語(idioms with gerunds/infinitives)。
介詞慣用語(prepositional idioms)
對於介詞慣用語(prepositional idioms)，必須基於句子的上下文知道給定單詞應該使用哪些介詞。例如，應該說對某事“感興趣”是"interested in "而不是"interested at"。“專注於”某物"focus on" ，而不是 "focus at"。沒有規則來確定要使用的正確介詞。所以必須熟悉該短語或依靠你的語法儲備量。以下是帶有介詞慣用法的例句：
Because he laughed when his friend fell down, Justin was accused of being devoid at sympathy.
大家在SAT上可能會遇到這樣的句子。在句子中，沒有違反特定的語法規則。但是，“devoid at”是一個慣用語錯誤，正確的應該是“devoid of”。句子的正確版本應該是：
Because he laughed when his friend fell down, Justin was accused of being devoid of sympathy.
表述“devoid of”表示沒有。熟悉給定的表達式極大地有助於識別慣用語用法錯誤。
帶有動名詞/不定式的慣用語(idioms with gerunds/infinitives)
動名詞是名詞+“ ing”結尾的動詞。動名詞的例子包括“running”, “jumping”, “thinking”。不定式是用作名詞的動詞，是通過使用單詞“ to”加上動詞來構造的。不定式的例子包括“to run”, “to jump”, 以及 “to think”。
帶有動名詞或不定式的慣用語有哪些例子？舉個例子：“capable of being”，而不是“capable as being”。正確的慣用語是“mind being”，而不是“mind to be”。對於這些類型的習慣用語，大家需要知道什麼時候使用介詞慣用語(prepositional idioms)什麼時候使用帶有動名詞/不定式的慣用語(idioms with gerunds/infinitives)
對於某些慣用語，取決於上下文，可以使用不定式或動名詞。
比如：
第一種表達：I struggle to do geometry.
第二種表達：I struggle doing geometry.
這兩個句子都是正確的。但是接下來是一個有慣用語錯誤的句子：
Bob insists at being annoying.
看出哪裡出問題了嗎？正確的表達應該是：Bob insists on being annoying.
再看一個例子：
Julie tends being worrisome.
正確的表達應該是：Julie tends to be worrisome.
解析：動詞“ serves”不正確地使用了不定式“ to be”。在這句話中，正確的慣用語是“serves as”。正確答案是B。
解析：正確的慣用語是“as a means of”。答案是B。
大多數同學平時較少接觸慣用語，不太可能靠語感識別習慣用法的錯誤。
學習推薦: 認知 idiom+ 理解含義背景+ 體會例句語境+ 設計練習使用+ 實際重複確認:
1. 認清一個idiom的構成，字面含義，成分搭配
2. 理解一個idiom的歷史背景和產生來源，知其所以然
3. 通過例句體會在語境中使用的妙處，區分語境表達含義和字面含義區別
4. 在學習生活工作備考中，留意某學過idiom在其他場景的出現，此時的興奮可能成就終身的記憶
as a means of
serve as
wait for
in order to be
About
anxious about
ask about
bring about
curious about
hear about
think about
talk about
worry about
Against
advise against
argue against
count against
decide against
defend against
go against
rebel against
As
celebrate as
regard as
see as
view as
At
aim at
arrive at
laugh at
look at
succeed at
By
accompanied by
amazed by
confused by
followed by
go by
impressed by
organized by
struck by
For
advocate for
ask for
blame for
famous for
known for
last for
meant for
named for
necessary for
pay for
ready for
responsible for
tolerance for
strive for
wait for
watch for
From
abstain from
different from
excuse from
far from
obvious from
protect from
Into
enter into
look into
inquire into
read into
In
engage in
fall in love
in A as in B
interested in
succeed in
take in
On
base on
draw on
focus on
impose on
insist on
move on
prey on
rely on
Over
argue over
rule over
talk over
think over
Of
approve of
capable of
certain of
characteristic of
combination of A and B
cure of
deprive of
die of
a fan of
in danger of
in the hope of
in recognition of
made up of
a model of
an offer of
on the border of
remind of
a selection of
a source of
suspicious of
take advantage of
an understanding of
a wealth of
To
able to
accustomed to
adapt to
adhere to
admit to
adjacent to
agree to
as opposed to
belong to
central to
come to
contribute to
devoted to
in addition to
in contrast to
listen to
object to
prefer A to B
partial to
reluctant to
reply to
see to
similar to
a threat to
try to (NOT try and)
unique to
With
agree with
bargain with
correlate with
familiar with
identify with
in keeping with
interfere with
sympathize with
trust with
accuse of
admire for
allow
appreciate
capable of
complete
concentrate on
confess to
consider
delay
describe
discourage from
discuss
dislike
effective at
enjoy
escape
finish
forbid
imagine
insist on
permit
plan on
postpone
refrain from
report
resent
resume
stop
tolerate
before
after
without
agree
attempt
choose
condescend
dare
decide
deserve
encourage
expect
fail
intend
love
mean
neglect
offer
plan
prepare
promise
refuse
scramble
seem
strive
swear
tend
threaten
want
1. Diligent research performed by education scholars indicates that more time spent studying correlates from better educational outcomes.
A. NO CHANGE
B. of
C. with
D. Delete the underlined portion
2. Because she is extremely protective, Renee hopes to prevent her younger sister for making irresponsible decisions at parties.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to
C. from
D. at
3. After being interrogated by the police for five hours, Ken admitted to being guilty of racketeering and money laundering.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to be
C. to having
D. is
4. Even though she was expected doing all of the domestic labor, Natasha was unwilling to conform to traditional gender roles.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to do
C. at
D. having done
Answers: 1. C, 2. C, 3. A, 4. B
學習一門語言，除了純正的發音，訓練有素的語音語調，相對齊整規範的句式語法，以及符合常人理解的邏輯和思路，還少不了的就是地道的idioms的點綴。掌握好慣用語，不僅僅能幫助你SAT語法拿高分，在日後留學中，讓你能讀懂聽懂別人日常表達，展現自己的英語文化和沉澱，寫出真正讓人眼前一亮又精妙智慧的表達。
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