SAT Reading & Writing: Conventional Expressions (Idioms & Prepositions)
26+ practice questions in Praczo
The concept, explained
- 1
Some verbs or adjectives require specific prepositions to sound natural in Standard edited English. These are called idioms or conventional expressions.
- 2
Common pairs: capable OF, responsible FOR, sensitive TO, interested IN, fascinated BY.
- 3
Often the SAT tests standard prepositions used in phrasal contexts or fixed phrases.
- 4
Do not logically overthink them; you must rely on what is conventionally correct in English.
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Pay attention to whether the phrase requires a gerund (-ing) or an infinitive (to verb). E.g., "capable of running" vs "able to run".
- ✗ Using a preposition that makes logical "spatial" sense but isn't the conventional English idiom (e.g., "protested against" vs "protested [no preposition]").
- ✗ Confusing "capable to do" (wrong) with "capable of doing" (correct).
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