Idioms
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Grammar and Usage
Summary
The content focuses on understanding and mastering idioms for the ACT exam, emphasizing the challenge idioms pose due to their nature of being commonly accepted phrases without strict grammatical rules.
- Idioms are problematic for many students, especially non-native English speakers, because they do not follow a single grammar rule.
- The key to dealing with idioms on the ACT is to go with what sounds right, focusing on prepositional phrases which are often involved in idiom questions.
- Studying the most common 50 or so idioms can significantly improve test performance, as idioms tested are usually common, bland connector phrases with prepositions.
- It's crucial to understand that idioms on the ACT might not always be about grammatical correctness but about the meaning conveyed by the use of specific prepositions.
- Practical advice includes reading choices out loud (or mouthing the words) to better discern the correct idiom usage and relying on gut instinct for what sounds best.
Chapters
00:00
The Challenge of Idioms
01:27
Strategies for Mastering Idioms
01:49
Focusing on Prepositions