Idiomatic preposition
SAT glossary · Course Foundations
Definition
Arbitrary word–preposition pairings the language simply enforces: different from, prefer X to Y, consistent with, capable of, responsible for, superior to, based on. The item buries the preposition thirty words from the word that governs it; the check is to strip the intervening material and read the pairing bare.
Idiomatic preposition in plain English
Idiomatic prepositions are word-preposition combinations that English just enforces by convention, with no deeper logical reason — you either know them or you don't. Examples: different FROM (not 'different than'), prefer X TO Y, consistent WITH, capable OF, responsible FOR, superior TO, based ON. The test likes to bury the actual preposition thirty or so words away from the word it's paired with, hoping you lose track — the reliable fix is to mentally strip out all the extra material in between and read just the bare pairing (the key word plus its preposition) on its own.
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