GRE Verbal : Parts of Speech in One-Blank Texts
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal
All GRE Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #745 : One Blank Texts
The newscaster was exciting as a young man, but increasingly spoke in _____________ soundbites as he grew older.
subversive
beguiling
ebullient
trite
effusive
trite
The newscaster's current style, described by the missing word, is contrasted with his "exciting" style as a young man. The correct answer will then be an antonym of "exciting." "Trite," meaning boring and overused, is the best fit among the choices.
Example Question #746 : One Blank Texts
The teacher tried to draw out the student, whose personality made him reluctant to speak up in class.
jaunty
reticent
voluble
hysterical
succinct
reticent
The student is shy/reserved, which means he is not voluble, hysterical, or jaunty. He may be succinct, but the impression is that he is shy, not just that he uses few words. He is reticent.
Example Question #747 : One Blank Texts
The two nations' _____________ rhetoric was seen as a chief reason for their fighting.
phlegmatic
jaunty
ambiguous
benign
bellicose
bellicose
The sentence outright states the two nations were fighting because of their rhetoric. The correct answer needs to indicate the hatred and posturing by the nations that would cause conflict. "Bellicose," meaning aggressive and war like, is the correct answer.
Example Question #748 : One Blank Texts
The young man wanted to be the _______________ actor, and tailored his habits after his acting role models.
egregious
subversive
altruistic
consummate
contemporary
consummate
Copying his "role models" means the young man is trying to live up to them. The correct answer will demonstrate the boys' desire to perfection as an actor. "Consummate," meaning total or supremely good, is the best choice.
Example Question #749 : One Blank Texts
The solution to the problem was _______________, no matter what the scientists tried.
potent
irreproachable
elusive
exceptionable
deleterious
elusive
The phrase "no matter what the scientists tried," indicates the solution was never found. The correct answer needs to demonstrate their uncertainty or fruitlessness. "Elusive," meaning difficult to grasp or pin down, is the best fit among the answers.
Example Question #749 : One Blank Texts
The introverted son faded into the background among his many ______________ relatives.
gregarious
negligent
supercilious
jaundiced
irascible
gregarious
The sentence contrasts the missing word with the son's "introverted" personality. The correct answer will then mean extroverted or sociable, the definition of "gregarious."
Example Question #751 : One Blank Texts
Years of watching legislation fail made the lobbyist _______________ about getting the initiative passed.
torpid
ebullient
jaundiced
jocular
placated
jaundiced
"Watching legislation fail" means the lobbyist would not expect the initiative to pass now. The correct answer will show the lobbyist's dejection and negativity. "Jaundiced," meaning cynical or pessimistic, is the best choice.
Example Question #752 : One Blank Texts
As a young girl, she was a ________________ gymnast who beat everyone her age.
superlative
indifferent
supercilious
irksome
substandard
superlative
The girl "beat everyoe her age" as a gymnast, so presumably she was quite good. The correct answer needs to indicate just how good she was. "Superlative," meaning extremely good or the very best, is the most appropriate answer choice.
Example Question #753 : One Blank Texts
A frightened animal will often take a _______________ pose to look threatening to other animals.
jocular
belligerent
exasperated
languid
surreptitious
belligerent
The animal is both "frightened" and trying "to look threatening." The correct answer needs to reflect the animal's aggression. "Belligerent," meaning willing and looking to fight, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #754 : One Blank Texts
The painter was often overshadowed by _______________ artists whose fame did not outlive them.
contemporary
transient
redundant
inconsequential
callow
contemporary
The painter is compared to what must be similar artists, "whose fame did not outlive them." The comparison is to artists from the same era as the painter. "Contemporary," meaning at the same time, is the correct answer.
All GRE Verbal Resources
