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 #783 : One Blank Texts
Campfire cooking provided a ______________ experience none of the hikers would soon forget.
olfactory
tactile
auditory
contemporary
gustatory
gustatory
The key word in the sentence is "cooking." The correct answer will be a word relating to cooking or eating. "Gustatory," meaning concerned with the sense of taste, is the correct answer.
Example Question #784 : One Blank Texts
Thanks to his _______________ spending habits, he had saved quite a bit of money over the years.
judicious
jaundiced
deleterious
lavish
supercilious
judicious
The sentence connects the subject's "spending habits" to his ability to save. The correct answer needs to indicate the man's spending habits were wise and careful enough to save money. "Judicious," meaning reasonable and smart in judgment, is the best choice.
Example Question #785 : One Blank Texts
More than anything else, the ability to make more money through bonuses as a salesman was _________________ in his decision to decline a promotion.
ambivalent
elusive
incidental
supercilious
pivotal
pivotal
The key phrase in the sentence is "more than anything else." The correct answer will stress the role the bonuses played in the decision. "Pivotal," meaning of central importance, is the best choice.
Example Question #788 : One Blank Texts
The legend states he was so ______________ he once got stuck in a bathtub.
corpulent
emaciated
wistful
lithe
taciturn
corpulent
To get "stuck in a bathtub" requires a person to be quite large. The correct answer needs to mean sizable or big. "Corpulent," meaning grossly fat or overweight, is the best fit.
Example Question #786 : One Blank Texts
The motivational speech was an underwhelming recitation of ________________ cliches and lame jokes.
candid
brusque
eloquent
hackneyed
novel
hackneyed
The sentence calls the speech "underwhelming," and pairs the missing word with "lame." The correct answer will further the disappointing nature of the speech. "Hackneyed," meaning common and overused, is the best choice.
Example Question #787 : One Blank Texts
Her _______________ manner was surprising, as her parents hardly ever spoke.
poised
nomadic
loquacious
taciturn
reclusive
loquacious
The sentence calls the subject's manner "surprising" in light of her parent's quiet demeanor. The correct answer must stand against her parents' never speaking. "Loquacious," meaning very talkative, is the best choice.
Example Question #791 : One Blank Texts
His ______________ approach to the sport soon was copied by competitors and quickly became the standard method.
mundane
lax
nostalgic
epistolary
novel
novel
The approach to the sport "became the standard method" only after being "copied by competitors." This implies it was not the standard method at first, and the correct answer will reflect this. "Novel," meaning new and innovative, is the best choice.
Example Question #792 : One Blank Texts
The investor remained ____________ throughout the meeting, revealing none of his thinking.
taciturn
loquacious
philanthropic
perpicacious
ebullient
taciturn
The investor revealed "none of his thinking" in the meeting, indicating he said almost nothing. The correct answer will mean extremely quiet, which is the definition of "taciturn."
Example Question #792 : One Blank Texts
Both sides agreed the controversy needed a(n) _________________ party to help resolve the conflict.
zealots
disinterested
hackneyed
sycophantic
enthusiastic
disinterested
The party described by the missing word is attempting to resolve the "controversy." The correct answer needs to reflect a person who could work with both sides. "Disinterested," meaning unbiased or neutral, is the best answer choice.
Example Question #793 : One Blank Texts
She was ________________ enough to claim that she was not at a party, but she was caught on a surveillance camera.
perspicacious
irreproachable
mendacious
innocuous
venerable
mendacious
To claim she was not where "she was caught on a surveillance camera," indicates that she was less than honest. The correct answer should mean prone to lying or deception, the definition of "mendacious."
All GRE Verbal Resources
