GRE Verbal : Parts of Speech in One-Blank Texts

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #825 : Text Completion

Campfire cooking provided a ______________ experience none of the hikers would soon forget.

Possible Answers:

olfactory

gustatory

tactile

contemporary

auditory

Correct answer:

gustatory

Explanation:

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 #826 : Text Completion

Thanks to his _______________ spending habits, he had saved quite a bit of money over the years.

Possible Answers:

judicious

jaundiced

deleterious

supercilious

lavish

Correct answer:

judicious

Explanation:

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 #827 : Text Completion

More than anything else, the ability to make more money through bonuses as a salesman was _________________ in his decision to decline a promotion.

Possible Answers:

supercilious

elusive

ambivalent

incidental

pivotal

Correct answer:

pivotal

Explanation:

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.

Possible Answers:

wistful

corpulent

taciturn

emaciated

lithe

Correct answer:

corpulent

Explanation:

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 #828 : Text Completion

The motivational speech was an underwhelming recitation of ________________ cliches and lame jokes.

Possible Answers:

hackneyed

novel

eloquent

brusque

candid

Correct answer:

hackneyed

Explanation:

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 #829 : Text Completion

Her _______________ manner was surprising, as her parents hardly ever spoke.

Possible Answers:

reclusive

taciturn

poised

loquacious

nomadic

Correct answer:

loquacious

Explanation:

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 #131 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

His ______________ approach to the sport soon was copied by competitors and quickly became the standard method.

Possible Answers:

epistolary

mundane

nostalgic

lax

novel

Correct answer:

novel

Explanation:

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 #141 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

The investor remained ____________ throughout the meeting, revealing none of his thinking.

Possible Answers:

loquacious

perpicacious

taciturn

ebullient

philanthropic

Correct answer:

taciturn

Explanation:

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 #142 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

Both sides agreed the controversy needed a(n) _________________ party to help resolve the conflict.

Possible Answers:

sycophantic

enthusiastic

hackneyed

zealots

disinterested

Correct answer:

disinterested

Explanation:

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 #143 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts

She was ________________ enough to claim that she was not at a party, but she was caught on a surveillance camera.

Possible Answers:

venerable

perspicacious

irreproachable

mendacious

innocuous

Correct answer:

mendacious

Explanation:

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."

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