ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Adjectives and Adverbs

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Lower Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #121 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence completions: Fill in the blank(s) to complete the sentence.

The United Nations is a(n) ___________ community made of many countries; it is designed to increase the well-being of our planet.

Possible Answers:

educational

international

belligerent

omnipotent

aggressive

Correct answer:

international

Explanation:

Based on the name of the community and that it is made of many countries, we can infer that it is an “international” community. “International” means between nations. To provide further help, “omnipotent” means all powerful; “belligerent” means aggressive; “educational” means instructive, helpful for learning

Example Question #122 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence completions: Fill in the blank(s) to complete the sentence.

My father is such a(n) __________ man that even as an adult, I am sometimes frightened of him.

Possible Answers:

nervous

pompous

intelligent

whimsical

intimidating

Correct answer:

intimidating

Explanation:

The author reveals that he is sometimes frightened of his father. This suggests that his father is scary or “intimidating.” To provide further help, “nervous” means worried; “pompous” means arrogant and self-important; “whimsical” means quirky and silly; “intelligent” means very clever.

Example Question #123 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence completions: Fill in the blank(s) to complete the sentence.

Joey's friends are upset that he is so __________, lying about even the smallest things.

Possible Answers:

honest

hardworking

dishonest

languid

ambivalent

Correct answer:

dishonest

Explanation:

We know that Joey lies to others, which is called being “dishonest.” “Dishonest” means not honest, lying often. To provide further help, “ambivalent” means unsure and “languid” means relaxed or lazy

Example Question #124 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence completions: Fill in the blank(s) to complete the sentence.

Bat’s are __________ creatures—they only hunt at night and prefer to sleep in caves during the day.

Possible Answers:

biennial

frank

morose

eternal

nocturnal

Correct answer:

nocturnal

Explanation:

Because bat’s are active at night, they can be said to be “nocturnal” creatures. “Nocturnal” means sleeping during the day, awake and active at night. To provide further help, “eternal” means lasting forever; “biennial” means occurring every two years; “morose” means very sad and serious; “frank” means honest

Example Question #125 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence completions: Fill in the blank(s) to complete the sentence. 

I tried to coax a cute hamster into my hand using a piece of food, but the little guy was decidedly __________

Possible Answers:

uninterested

Unimportant 

underwhelming

inept

jovial

Correct answer:

uninterested

Explanation:

The author says he tried to do something, then uses the word “but” to suggest that failed. This tells us that the hamster was not interested in getting into the author’s hands. The correct answer is therefore “uninterested,” where the prefix "un-" means not. To provide further help, “jovial” means happy, in a good mood; “unimportant” means not important; “inept” means lacking in skill; “underwhelming” means disappointing

Example Question #126 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

Nicole is extremely __________, and never shows up late to work.

Possible Answers:

punctual

generous

smug

timid

tense

Correct answer:

punctual

Explanation:

Since the sentence tells us that Nicole "never shows up late to work," we can infer that she shows up on time to work. That means that we need to pick out an answer choice that means "tending to be on time." "Punctual" is the answer choice that best fits the sentence's context, as "punctual" means tending to do things or arrive at events on time. None of the other answer choices have anything to do with showing up to work late or on time: "smug" means showing annoying self-satisfaction; "timid" means shy or reserved; "generous" means giving freely without expecting anything in return; and "tense," in this context, means anxious.

Example Question #127 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

We didn't know what to make of her __________ behavior; one minute she was tidying the room, the next she was throwing everything on the floor.

Possible Answers:

Opportune

Gregarious

Erratic

Inadvertent

Correct answer:

Erratic

Explanation:

The word "erratic" means unpredictable, unexpected, or not consistent or regular. A person who is tidy one moment and incredibly messy the next would be an unpredictable one; therefore, "erratic" is the correct answer choice. The other answer choices do not make sense in the sentence: "inadvertent" means accidental or unintentional; "gregarious" means sociable or friendly; and "opportune" means favorable or appropriate.

Example Question #128 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

Alex was such an __________ builder that all her friends asked for her help when they needed repairs in their homes.

Possible Answers:

Adept

Impulsive

Acrid

Egregious 

Correct answer:

Adept

Explanation:

The word "adept" means very skillful or well-trained. Within the context of this sentence, it is logical that people would want a skilled or well-trained builder to help them with repairs. Therefore, "adept" is the correct answer choice. "Egregious" means extremely bad; it is the opposite of what is needed to complete the sentence. "Impulsive" means acting without forethought; this is another characteristic one would not want in a builder. "Acrid" means bitter or harsh, especially in relation to smell or taste; it bears no relation to the sentence and is also incorrect.

Example Question #129 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

Although Kat knew that most job opportunities were in the city, she dreaded the day she would have to leave the __________ area where she grew up.

Possible Answers:

Rural

Devout

Hazardous

Urban

Correct answer:

Rural

Explanation:

This sentence begins with the word "although," which immediately suggests that a contrast that will develop in the sentence. Context clues indicate that the missing word will be one that contrasts with "in the city"; "rural" means having to do with the countryside rather than cities, which makes it the ideal answer.  "Urban" means having to do with cities rather than the countryside, so it is the opposite of "rural" and therefore incorrect. "Devout" means very religious or spiritual, and "hazardous" means dangerous. Neither of these words makes sense within the context of the sentence, and therefore "devout" and "hazardous" are each incorrect.

Example Question #130 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

The __________ smell coming from the fridge indicated that some food was likely rotting and made Patricia plug her nose.

Possible Answers:

sullen

fleeting

delicious

putrid

Correct answer:

putrid

Explanation:

We know that the smell "indicated that some food was likely rotting" and that it "made Patricia plug her nose," two context clues that suggest that the smell was unpleasant, so we need to pick out an adjective to describe the smell that means something like "unpleasant" or "disgusting." "Putrid" is the best answer choice as "putrid" means rotting and smelly. "Delicious" means pleasant in taste, so it cannot be the correct answer, as the sentence has nothing to do with taste and the odor is certainly not pleasant; "fleeting" means existing only for a short time and also does not make sense in the sentence, as we're not told anything to make us think that the smell is temporary; and "sullen" means gloomy or bad-tempered, so it clearly cannot be the correct answer either.

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