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 #31 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Which pair of words best completes the sentence?

The dog frolicked and leapt through the tall grass; she was __________ to finally be outside with her master.

Possible Answers:

happier

nonchalant

ecstatic

enjoying

bored

Correct answer:

ecstatic

Explanation:

Other than "enjoying," all of the options are the proper part of speech, adjectives, and would fit grammatically in the sentence; however, happier is a comparative adjective, and nothing is being compared in this sentence, and nonchalant and bored both have the wrong meaning for the context; therefore, we're left with "ecstatic" as the best answer, which means overjoyed or thrilled.

Example Question #32 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Many of the employees were not happy with the drastic changes that their boss was making to the way the company was run, because such __________ shifts in company policy were causing confusion and stress amongst the employees.

Possible Answers:

drastic

mauve

speedy

subtle

inconsiderate

Correct answer:

drastic

Explanation:

We are told that the changes the new boss made were "dramatic," so we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "dramatic" to describe the policy changes. "Subtle," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "subtle" is an adjective that is often used to describe changes or distinctions and means "so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe." "Drastic," however, is an adjective that means "likely to have a strong or far-reaching effect; radical and extreme," and because "drastic" best describes the changes the new boss made to the company, "drastic" is the correct answer.

Example Question #33 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Jim was upset when his new laptop lost power without any warning, but when he took it back to the store, the technicians diagnosed it as having a __________ battery and exchanged the battery for a new one that worked correctly.

Possible Answers:

soft

faulty

operational

confusing

belligerent

Correct answer:

faulty

Explanation:

We can infer that because Jim's new laptop had problems with its power and the technicians at the store exchanged its battery "for a new one that worked correctly," we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "not working properly" to describe the battery the laptop had initially. "Operational," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "operational" is an adjective that means "fit or ready for use or service," which does not accurately describe the battery Jim's laptop initially had that did not work correctly. "Faulty," however, is an adjective that can mean "working badly or unreliably because of imperfections," and because "faulty" best describes how the battery in Jim's new laptop did not work correctly, "faulty" is the correct answer.

Example Question #34 : Adjectives And Adverbs

The explorers only figured out that their leader was __________ when they learned of his plans to leave them all stranded on the uninhabited island and take all the treasure for himself after they discovered it.

Possible Answers:

erudite

untrustworthy

playful

virtuous

redundant

Correct answer:

untrustworthy

Explanation:

We can infer that the explorers figured out that their leader was dishonest and could not be relied upon after they learned of his plans to strand them on the island and steal the treasure for himself. So, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "dishonest" or "unreliable" to describe the explorers' leader. "Virtuous," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "virtuous" means "having or showing high moral standards," which wouldn't be a very apt description of the leader, who intended to strand his fellow explorers and steal the treasure for himself. "Untrustworthy," however, is an adjective that means "not able to be relied on as honest or truthful," and because "untrustworthy" best describes how the explorers considered their leader after learning of his plans, "untrustworthy" is the correct answer.

Example Question #35 : Adjectives And Adverbs

The company’s president had told his assistant not to schedule any more meetings for that day, but after encountering a particularly __________ employee who called seven times demanding a meeting with the president, the assistant scheduled him one.

Possible Answers:

forgettable

insistent

prodigious

gregarious

timid

Correct answer:

insistent

Explanation:

We can infer that the employee being discussed in the sentence was quite persistent, because he “called seven times demanding a meeting with the president.” So, we need to pick out an adjective to describe the employee that means something like “persistent.” That means that “timid” cannot be the correct answer, because “timid” would not accurately describe someone who called the assistant seven times demanding a meeting. “Insistent,” however, is an adjective that means “insisting; not allowing refusal,” and because “insistent” best describes the persistent employee, “insistent” is the correct answer.

Example Question #36 : Adjectives And Adverbs

The teacher considered Darlene’s story about how her dog ate her homework to be __________ until Darlene produced the chewed-up pages of the math problems the class had been assigned.

Possible Answers:

prolonged

excellent

believable

unbelievable

hurried

Correct answer:

unbelievable

Explanation:

We can infer that the teacher did not believe Darlene’s story until Darlene produced evidence that it was true, so we need to pick out an adjective for the blank that means something like “not believable.” “Believable” cannot be the correct answer because if the teacher considered Darlene’s story believable, Darlene would not have had to produce evidence that her story was true to convince the teacher her story was true. “Unbelievable,” however, is an adjective that consists of the negative prefix “un-“, which means “not,” and “believable,” so we can infer that it means “not believable.” This is a correct inference, as “unbelievable” means “unlikely to be true.” “Unbelievable” is the answer choice that best fits the sentence’s context, so “unbelievable” is the correct answer.

Example Question #37 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Katie discovered a cat in her backyard and assumed it was __________ because it had no collar.

Possible Answers:

feral

boisterous

intelligent

unsightly

tame

Correct answer:

feral

Explanation:

The sentence says that the cat “had no collar,” so we need to pick out an adjective that could describe a cat with no collar. While “tame” and “feral” might each look like a potentially correct answer choice, “tame” is an adjective that means “domesticated” when referring to an animal. So, it would not make sense in the sentence, because one could assume that the cat is domesticated if it had a collar, but it does not. “Feral,” however, is an adjective that is used especially of an animal and means “wild.” Because “feral” best described the collarless cat that the sentence discusses, “feral” is the correct answer.

Example Question #1645 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning

The road was __________; it had been raining all day.

Possible Answers:

hard

wet

mean

dry

old

Correct answer:

wet

Explanation:

Since it rained all day, the road would be wet.

Example Question #1646 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning

John was so __________ by the horror movie that he vowed to never see another for the rest of his life.

Possible Answers:

interested

frightened

hungered

tired

engaged

Correct answer:

frightened

Explanation:

The movie frightened John, and therefore he vowed to never see a horror movie again.

Example Question #1647 : Isee Lower Level (Grades 5 6) Verbal Reasoning

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

Alison lived in a rural area, but she always wanted to move to a(n) __________ area.

Possible Answers:

frigid

mountainous

rustic

urban

Correct answer:

urban

Explanation:

A key word in this sentence completion is the conjunction but, which tells you that the second part of the sentence will show a contrast (different meaning) to the first part of the sentence. "Rural" means relating to the countryside as opposed to cities. So, "urban" is the correct answer, because "urban" means relating to cities as opposed to the countryside, and it makes sense that Allison's desire to move to a city is the opposite of her current situation of "liv[ing] in a rural area."

 

Incorrect answers

"Rustic" is a synonym of "rural" and also means related to the countryside as opposed to cities, as in the sentence, "The island contained a small rustic town that had a population of fifty people and was only accessible by boat."

"Mountainous" refers to an area that is filled with mountains, as in "Colorado is a very mountainous state that contains many peaks, as well as Pike's Peak, the tallest mountain in the United States."

"Frigid" means extremely cold, as in the sentence, "When the weather is frigid and it is snowing, it is important to remember to wear a hat, a scarf, and mittens, as well as warm clothing."

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