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 #41 : Adjectives And Adverbs

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

Maria ran back into her house to get her umbrella when she noticed the sky looked ___________.

Possible Answers:

sunny

gloomy

bright

hot

Correct answer:

gloomy

Explanation:

The correct answer is "gloomy." "Gloomy" means dark or dismal, so when describing the sky, it can mean that it looks like it is going to rain. "Bright" and "sunny" are opposites of the correct answer, and "hot" does not make sense in this sentence.

Example Question #42 : Adjectives And Adverbs

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

Mike is a __________ man; he never likes to take credit for his accomplishments.

Possible Answers:

flashy

humble

showy

outgoing

Correct answer:

humble

Explanation:

The correct answer is "humble." "Humble" means having a modest view of oneself; it is an opposite, or antonym, of "vain" and "boastful." The other words all mean the opposite of "humble" and do not make sense in the sentence.

Example Question #43 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

The elusive author rarely left his house, leading many reporters to label him __________.

Possible Answers:

Reclusive

Brilliant

Introverted

Extroverted

Social

Correct answer:

Reclusive

Explanation:

Reclusive means characterized by seclusion. Someone who rarely leaves his or her house would be very secluded. While someone who is introverted might also prefer to stay home, reclusive is the better answer choice here.

Example Question #44 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Frogs can live on land as well as in water, which makes them ___________.

Possible Answers:

Ambidextrous

Versatile

Mammals

Aquatic

Amphibious

Correct answer:

Amphibious

Explanation:

Animals that are amphibious can inhabit land and water.  Therefore the best answer choice here is amphibious.

The only other answer choice that might work is versatile, yet that is not specific enough here, and therefore not the best answer choice.

Example Question #45 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

With his hair all out of sorts, and his lips curled into a crooked smile around his rotting teeth, the man could only be described as ___________.

Possible Answers:

Engaged

Impressive

Encapsulated

Maniacal

Elegant

Correct answer:

Maniacal

Explanation:

A maniacal look is one that comes over someone when they become manic or crazed. A man in this state could be described as manic, and therefore his look could be seen as maniacal.

No other answer choice makes any sense. The man being described is certainly not elegant or impressive.  The man also cannot be encapsulated, or summarized, because that is nonsensical.  We also don't know if he is engaged, or busy, so that will not work either.

 

Example Question #46 : Adjectives And Adverbs

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

The cancer is in remission, which means the treatment is ___________.

Possible Answers:

Intense

Unreliable

Effective

Void

Competent

Correct answer:

Effective

Explanation:

For the cancer to be in remission, the treatment must be working.  Therefore the correct answer choice is effective.  The treatment may or may not be intense.  It cannot be void or unreliable, as those choices would imply that the treatment is not working.  Competent is not as strong as effective, and it is usually used to describe people, not things.

Example Question #47 : Adjectives And Adverbs

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

The old dog was __________; he preferred to watch the children play rather than joining in.

Possible Answers:

asleep

restless

excited

playful

passive

Correct answer:

passive

Explanation:

"Passive" means not active or not actively participating. Since the dog was not joining the children in playing, he was being passive. "Playful" and "excited" are both opposites of the word for which we're looking, and "asleep" would not make sense in the sentence because it says that the old dog "preferred to watch the children play," and he couldn't do that if he were asleep. "Relaxing" might work, but it is not the best answer choice as an adjective here. So, "passive" is the correct answer.

Example Question #48 : Adjectives And Adverbs

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

The change in temperature was __________; it dropped from seventy-three degrees to forty-five degrees in two hours.

Possible Answers:

dramatic

subtle

drastic

slight

improbable

Correct answer:

drastic

Explanation:

A temperature change from seventy-three degrees to forty-five degrees is very large and noticeable. The definition of drastic is extremely severe or extensive, which is an accurate description of the change. 

Example Question #49 : Adjectives And Adverbs

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

The speech, which lasted for nearly two hours, was very __________.

Possible Answers:

intense

complimentary

hilarious

wordy

lame

Correct answer:

wordy

Explanation:

A speech that is nearly two hours long would contain a lot of words, so one could accurately describe it as being "wordy," which means long or containing a lot of words and is used to describe written works or speeches.

Example Question #50 : Adjectives And Adverbs

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

The background search was very __________; they even looked into her juvenile records to see if she had ever committed a crime when she was younger.

Possible Answers:

boring

extensive

smelly

contrived

vague

Correct answer:

extensive

Explanation:

The search was very involved and went far into her past, so it was very "extensive," or comprehensive and thorough.

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