All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #101 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
He swims like a fish __________.
drowning in the shallow end
because he hates the water
although he looks like a fish too
outside of the water
skillfully gliding through the water
skillfully gliding through the water
To solve this problem you need to figure out which of these answer choices makes sense as information to follow the author's statement that the subject "swims like a fish." Someone, who swims very well could be said to be " . . . skillfully gliding through the water" so this is the correct answer. "Skillfully" means done with skill and "gliding" means moving smoothly through something. Many of the incorrect answers contain illogical conjunctions or else suggest that the subject is not actually a good swimmer, which does not make sense within this context.
Example Question #102 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
I am trying to find a place to live, but __________.
I have too much money to spend
I am very intelligent
it is looking positive
I have succeeded
it is difficult
it is difficult
The use of the conjunction "but" suggests that whatever the speaker is trying to do they are not succeeding. So, they are trying to find a new place to live, but " . . . it is difficult." All the other answer choices are either nonsensical or are positive and inappropriate for the conjunction "but."
Example Question #103 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
I enjoy music very much and __________.
I cannot afford to go dancing
my mother does not let me
there are eight people present
I love to dance
I am scared of dancing
I love to dance
All of these answer choices would fit better with the conjunction "but" except the correct answer which is " . . . I love to dance." The conjunction "and" is used to mean a continuation of the same idea; the conjunction "but" is used to suggest a change in the main idea of a sentence.
Example Question #104 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
I do not want a burger __________.
or do I want any fries
nor do I want any fries
provided that burgers are gross
altogether I want some fries
even though burgers are gross
nor do I want any fries
To solve this problem you need to determine which of these conjunctions makes most sense within the context of this sentence. The only conjunction that makes sense is "nor." You use the word "nor" when you have a list of multiple negative things. Like, for example "On a sunny day it is not raining nor is it snowing." All of the other conjunctions make the sentence either illogical or nonsensical.
Example Question #105 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
He is moving in with me and __________.
my daughter is unhappy about it
bringing all his stuff
I am not ready
he refuses to pay rent
he hasn't sold his old place
bringing all his stuff
All of these answer choices would fit better with the conjunction "but" except the correct answer which is " . . . bringing all his stuff." The conjunction "and" is used to continue an idea and the conjunction "but" is used to change the nature of an idea.
Example Question #106 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
I cannot afford a new car, __________.
unless I get a better job
rather than buy an old one
since they are inexpensive
whomever wishes to buy one
because I am wealthy
unless I get a better job
To solve this problem you need to figure out which conjunction fits most logically within the context of the sentence. The correct answer is " . . . unless I get a better job." The other answer choices are either nonsensical or else illogical within the context of not being able to afford a new car. "Unless" means something like except if this happens. To give another example "I cannot eat unless I have food." Additionally, "inexpensive" means not expensive, cheap.
Example Question #107 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
__________ I am twenty-five I would like to be living in New York City.
Even if
By the time
Although
Altogether
Rather than
By the time
To solve this problem you need to determine which of these conjunctions makes sense logically in the context of this sentence. "By the time . . . " makes by far the most sense. The speaker is saying that they would like to live in New York City, at the latest, when they are twenty-five.
Example Question #108 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
Even if I pass my exams, __________.
my teacher still might fail me
I'll be living around the corner
my parents will be very proud of me
my friends will also pass theirs
I will graduate from college
my teacher still might fail me
The use of the conjunction "even if" implies something conditional. This means that the speaker needs to accomplish something to get something else, but that might still not be enough. So, the correct answer must be something negative or worrying. The correct answer is therefore " . . . my teacher might still fail me." None of the other answer choices can be right because they are either nonsensical or describe a positive situation. The conjunction "even if" is complicated to understand and even harder to explain (the simplest words are sometimes the hardest to define) so let us look at another couple of examples: "Even if I eat lots of food I never feel full" and "Even if it is dark outside someone with good eyesight can still see."
Example Question #109 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
I have always believed in Santa Claus, but __________.
I suppose I could be wrong
I believe in other things too
he visits me personally every year
I can prove he exists
my mother and father agree
I suppose I could be wrong
All of these answer choices would fit better with the conjunction "and" except the correct answer " . . . I suppose I could be wrong." The use of the conjunction "but" means that the information contained in the second part of the sentence will be different or opposite in meaning to the information contained in the first part of the sentence. So, the speaker is essentially saying "I believe this, but I could be wrong." The other answer choices are more like "I believe this and this is why."
Example Question #110 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions
Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.
It has been a long time __________.
before I can see her
altogether I am younger
and I have gotten younger
since I last saw her
unless I still see her
since I last saw her
To solve this problem you need to focus on tense (whether it is in the past, present, or future) and the conjunctions being used. The speaker is talking about how it's been a long time. When talking about the period in between the past and the present we can use the conjunction "since." So, to provide another example, "It has been years since I went to a party with a clown."
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