ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Phrase- and Clause-Based Sentence Completions

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #171 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

The mountains here have __________.

Possible Answers:

a stingy and parsimonious reputation 

miniscule peaks and pleasant weather 

never moved throughout human history 

a fecund and pliant personality 

a timeless and daunting quality 

Correct answer:

a timeless and daunting quality 

Explanation:

To solve this problem you need to determine which of these answers contains words that might be used to describe mountains. The correct answer is therefore " . . . a timeless and daunting quality." "Timeless" means eternal, lasting forever and "daunting" means impressive. Additionally, "miniscule" means tiny; "stingy" and "parsimonious" mean not generous with money; "fecund" means fertile, capable of producing a lot of food; "pliant" means flexible, bendy

Example Question #172 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

__________, so she made more mature friends. 

Possible Answers:

She went out into the wilderness 

She loved to spend time with her old friends 

She found her old friends juvenile 

She loved to sit alone 

She was desperate for wealth and success 

Correct answer:

She found her old friends juvenile 

Explanation:

You are told that the girl "made more mature friends." The word "mature" means grown-up, behaving like an adult. So, you are looking for a reason why someone might look for more grown-up friends. The correct answer is therefore "She found her old friends juvenile . . . " Juvenile means childish, immature, behaving like a child

Example Question #173 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

__________, I had better bring a jacket. 

Possible Answers:

I am often really hot 

I have too little money 

I have never been to a party 

It is frigid outside 

It is stifling outside 

Correct answer:

It is frigid outside 

Explanation:

To solve this problem you need to determine which of these is a reason why someone would need to bring a jacket. The correct answer is therefore "It is frigid outside . . . " "Frigid" means very cold. Additionally, "stifling" means uncomfortably hot

Example Question #174 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

Fables are important for young children because __________

Possible Answers:

they teach valuable lessons 

they lead to mental illness 

children are often alone 

children are meant to study 

they inspire bad behavior 

Correct answer:

they teach valuable lessons 

Explanation:

"Fables" are stories meant to give some sort of lesson, usually a moral lesson. So, to solve this problem you have to determine which of these answers is a positive result of reading fables to children. The correct answer is " . . . they teach valuable lessons." 

Example Question #175 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

__________ landed him in trouble with the authorities. 

Possible Answers:

His nonconformist beliefs 

His charming demeanor 

His industrious personality 

His dashing attitude 

His perfect work ethic 

Correct answer:

His nonconformist beliefs 

Explanation:

To begin with "authority" means power, so the "authorities" are people in power. So, to solve this problem you need to determine which of these might get someone in trouble with people in power. The correct answer is therefore "His nonconformist beliefs . . . " Someone who is a "nonconformist" does not follow the rules. All the other answer choices are positive attributes that would be unlikely to land someone in trouble. Additionally, "industrious" means hard-working; "charming" means pleasing, agreeable, delightful; "dashing" means attractive and charming; someone's "demeanor" is the way they carry themselves, how they act and behave

Example Question #176 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

The two boys were boisterous and rowdy, so the babysitter __________

Possible Answers:

gave them a reward 

was able to take a nap 

was able to help them finish their homework 

tried to calm them down 

abandoned them in the house 

Correct answer:

tried to calm them down 

Explanation:

To solve this problem you need to know the definition of "boisterous" and "rowdy." "Boisterous" means noisy and full of energy, cheerful and lively and "rowdy" means noisy and out of control. So, if the babysitter had two small children who were hard to control and noisy she would most likely have " . . . tried to calm them down." The other answer choices reflect actions the babysitter might have taken if the boys had been "tranquil" (calm) or "serene" (peaceful). 

Example Question #177 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

The audience thought the comedian was hilarious and __________

Possible Answers:

were bored by the show 

jeered at his performance 

left the theatre during the performance 

applauded him warmly 

mocked him the next day 

Correct answer:

applauded him warmly 

Explanation:

To begin with "hilarious" means very funny. So, if the audience found the comedian very funny which of these answer choices represents their most likely reaction? The correct answer is " . . . applauded him warmly." "Applauded" means clapped and "warmly" means done with kindness and affection. Additionally, "jeered" means booed, shouted abused at; "mocked" means made fun of. As you can see, all the other answer choices are negative and would be reactions to a bad performance in which the comedian was not hilarious. 

Example Question #178 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

The old man's health declined so __________

Possible Answers:

he went on a long trip 

he managed to inherit a fortune 

he made a lot of money 

he was permitted to leave the hospital 

they took him to the hospital 

Correct answer:

they took him to the hospital 

Explanation:

To solve this problem you first need to know that "declined" means decreased, went down, diminished. So, if the old man's health "declined" or got worse he would be most likely be taken " . . . to the hospital." Additionally, "inherit" means be given money or property after someone dies; a "fortune" is a large sum of money; "permitted" means allowed

Example Question #179 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

I neglected to eat properly and __________

Possible Answers:

excelled in school 

my family thinks it is boring 

now I have become sick 

improved my health 

experienced many benefits 

Correct answer:

now I have become sick 

Explanation:

To solve this problem you first need to know that "neglected" means failed to do, ignored a responsibility. So, if the speaker failed to eat properly what consequence (result) could they expect? The correct answer is " . . . now I have become sick." Additionally, "improved" means got better; "excelled" means did very well; "benefits" means positive outcomes, things that help

Example Question #180 : Phrase And Clause Based Sentence Completions

Sentence completion: Select the word or phrase that best completes the following sentence.

__________ when I saw his true generous nature. 

Possible Answers:

The people cheered 

My love for him deepened 

The animals suffered 

I fled 

I trembled with fear 

Correct answer:

My love for him deepened 

Explanation:

To solve this problem you have to determine what the speaker was most likely to do when she saw the man's true generous nature. "Generous" means kind, giving so it is a positive adjective. The correct answer then is "My love for him deepened . . . " To provide help, "deepened" means became deeper, became more intense. Additionally, "fled" means ran away from; "trembled" means shook (with fear); "suffered" means experienced pain. Finally, you might have thought that the people cheering would be a reasonable reaction, but the pronoun used in this answer choice does not match the pronoun used in the sentence completion problem. 

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