ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Word-Based Sentence Completions

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #701 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

It is quite __________ to do your homework if you want to do well in school.

Possible Answers:

dominating

useless

essential

irrelevant

personal

Correct answer:

essential

Explanation:

You know from your classes that it is important to do your homework if you want to do well in school; this means that the correct answer must mean something similar to “important.” The correct answer is therefore “essential.” “Essential” means needed or highly important. The word “useless” means not having any use or purpose; the word “irrelevant” means not important to a given situation; something “personal” is something that affects you; and someone who is “dominating” is bossy and likes to be in charge.

Example Question #702 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

He was a very __________ man; he looked after those less fortunate and always did the right thing.

Possible Answers:

eager

risky

noble

intense

haughty

Correct answer:

noble

Explanation:

The description of the man tells us that he was a good man who looked after others and acted correctly in the world. This means the answer choice must be “noble,” as someone who is “noble” is brave, values honor, and does the right thing. The word “risky” means having a high chance of failing or going wrong.

Example Question #703 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

She is intelligent and brave, but her __________ is that she is lazy and irresponsible.

Possible Answers:

claim

flaw

puzzle

virtue

intent

Correct answer:

flaw

Explanation:

The fact that the underlined word is something of which "lazy and irresponsible" are examples of means that the correct answer must be “flaw.” A “flaw” is something that is wrong or imperfect about someone. A “virtue” is the opposite of a “flaw”; it is something that is good or honorable about someone. The word “intent” means what you mean to do; the word “claim” means stated idea that is not yet backed up with facts.

Example Question #704 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

It is not very __________ to always be boasting and showing off your accomplishments.

Possible Answers:

fraudulent

modest

arrogant

heroic

shabby

Correct answer:

modest

Explanation:

From the context of the sentence, it is clear we are looking for a word that describes someone who does not boast and is not a show off, so the correct answer is “modest.” “Modest” is the opposite of “arrogant,” which means having a high opinion of oneself as being superior to other people. The word “heroic” means brave and acting like a hero; “shabby” means in poor condition and not looking nice; and "fraudulent" means fake or inauthentic.

Example Question #705 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Marshall never does his chores or homework, demonstrating how __________ he is.

Possible Answers:

funny

irresponsible

puzzling

entertaining

unusual

Correct answer:

irresponsible

Explanation:

If someone does not do his or her chores or homework, those actions demonstrate the trait of being "irresponsible," or unable to be relied on.

Example Question #706 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Jerry is very __________; he has so much money that he does not have to worry about securing a job someday to support himself.

Possible Answers:

wary

depressed

frustrated

uncertain

wealthy

Correct answer:

wealthy

Explanation:

If someone has a lot of money, such that he or she does not ever have to worry about getting a job someday to support him- or herself, the best word to complete the sentence would be "wealthy," which means rich. Therefore, "wealthy" is the correct answer.

Example Question #707 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word that best completes the following sentence.

Her family sometimes took an __________ route that involved side roads to her grandmother's house if traffic on the main highway was heavy and hard to navigate.

Possible Answers:

reserve

concluding

apparent

alternate

primary

Correct answer:

alternate

Explanation:

The route using side roads to the girl's grandmother's house was presumably a secondary or "alternate" route compared to the "main highway." The other answer choices mean the following: "concluding" is ending; "primary" is main or first; "apparent" is obvious; and "reserve" is something in store.

Example Question #708 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Our house is __________ with rats, so my dad went to the pet store to buy a cat.

Possible Answers:

determined

mistaken

resulted

devoid

infested

Correct answer:

infested

Explanation:

When you have a large number of pests, it is called an “infestation.” So a house with lots of rats (that are not pets) in it is said to be “infested” with rats. The word “determined” means really wanting and working hard to do something; “mistaken” means incorrectly understood or wrong; and "devoid" (used in the phrase "devoid of") means lacking completely or having none of.

Example Question #709 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Anna had never been to a play before, and so seeing a theatrical performance live at a big theatre was a _________ experience for her.

Possible Answers:

novel 

fun 

unusual 

stale

typical

Correct answer:

novel 

Explanation:

Given that Anna had never before seen a play before, the experience would best be described as something new and special. This is what "novel" means, and so it is the correct answer. A tempting wrong answer is "unusual." However, this is not the right answer because it does not capture the specialness of the experience for Anna.

Example Question #710 : Word Based Sentence Completions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Jessica and Joey get along so well; their conversations are always __________, and you can tell they love each other very much.

Possible Answers:

challenging

normal 

harmonious

combative

egregious

Correct answer:

harmonious

Explanation:

This sentence describes a happy and loving connection between Jessica and Joey. The word that would best complete this sentence would be one that conveys this love and happiness. The best word for this would be "harmonious," which is therefore the correct answer.

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