All ISEE Lower Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1051 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The food spoiled over night because __________.
the fridge was left ajar
it was very cold in the house
the electricity was working perfectly
everyone helped clean up
it was left in the freezer
the fridge was left ajar
To solve this problem you simply need to figure out which one of these answer choices best represents a reason why food might "spoil" or be ruined. The correct answer is therefore " . . . the fridge was left ajar." If it helps "ajar" means partially open.
Example Question #1052 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The massive tree __________.
is easy to carry
needed more time to grow
walked to the supermarket
is very fragile
towered above the houses
towered above the houses
To solve this problem you first need to know that "massive" means very large, gigantic. So, which of these answer choices fits with the description of something as "massive"? The correct answer is " . . . towered above the houses." If you "tower above" something you are much taller than it.
Example Question #1053 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
__________ and the house is very cold.
The heater is broken
It is the middle of summer
I needed to take off my jacket
We keep paying our bills
I need a glass of cold water
The heater is broken
To solve this problem you simply need to figure out which of these answer choices would most likely be related to a very cold house. The correct answer is "The heater is broken . . . " All the other answer choices would either require a negating conjunction like "but" or "yet" or else don't make sense in context.
Example Question #1054 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
__________, so we cannot get any bread.
They have no money
The bakery is closed
We are very hungry
They went to the bakery
We have lots of money
The bakery is closed
To solve this problem you need to determine why the subjects of this sentence would be unable to get any bread. The most likely answer is because "The bakery is closed . . . " Some of these answer choices might seem right at first glance, but contain incorrect pronouns. Such as "They have no money . . . " If "they" was replaced with "we" this answer would make sense. You need to always be aware of pronoun continuation in sentence completion problems.
Example Question #1055 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
"My house is falling down," she said, "__________."
it needs renovation
yet I will move out soon
it is very new
although it is a very recent model
I love living there
it needs renovation
To solve this problem you need to be careful of incorrect conjunctions like "yet" and also consider what the speaker would most likely say after commenting that her house is "falling down." The correct answer is therefore " . . . it needs renovation." "Renovation" is the action of repairing an old or broken building and making it like new.
Example Question #1056 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The water was scolding, so __________.
he drank it quickly
he got into the bath
it freezed in seconds
she drank it slowly
she waited for it to cool down
she waited for it to cool down
To solve this problem you first need to know that "scolding" means very hot, burning. So, if the water was very hot it makes sense that the subject would " . . . [wait] for it to cool down."
Example Question #1057 : Sentence Completions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The careless man __________.
made another mistake
argued with people constantly
never made mistakes
was always reliable
was rewarded by his boss
made another mistake
Although all of these answers make sense grammatically, only one of these answer makes sense contextually. That is the answer choice that reads " . . . made mistakes often." To solve this problem you needed to know that "careless" means not careful, likely to make mistakes.
Example Question #1058 : Sentence Completions
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
He tried to lighten the mood __________.
with his cruel punishment
because people were so happy
by picking on his friends
yet succeeded
by cracking jokes
by cracking jokes
If the subject was trying to "lighten the mood" (make things seem less serious, cheer people up) then it makes sense that he would do so " . . . by cracking jokes."
Example Question #1059 : Sentence Completions
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
__________, so they lit some candles.
The power went out
They were out in the forest
The room was totally illuminated
It was very bright
It was a scorching day
The power went out
To solve this problem you simply need to determine which one of these answer choices represents a situation that might cause people to light candles. The correct answer is therefore "The power went out . . . " Additionally, "illuminated" means lit up; "scorching" means very hot, burning.
Example Question #1060 : Sentence Completions
Select the answer choice that is closest in meaning to the word in capital letters.
The game was suspended __________.
after a fight broke out
because the crowd was happy
after it finished
in spite of the darkness
yet a man was present
after a fight broke out
To begin with "suspended" means paused, halted, stopped. So, which one of these answer choices best represents a reason why a game might be stopped? The correct answer is " . . . after a fight broke out."
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