ISEE Lower Level Verbal : Parts of Speech in Word-Based Sentence Completions

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #482 : Sentence Completions

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

The hungry young man __________ the entire meal in less than a minute, much to the surprise of the others who took over ten minutes to eat the food.

Possible Answers:

barfed

purchased

took

consumed

legalized

Correct answer:

consumed

Explanation:

Clearly, this sentence is talking about eating the food. Therefore, the word "consume" is by far the best option. Do not be tempted by the option "took." Yes, the young man did "take in" the food by eating it. The most proper way of speaking is "consumed," which describes the action of "taking in" food.

Example Question #483 : Sentence Completions

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

Although he had caught the house on fire, the boy __________ his guilt out of fear of being punished.

Possible Answers:

alerted

denied

hindered

regulated

escaped

Correct answer:

denied

Explanation:

The sentence contrasts the fact of the matter with the boys' action. Although he actually did the deed, he did not want to admit that he did it. Therefore, the young boy "denied" his guilt.  This is the only option that expresses how someone would not admit his or her guilt.

Example Question #484 : Sentence Completions

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

Since he did not want his parents to find out that he failed chemistry class, George tried to __________ the grade on his report card, making it show a B instead of an F.

Possible Answers:

satisfy

upgrade

deliberate

improve

falsify

Correct answer:

falsify

Explanation:

Since George has already received his report card, he cannot really improve his poor grade. Therefore, he must want to change the grade on the physical card itself. This means that he wants to put a false grade on the report card. The verb "falsify" indicates this kind of action. If you think of the literal meaning of the word, it means, "To make false"!

Example Question #485 : Sentence Completions

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

After not seeing her husband for three months, Pamela greatly __________ for his return from the business trip.

Possible Answers:

longed

rejoiced

listened

delighted

reflected

Correct answer:

longed

Explanation:

From what we can tell in this sentence, Pamela seems to desire greatly that her husband return home. None of the other answers really make much sense in this regard. The only one that does make sense is "longed." The word "long" can be used as a verb meaning, "To desire greatly." For example, you could say, "After thirty straight days of loud construction, I longed for a quiet morning on my street."

Example Question #486 : Sentence Completions

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

When the worker had to ___________ why he burned down the building, he was afraid his boss wouldn't believe the good reason he had for doing the seemingly crazy act.

Possible Answers:

deliver

inquire

recall

remember

explain

Correct answer:

explain

Explanation:

Notice carefully that the sentence says that the worker was afraid that the boss wouldn't believe his reasons for doing the action. This means that he tried to give the boss a reason—that is, he tried to explain his reasoning for burning the building. This answer is better than some trick answers like "deliver", "recall", and "remember." None of these options have the sense of explaining the reasons in addition to merely telling some facts. Hence, "explain" is by far the best option.

Example Question #487 : Sentence Completions

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

The boy __________ the cherry above his head, hoping that the bird would fly in and eat it out of his hands.

Possible Answers:

picked

tossed

located

threw

elevate

Correct answer:

elevate

Explanation:

Notice that the boy wants the bird to eat the cherry out of his hand. Therefore, he is not going to toss it above his head nor throw it. Instead, he is just going to lift it above his head. The word "elevate" describes this kind of lifting. The "elevation" of a mountain is its height. The verb "to elevate" means "to lift upward." 

Example Question #488 : Sentence Completions

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

The work on the road failed to __________ its condition very much; the potholes quickly reappeared and caused the same problems for drivers.

Possible Answers:

amaze

improve

educate

deliver

illuminate

Correct answer:

improve

Explanation:

The general idea of this sentence is that the road didn't get better after the work was done. It seems to have remained just as bad—quickly returning to its former state with potholes causing problems. Therefore, the best option is the simple word "improve." The work didn't help to make the road better—that is, it didn't help to improve its condition.

Example Question #341 : Parts Of Speech In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The large boulder in the path did not __________ the hikers who were able to climb over it and continue on their way.

Possible Answers:

slaughter

hinder

frighten

annoy

destroy

Correct answer:

hinder

Explanation:

The sentence doesn't tell us much about the hikers' states of mind. Thus, we don't know if the boulder might have annoyed or even frightened them. What we do know is that it seems that it was unable to stop them from proceeding onward in their journey. Therefore, the boulder did not hinder their progress. When something is a "hindrance," that thing is an obstacle, preventing the accomplishment of a task.

Example Question #342 : Parts Of Speech In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

Since he did not know how to fix the mower, Paul decided that he should be __________ by his father who knew how to fix many things and could teach him how to repair the machine.

Possible Answers:

berated

entranced

instructed

delivered

intrigued

Correct answer:

instructed

Explanation:

The key clue for this question is the word "teach." Paul wants his father to teach him how to repair the mower. This means that he would like to be "instructed" on how to repair it. "Instructions" explain the steps needed for doing something. The verb "to instruct" means to teach or explain.

Example Question #343 : Parts Of Speech In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

Although some people __________ a skill for many years, attempting to improve their abilities at the task, they still fail to become experts in spite of the many hours that they spend in disciplined work.

Possible Answers:

experience

listen

practice

learn

undergo

Correct answer:

practice

Explanation:

Pay careful attention in this long sentence. It is said that the people do something for many years. They do it in order to improve their abilities at some given task. When they fail, they do so in spite of all this work. Therefore, this means that they are actively working to gain a skill. We call this kind of activity "practicing", as you well know. It is not mere listening or learning (though these are involved). The simple word "practice" is the best answer for this long and complex sentence!

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