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 #641 : Parts Of Speech In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The graveyard seemed __________ to her and she did not want to go in.

Possible Answers:

lively

enthralling

fascinating

eerie

composed

Correct answer:

eerie

Explanation:

If the girl did not want to go into the graveyard it makes sense that the adjective she would use to describe it would be negative. The correct answer is therefore "eerie" which means spooky, creepy, unnerving. This also fits with the object which is a graveyard. Additionally, "composed" means calm, under control; "lively" means spirited, full of life, energetic; "enthralling" means captivating, attractive and interesting; "fascinating" means very interesting.

Example Question #642 : Parts Of Speech In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The __________ old man struggled to relate to the children.

Possible Answers:

cheerful

gruff

dynamic

wise

affable

Correct answer:

gruff

Explanation:

To answer this problem you need to determine which of these answer choices would most likely be used to describe a man who struggles with young children. The correct answer is therefore "gruff" which means rough and blunt, serious and no-nonsense. Additionally, "dynamic" means energetic, forceful; "affable" means friendly, sociable; "cheerful" means happy, good-natured; "wise" means intelligent, knowledgeable.

Example Question #271 : Adjectives And Adverbs

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

The coffee was __________ so they made a fresh, hot batch.

Possible Answers:

scorching

boiling

torrid

stifling

lukewarm

Correct answer:

lukewarm

Explanation:

If the subjects of this sentence made some fresh hot coffee than it makes sense that the earlier coffee was not hot enough. It could therefore best be described as "lukewarm" which means neither hot nor cold, mild in temperature. All the other answer choices are all loosely synonyms, they all mean hot or too hot, uncomfortably hot.

Example Question #644 : Parts Of Speech In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

There are so many people in the __________ city and it plans to build a subway to help manage the problem.

Possible Answers:

demonic

secluded

extroverted

populous

introverted

Correct answer:

populous

Explanation:

The city is described as having a lot of people so it could best be described as "populous" which means having a large population, heavily populated, full of people. Additionally, "demonic" means evil, like the devil; "secluded" means quiet and hidden away, remote; "introverted" means shy, reserved, desiring time alone; "extroverted" means outgoing, sociable, desiring time with others.

Example Question #645 : Parts Of Speech In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The desk was not very ___________. Although Peter could find his pencils, it often took him an hour to do so.

Possible Answers:

Impressive

Unsoiled

Organized

Academic

Clean

Correct answer:

Organized

Explanation:

If it takes Peter an hour to find a pencil, this implies that the desk is not very orderly. If it were orderly, he would be able to find items very quickly. Therefore, his problems have nothing to do with it being dirty (at least as far as the clues provide details). Likewise, while an orderly desk may be impressive, the word "impressive" doesn't do much to explain why he might have such trouble finding his pencils. Therefore, the best thing to say is that his desk is not orderly or is not organized.

Example Question #646 : Parts Of Speech In Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The appearance of the food was ____________, although it looked like various other nutritious foods, it was actually quite unhealthy.

Possible Answers:

Elegant

Deceptive

Delightful

Intense

Sticky

Correct answer:

Deceptive

Explanation:

There are two clues to pay attention to in this sentence. First, notice that it is discussing the appearance of the food. In the second part of the sentence, there is an important additional clue. It states that while the food looks nutritious, it actually is not. When something is not what it appears to be, it can be called "deceptive." Generally, something is deceptive when it is untruthful, and we most frequently use this to describe a person or the words used by an untruthful person; however, as used in this sentence, "deceptive" can also be applied to things like the appearance of food.

Example Question #786 : Word Based Sentence Completions

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

The leaves ____________ the flow of water in the gutters, making it difficult for them to drain quickly enough during the heavy downpour.

Possible Answers:

Slowed

Regulated

Stopped

Broke

Plugged

Correct answer:

Slowed

Explanation:

Although leaves can completely "plug up" a drain or gutter, this is not what is indicated by this sentence. The second half of the sentence states that the gutters were not able to drain quickly enough. This only indicates that the flow of water in the gutters was slowed by the leaves. Even though this is a common word, it is the only option that actually works for the context clues provided.

Example Question #787 : Word Based Sentence Completions

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

After hearing the loud sound outside, the child was very __________, listening to every sound that occurred.

Possible Answers:

Intense

Devoted

Whimsical

Thankful

Alert

Correct answer:

Alert

Explanation:

The general idea is that after hearing the loud sound, the child began to pay attention to every sound that he or she could hear. When we are "alert", we have this kind of fixed attention. When we use "alert" as a noun, we are describing something that is supposed to "grab" attention. For example, a "tornado alert" is a kind of warning that is meant to make us aware that the danger of a tornado is very nearby.

Example Question #788 : Word Based Sentence Completions

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

Reginald was a(n) ___________ friend who would never abandon his friends. No matter what difficulties arose, he would remain true to those whom he loved.

Possible Answers:

Amazing

Stubborn

Faithful

Standard

Energetic

Correct answer:

Faithful

Explanation:

If nothing else, Reginald must be a loyal friend. In this sense, it is fair to say that he is faithful. Whenever we are faithful to someone or something, we never abandon it. A faithful husband never falls in love with another woman. A faithful friend always helps those whom he or she loves. A faithful worker will stay with an employer for years.

Example Question #789 : Word Based Sentence Completions

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

Although Richard was very concerned with the mistake, it was actually quite ___________ and would not cause many problems for his friends.

Possible Answers:

Consequential

Minor

Amusing

Enjoyable

Amazing

Correct answer:

Minor

Explanation:

Since the sentence begins with "although", we know that it will express a contrast. It contrasts Richard's concern with the actual reality of the mistake in question. If he is very worried about the mistake, this would seem to indicate that it is a major or large mistake. In contrast to this, it must have been a rather small mistake. Now, the best word to describe such a small or unimportant mistake is "minor." This word can be used to describe anything that is small or undeveloped. Hence, we call a young person a "minor" because he or she has not yet "grown up." That is, he or she has not fully matured. 

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