ISEE Middle Level Verbal : Sentence Completions: Adjectives and Adverbs

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #231 : Sentence Completions

The king didn't look quite as __________ without his crown and cape.

Possible Answers:

proud

delusional

filial

regal

malleable

Correct answer:

regal

Explanation:

We can infer that because the sentence is describing a king missing his crown and cape, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "king-like," because without his crown and cape, a king would not look as king-like as he would when wearing those items. While "proud" might seem like a potentially correct answer choice, "regal" is the best answer choice because "regal" specifically means "of, resembling, or fit for a monarch, especially in being magnificent or dignified." Because "regal" includes a royal connotation and best fits the context of the sentence, it is the correct answer.

Example Question #232 : Sentence Completions

That author published thirty-seven novels in his lifetime, and three more of his unfinished works have been published __________ since he died last year.

Possible Answers:

posthumously

loudly

supportively

charismatically

preemptively

Correct answer:

posthumously

Explanation:

We can infer that because the three works being described by the word in the blank "have been published . . . since [the author] died last year," we need to pick out a word that means something like "done after someone's death." "Posthumous" is an adjective which means "occurring, awarded, or appearing after the death of the originator," so "posthumously" is the correct answer because it best describes how the three books were published after their author's death.

Example Question #233 : Sentence Completions

No one likes to work on group projects with Jack because he is so __________, refusing to listen to anyone else’s ideas or proceed with a project unless the group follows his recommendations exactly.

Possible Answers:

shallow

effervescent

gregarious

domineering

timid

Correct answer:

domineering

Explanation:

The sentence tells us that Jack “refus[es] to listen to any else’s ideas or proceed with a project unless the group follows his recommendations exactly,” so we can infer that we need to pick out an adjective to describe Jack that means something like “bossy.” That means that “timid” cannot be the correct answer, because “timid” is an adjective that means “lacking courage or confidence” and clearly would not make sense as describing Jack in the sentence, because it is an antonym of the word for which we’re looking. “Domineering,” however, is an adjective that means “arrogantly willful,” and because “domineering” best describes Jack’s reputation in the sentence, “domineering” is the correct answer.

Example Question #234 : Sentence Completions

Sentence Completions: choose the word that best completes the sentence.

After days of transferring hundreds of handwritten invoices to a spreadsheet, the intern became bored with the __________ task.

Possible Answers:

challenging

taciturn

invigorating

complicated

tedious

Correct answer:

tedious

Explanation:

"Tedious" means dull or monotonous. The intern was bored by working on this one task for days, so the best answer choice is "tedious."

Example Question #11 : Sentence Completions: Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: choose the word that best completes the sentence.

Calm and ___________, the doctor's demeanor immediately sets his patients at ease.

Possible Answers:

incredulous

grave

severe

affable

amorous

Correct answer:

affable

Explanation:

"Affable" means friendly and easy-going. If the doctor is "calm" and "immediately sets his patients at ease," the best answer choice to describe him is "affable."

Example Question #16 : Sentence Completions: Adjectives And Adverbs

Sentence Completions: Select the word that most best completes the sentence.
 Every time my grandmother and I look at her old photo albums, she becomes __________, remembering the days gone by.
Possible Answers:

Obstinate

Nostalgic

Erratic

Bitter

Unfortunate

Correct answer:

Nostalgic

Explanation:
"Old photo albums" and "remembering the days gone by" are the clues in this sentence. "Bitter" might seem like a potentially correct answer, but there is nothing in the sentence to indicate that the grandmother was angry or sad about the past, so it cannot be the correct answer. The best option is "nostalgic," an adjective that means longing for the past, so "nostalgic" is the correct answer.

Example Question #242 : Sentence Completions

Sentence Completions: Select the word that most best completes the sentence.

It was exhausting for the royal court to please the ___________ king; one day he would want them to sing instead of speak and the next he would want them to paint the castle purple. 
Possible Answers:

Zealous

Ruthless

Whimsical

Patient

Unwieldy
Correct answer:

Whimsical

Explanation:
A king could easily be "ruthless," which means cruel, or "zealous," which means passionate or devoted to a cause, but it is important to look at the clues in this sentence. The king has silly and erratic desires that change frequently, so he is "whimsical," or frequently changing one's mood or behavior seemingly without cause. "Whimsical" is the correct answer because it is the answer choice that best describes the king's behavior.

Example Question #243 : Sentence Completions

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

After running twenty-six miles over mountainous terrain, the athlete felt completely __________ after stumbling over the finish line.

Possible Answers:

Buoyant

Sorrowful

Fatigued

Fervent

Mortified

Correct answer:

Fatigued

Explanation:

After running twenty-six miles, the runner is likely very tired; key words like "stumbling" show that he or she barely made it. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like very tired. While you might think that "buoyant," and adjective that means either able to float or cheerful, could be a potentially correct answer because the runner might feel happy that he or she has compelted the race, the context clue contained in "After running twenty-six miles over mountainous terrain" suggests that the adjective should refer to the athlete being very tired, not very happy. So, the word that best fits the sentence is "fatigued," which means exhausted. As for the other answer choices, "sorrowful" means very sad; "fervent" means passionate or enthusiastic, and "mortified" means very embarassed.

Example Question #244 : Sentence Completions

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

My __________ uncle can spend hours talking about any topic that occurs to him.

Possible Answers:

Implosive

Quiet

Shy

Assured

Garrulous

Correct answer:

Garrulous

Explanation:

We can infer that because the speaker's uncle "can spend hours talking," he must be very talkative. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like talkative. So, that means that neither "shy" nor "quiet" cannot be the correct answer, because each of these words is an antonym of talkative, and neither would make sense as describing the uncle discussed in the sentence. The word that best fits the sentence is "garrulous," which means talkative or loquacious. As for the other answer choices, "explosive" can mean incendiarytouchy, or sudden, and "assured" means confident.

Example Question #245 : Sentence Completions

Sentence Completions: Select the word or phrase that most correctly completes the sentence.

The invention was so clever and __________, it amazed engineers for centuries.

Possible Answers:

Transitory

Ephemeral

Ingenious

Futile

Stale

Correct answer:

Ingenious

Explanation:

We are told that the invention is "clever" and that it "amazed engineers for centuries," so we need to pick out an adjective to describe the invention that means something like clever. That means that "stale" cannot be the correct answer, as "stale" in this context would mean hackneyed or trite, so a "stale" invention would not amaze anyone. The best answer choice is "ingenious," an adjective that means possessing or demonstrating great creativity and cleverness. As for the other answer choices, "ephemeral" and "transitory" both mean temporary or lasting for a short time, and "futile" means useless or pointless.

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