ISEE Middle Level Verbal : Sentence Completions: Parts of Speech

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

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #221 : Sentence Completions: Verbs

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

The mountain climbers have to __________ terrible conditions to reach the summit.

Possible Answers:

alight

ensnare

endure

align

bluff

Correct answer:

endure

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence, which describes difficulties experienced by mountain climbers in order to reach the "summit" (top), you know that the correct answer must be a verb that means survive, put up with it, suffer through and overcome. The correct answer is therefore "endure." Additionally, "bluff" means trick through false confidence; "alight" means get down from, get off of, leave for; "align" means match up with, to line up with; "ensnare" means trap, catch.

Example Question #222 : Sentence Completions: Verbs

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

She was __________ for failing to follow the rules.

Possible Answers:

penalized

breached

surmounted

obliterated

rectified

Correct answer:

penalized

Explanation:

Which of these verbs means something like punished, subjected to some punishment for breaking the rules? The correct answer is "penalized." Additionally, "breach" means get past the defenses of, overcome; "surmount" means to overcome some difficulty, to get past something; "rectify" means fix; "obliterate" means completely destroy.

Example Question #223 : Sentence Completions: Verbs

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

The newspaper had to apologize for so intensely __________ the celebrity.

Possible Answers:

acclaiming

hurtling

relegating

slandering

germinating

Correct answer:

slandering

Explanation:

To solve this problem you have to determine which of these is an action that some organization might have to apologize for. The correct answer is "slandering." To "slander" means to publicly share lies or possibly false stories about in order to ruin the reputation of. Additionally, "germinate" means plant and grow; "acclaim" means widely praise; "hurtle" means move quickly and without much control; "relegate" means reduce to a lower level, move down a level.

Example Question #224 : Sentence Completions: Verbs

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

He tried to __________ his opponent into making a mistake, but his opponent was too sharp to fall for such trickery.

Possible Answers:

gape

enroll

perturb

facilitate

goad

Correct answer:

goad

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence you know you are looking for a verb that means something like provoke, encourage to do something wrong, annoy with the intention of drawing a response. The correct answer is therefore "goad." Additionally, "enroll" means sign up for, become a part of; "facilitate" means help get accomplished; "gape" means stare widely; "perturb" means agitate, disturb.

Example Question #831 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

As the passengers were __________ from the train an old lady tripped and was almost caught between the train and the tracks.

Possible Answers:

alighting

eluding

faltering

alluding

expediting

Correct answer:

alighting

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence you know that the correct answer means something like getting down from, so the correct answer is "alighting." Additionally, "alluding" means hinting at, suggesting; "eluding" means hiding from, keeping away from; "faltering" means stumbling, running into some difficulty; "expediting" means making the progress of something quicker.

Example Question #832 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

The boss sent her most discerning man to try and __________ truth from fiction.

Possible Answers:

appoint

terrify

disentangle

quantify

prioritize

Correct answer:

disentangle

Explanation:

To begin with "discerning" means able of observing things, intelligent and able to pick up on small things. So, a "discerning" person would likely be sent to try and figure out the truth and separate truth from fiction. The correct answer then is "disentangle" because this means separate. Additionally, "prioritize" means declare as most important, make a priority; "appoint" means select for a position; "terrify" means frighten, scare; "quantify" means put data into numerical form.

Example Question #833 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

The workers decided to __________ the meeting until the next day.

Possible Answers:

placate

establish

adjourn

originate

aspire

Correct answer:

adjourn

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence you know you are looking for a verb that means something like suspend, delay until a later date. So, the correct answer is "adjourn." To "adjourn" can have many, related, meanings - it can mean to leave a place; to pause a meeting; to delay until later. Additionally, "originate" means come from; "aspire" means seek to achieve, aim for; "establish" means set up; "placate" means soothe, calm, relieve.

Example Question #834 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

He was worried that his muscles might __________ with age, so he resolved to work out more regularly.

Possible Answers:

flourish

acknowledge

atrophy

portend

respire

Correct answer:

atrophy

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence you know that the correct answer is a verb that means to weaken, particularly with age or due to lack of use. The correct answer is therefore "atrophy." Additionally, "flourish" means either wave around, brandish or strive, achieve great things, do well; "acknowledge" means recognize, notice; "respire" means breathe; "portend" means foreshadow, provide a warning that something might happen a certain way in the future.

Example Question #835 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

The critics expected him to fail so were __________ by his unprecedented success.

Possible Answers:

anchored

ransacked

confounded

confined

amassed

Correct answer:

confounded

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence you are looking for a verb that means something like amazed, stunned, surprised. So, the correct answer is "confounded." Additionally, "ransack" means search through messily; "confine" means imprison; "anchor" means fix in place, root to a spot; "amass" means gather, collect.

Example Question #836 : Sentence Completions: Parts Of Speech

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

Her literature is __________ with a rage that reflects the anger of her day-to-day life.

Possible Answers:

acquiesced

embellished

enticed

maimed

infused

Correct answer:

infused

Explanation:

Based on the context of this sentence you know that the correct answer means filled with, so the correct answer is "infused." To "infuse" means to fill. Additionally, "entice" means tempt, lure, attract; "acquiesce" means give in to, accept the demands of; "maim" means injure, hurt; "embellish" means decorate, adorn, add detail to.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors