ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Parts of Speech in One-Blank Sentences

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #276 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

Jeremy was an unabashed __________, and this disposition led him both to search obsessively for many texts and to purchase such a great quantity that he was nearly placed in utter poverty.

Possible Answers:

controversialist

raconteur

academic

scholastic

bibliophile

Correct answer:

bibliophile

Explanation:

The key is that Jeremy buys many texts and likewise searches for them; therefore, the best word is “bibliophile” which captures this compulsion. It is derived from two Greek roots that are very familiar to us in other contexts. “Biblio-” is derived from Greek for book and is reflected in English words like “bibliography” and “bible.” The second half comes from the Greek words for love of friendship or merely friendship. The city of Philadelphia is named from Greek brotherly love. (The “brotherly” portion comes from "adelphos," brother).

Example Question #277 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

In the sad case of __________, the young man took out his frustration for his abandonment by his father by assaulting the only parent he had left.

Possible Answers:

matricide

iniquity

vengeance

vexation

revenge

Correct answer:

matricide

Explanation:

This sentence is not very difficult and only slightly hides the correct answer. Had it said that he assaulted “his mother,” it would have been extremely easy. The correct answer is “matricide.”

The first half comes from the Latin for mother. (Think of related words like “maternal”). The second half comes from Latin for “to kill.” (Think of related words like sui + cide—to kill oneself—or homo + cide—to kill a human being).

Example Question #161 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

Explaining each and every step in excruciating detail, the man was less an instructor than he was a tiresome __________.

Possible Answers:

scholiast

pedant

lecturer

fogey

pedagogue

Correct answer:

pedant

Explanation:

A pedant displays knowledge excessively (and hence is really tiresome for a student, who might not need to have such shows of details all the time). The word is related to “pedagogue,” which is derived from the Greek for teacher, but it has taken on these additional shades of meaning.

Example Question #146 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

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

After many years of living as a monk, the man found that he needed to return to __________ in order to regain peace of mind in his regular interactions with friends and family.

Possible Answers:

solitude

sanctity

adoration

cloister

monasticism 

Correct answer:

solitude

Explanation:

The man needs time that is not as interactive with others after he has had his social contact; therefore, he needs “solitude,” a word derived from Latin bases meaning “alone,” “single,” and “only.”

Example Question #278 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

Although many think of revolts as destructive to public life, the core political issue is the prevention of the complete __________ of governmental functions. No matter what the cause, a time of total inactivity will destroy the social fabric.

Possible Answers:

usurpation

implosion

upending

derailing

stasis

Correct answer:

stasis

Explanation:

The opposition implied in this sentence is between our blank and "revolts." The opposite of a situation of turmoil would be one that is wholly at standstill. (This is likewise indicated by “a time of total inactivity” in the second sentence). The best option is "stasis," which is directly derived from a Greek word with a similar meaning. It is reflected in words that likewise have “stat-” in their root, such as “static” and “statue.”

Example Question #281 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

For many years, the rabbi and the priest had been regular __________, having long, friendly discussions over coffee every Wednesday.

Possible Answers:

naysayers

disputants

antagonists

preachers

interlocutors

Correct answer:

interlocutors

Explanation:

Clearly, we want no negative connotations in our answer, so this helps to eliminate everything other than “interlocutors” and “preachers.” The latter is rather bland and does not fit anywhere nearly as well as “interlocutor,” which means “a person in a conversation.”

The prefix “inter-” indicates that the word involves “between” (such as intervarsity or interstitial)—NOT to be confused with “intra,” which means “within” (such as “intramural,” which literally means within the walls). The second half, “-locutors,” is derived from the Latin for to speak or talk, which has many derivatives in English not only including those with the “c” that we see in “interlocutors” (e.g. locution, allocution) but also the more common (and phonetically related) “q” (e.g. eloquence, loquacious, colloquium, colloquial).

Example Question #282 : Sentence Completion Questions

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

Clearly, the student’s theory interpreted reality in a manner that eliminated almost all variability by insisting that all aspects of reality ultimately were reducible to one key factor. Such simplistic __________ often distorts much, even if it does indeed provide some insights onto reality.

Possible Answers:

deconstruction

musing

reduction

philosophizing

monism

Correct answer:

monism

Explanation:

The key is that the student’s theory reduces everything to one. Such a theory is “monistic,” a word derived from the Greek monos, meaning “single,” which we see in words like “monocle,” “monogamy,” and “monotonous.”

Example Question #251 : Sentence Completions

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

The politician regularly must be the people’s __________ as well as their representative.  Citizens often need to be roused into having an opinion on political matters.

Possible Answers:

executive

demagogue

legislator

orator

publican

Correct answer:

orator

Explanation:

Since the sense of the clues is not negative in this sentence, it would not be appropriate to choose “demagogue,” for such a person would merely appeal to popular sentiment to make specious “arguments.” An “orator” would be a better case here, for such a person’s eloquence could fit the bill for inspiring the people. The word is derived from Latin roots that likewise give us the word “oratory” and “oration;” however, it is also related to the word for mouth, os, which often has forms with the base “or-;” therefore, other related words are orifice, oral, and osculum.

Example Question #251 : One Blank Sentences

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

The abstract statue of the former president was barely a __________ of his appearance. If it had not included his name on a plaque, nobody would likely have realized that it was made in his honor.

Possible Answers:

replication

redundancy

similitude

declaration

clone

Correct answer:

similitude

Explanation:

The word “similitude” means “being similar to something else.” This is better than several of the tempting options, such as “replication,” “redundancy,” and “clone,” all of which imply likeness too strongly. The sentence’s “barely” needs a weaker word, for being “barely” a replication really would mean that something is almost identical—which clearly does not seem to be the case, given that few would have recognized the man thus honored. The word “similitude” is related to English words like “similar” and “similarity.”

Example Question #252 : One Blank Sentences

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

Overwhelming acts of __________ are not always as important as the giving of small gifts in the regular course of life.

Possible Answers:

publicity

consideration

munificence

kindness

donation

Correct answer:

munificence

Explanation:

One who is “munificent” is extremely generous. The word is derived from the Latin “munus,” which means gift but also office. Hence, it has derived English words like “municipality” as well as “remuneration.” The ending “-ficent” comes from the same root as ending like “-fy” and “-ficate,” meaning to do or make and found in many English words.

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