ISEE Upper Level Verbal : Verbs in One-Blank Sentences

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #21 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

After years of letting himself be overpowered by his raging emotions, Oswald at long last learned the means by which he was able to __________ these unsettling aspects of his personality.

Possible Answers:

subdue

acclaim

mask

appreciate

display

Correct answer:

subdue

Explanation:

The opposition implied in our sentence is that of passing from being overpowered to overpowering or controlling. While perhaps “mask” would seem to fit this usage, it implies that one has not conquered these aspects fully; however, if one “subdues” something, he or she overcomes it. The word comes from the prefix “sub-” being added to the base that is derived from the Latin for to lead (“ducere”). If one subdues something, he or she draws it down or carries something off from one place to another. This is related to many other words such as “conduct,” “educe,” and “produce.”

Example Question #1 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

The dense print and the impenetrable legal jargon __________ the document's message; Suzy didn't immediately understand that the family would have to move once again.

Possible Answers:

bolstered

objectified

obfuscated

contradicted

maintained

Correct answer:

obfuscated

Explanation:

"Obfuscated" is correct because "obfuscate" means confuse or deliberately make something difficult to understand. It is related to "obscure," a word you may have come across more often. Suzy doesn't immediately understand what the document is saying because the dense print and legal jargon is confusing, and therefore "obscuring," the message.

Example Question #4 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

The politicians debated offering aid packages to __________ the declining financial situation.

Possible Answers:

castigate

complicate

ameliorate

moderate

augment

Correct answer:

ameliorate

Explanation:

Ameliorate means to improve or make more bearable. We can hope that the aim of the politicians is to do something positive, combating the negative financial situation. While the aid packages may in fact only complicate or augment (increase) the situation, that is not likely the goal of the politicians' debates.

Example Question #8 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

After finishing a hard day's work, Jo was able to __________ in long, hot bubble bath.

Possible Answers:

vandalize

situate

legalize

luxuriate

repudiate

Correct answer:

luxuriate

Explanation:

Luxuriate means to indulge oneself. It is similar to luxury, and a long, hot bath is a luxury.

Example Question #431 : One Blank Sentences

The aspiring politican __________ the past presidents and tried to read as much about them as possible in order to follow in their footsteps.

Possible Answers:

revered 

disdained

vindicated

emulated

discredited

Correct answer:

emulated

Explanation:

Since the aspiring politician wants to follow in the presidents' footsteps, the best choice is "emulate," as this means to match or surpass a person, typically by imitation.

Example Question #22 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

They tried pocket dictionaries, pointing, and drawing pictures, but they eventually gave up, realizing that they were not going to __________ the language barrier that easily.

Possible Answers:

assuage

prosecute

vanquish

surmount

ameliorate

Correct answer:

surmount

Explanation:

Looking at the blank, we can tell that we need a word that means something like “overcome.” The best answer, therefore, is “surmount.” “Vanquish” is similar, but it is usually used in the sense of defeating an enemy rather than overcoming an obstacle.

Example Question #23 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

The doctors and policeman __________ to solve the case and serve justice to the kidnapper.

Possible Answers:

compromised

reconciled

collaborated

submitted

imputed

Correct answer:

collaborated

Explanation:

Because two different professions are coming together to solve, the best choice is "collaborated," which means to work together. 

Example Question #24 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

The changes in routine __________ the old man, who could otherwise remain calm as long as his regimen remained unaltered.

Possible Answers:

enraged

submerged

inundated

incensed

perturbed

Correct answer:

perturbed

Explanation:

The wrong answers to this sentence fall into two classes. On the one hand, “enraged” and “incensed” imply extreme anger, which are not justified by the sentence, which describes the old man as relatively calm in normal conditions. These options are distant contenders at best. On the other hand, “submerged” and “inundated” imply that he was overwhelmed. While that might be the case, the sentence clearly has to deal with his emotional / mental state since it speaks of him remaining calm in most situations; therefore the best option is “perturbed” which means “anxious” or “upset,” a good description for being “not calm.”

Example Question #11 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

The moon was full about a week ago, but it has __________ since then, and looks like a thin crescent tonight.

Possible Answers:

waned

coddled

groveled

debilitated

belittled

Correct answer:

waned

Explanation:

We know that the moon was full a week ago, but is now a smaller crescent, so it has gotten smaller in the past week. We need a verb that means to appear to get smaller. While "belittled" sounds like a good option, "belittle" has nothing to do with physical size and means to make (someone or something) seem unimportant. Because "wane" means to have a progressively smaller amount of an object's surface illuminated so that it appears to decrease in size, it is the best answer choice.

Example Question #344 : Parts Of Speech In One Blank Sentences

Kendra wrung out the sponge into the sink, __________ it to release all the water it held. 

Possible Answers:

squandering

abdicating

whittling

nullifying

compressing

Correct answer:

compressing

Explanation:

We can tell by the context of the sentence that we're looking for a verb that means something like "make smaller," and more specifically, "wring out." While "whittling" sounds like it could be a potential answer because things that are whittled usually get smaller in the process, "whittling" actually means "carving wood into an object by repeatedly cutting small slices from it," so it's not the correct word for the sentence's context. Since "compress" means "flatten by pressure; squeeze; press," it is the best answer.

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