PSAT Critical Reading : Parts of Speech in One-Blank Sentences

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #668 : Isee Upper Level (Grades 9 12) Verbal Reasoning

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

After years of assuming the jobs of many of his subordinates, Scott learned how to __________ work to those under him, enabling himself to manage the entire process instead of being overwhelmed with all the details of others’ work.

Possible Answers:

germinate

allocate

sow

delegate

assign

Correct answer:

delegate

Explanation:

Although “assign” and “allocate” are applicable to this sentence, the word “delegate” is a closer fit because it includes the sense of “handing down” something to a subordinate to do something. The word literally means to hand (-leg-) down (de-). If someone is called a “delegate,” he or she has been given some task in order to represent the one doing the handing down.

Example Question #541 : One Blank Sentences

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

There was nothing that angered Michael more than when others would __________ true knowledge when they were in fact totally ignorant on a given subject.

Possible Answers:

pronounce

present

pontificate

feign

imagine

Correct answer:

feign

Explanation:

Although “feign” directly indicates that one is pretending to be affected by something (e.g. emotionally or physically), in a more extended sense, it can mean to imitate, often with deceptive motives. It is derived from root words that are related to “fiction.” The Latin root is expressed in Newton’s famous expression, “Hypotheses non fingo”—I feign no hypotheses.  Given its context, this expression was taken as the manifesto for sciences based on description of phenomena (and their mathematical interpretation), not upon seemingly “feigned” metaphysical hypotheses.

Example Question #111 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

Every time Ronald walked by a bookstore, he found some justification for purchasing at least one text to __________ the size of his personal library.

Possible Answers:

elongate

modify

exemplify

augment

alter

Correct answer:

augment

Explanation:

The best option for this sentence would be a word that indicates an increase in the size of the personal library in question. “Elongate” is really not appropriate, unless perhaps we were discussing the length of the bookshelves; however, “augment” captures this sense, meaning “to increase by addition.” The word “auction” is derived from a similar base (the “g” sound becoming the similar “c” sound), for to “auction” means to sell to the highest bidder—the prices ever increasing.

Example Question #112 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

John wanted to __________ any act of kindness from his mother, who for so long had only complained about others.

Possible Answers:

assist

laud

prepare

announce

elicit

Correct answer:

elicit

Explanation:

John wishes to draw out or evoke some sort of kindness. “Elicit” means to draw out, coming from the Latin roots “e-,” which is found in many words (coming from “ex,” meaning out of) and a set of roots related to the “-lic” used here, meaning “to lure;” therefore, “elicit” means something like to lure out—at least when considered literally in view of its roots.

Example Question #121 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

Fifteen years of hearing the complaints of his spouse had finally __________ Francis to the point that he no longer even had energy to go for the daily walks that he had so dearly loved in his youth.

Possible Answers:

unhinged

exasperated

enervated

imploded

destroyed

Correct answer:

enervated

Explanation:

To be “enervated” is to be drained of energy and weakened. It is related to an almost identical Latin word, though it can also be seen to be indirectly derived from the combination of the prefix “e-” (similar to “ex-”), meaning out of, and the Latin nervus which means sinew or muscle, but also strength.

Example Question #122 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

George’s goal was carefully to __________ any remaining vitality from Jordan so that he could convince the latter to follow his will without any energetic protestation.

Possible Answers:

convert

sap

disrupt

damage

misconstrue

Correct answer:

sap

Explanation:

George wished to reduce Jordan’s vitality, which means that he wanted to “sap” it from him. Although often thought to be derived from the notion of gathering a tree’s sap, it actually is derived from the idea of “sapping” as digging a canal to conceal oneself from an enemy, or even more remotely meaning to dig a ditch to undermine and destabilize the foundation of a building.

Example Question #132 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

With a cunning smile, Robert looked at the young man and said, “The statesman’s art is really a creative enterprise, an artisan’s affair, really. Taking the civic material given to us, we are charged with __________ a new political reality from existing social facts.”

Possible Answers:

recognizing

interpreting

begetting

fabricating

discerning

Correct answer:

fabricating

Explanation:

The key here is that the art is “creative,” meaning that we are looking for a word that indicates making—not merely discovering, discerning, or so forth. The word “fabricating” fits this usage. Although it has negative connotations often, it can also mean to construct from parts—here, the “existing social facts.”

Example Question #552 : One Blank Sentences

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

Although the family was relatively poor, Nathan’s parents wanted to do all that they could to __________ his latent musical talent by their positive reinforcement.

Possible Answers:

multiply

augment

rectify

foster

increase

Correct answer:

foster

Explanation:

To “foster” something is to encourage and nurture its development. Since Nathan’s talent is “latent,” it will need to be developed. The sense of the sentence focuses more upon the fostering than on the increase itself, as is indicated by the focus on “positive reinforcement.”

Example Question #123 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

In order to prevent the pending lawsuit against him, Lawrence decided to accept the numerous conditions __________ for him by the other party.

Possible Answers:

announced

presented

delivered

withheld

stipulated

Correct answer:

stipulated

Explanation:

If one "stipulates" something, they clearly demand a set of conditions for an agreement. Often in arguments, one will provide a “stipulative” definition, which is one that is set to have a specific meaning in order to make the argument clearer and more direct (without the nuances of potentially non-stipulated definitions). 

Example Question #124 : Verbs In One Blank Sentences

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

After many days of clouds, the sunny weather immediately __________ the previously deadened spirits of the citizens of the small hamlet.

Possible Answers:

brightened

vivified

recanted

mollified

altered

Correct answer:

vivified

Explanation:

They key word to note is “deadened.” This helps us to avoid “brightened” (and even more so the much weaker “altered”). The weather brought the spirits of the citizens “back to life” from their deadened state; therefore, it “vivified” them.

This word comes from the Latin vivere, meaning “to live.” One can think of many related English words, for instance: survive, vivacious, revive.

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