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 #1071 : Sentence Completion Questions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
“It wasn’t very nice or __________ to tell that other little girl that you thought she was boring,” Ann said to her daughter.
ubiquitious
resilient
derisive
tactful
jejune
tactful
"Tactful" means skillful at not offending others.
Example Question #1072 : Sentence Completion Questions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Ever since Jean Paul and I broke up, everyone tells me the same __________ phrase: there are always more fish in the sea.
scrutinizing
abbreviated
aesthetic
opulent
hackneyed
hackneyed
"Hackneyed" means clichéd, or worn out by overuse.
Example Question #1073 : Sentence Completion Questions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Marisol had only a(n) __________ understanding of how to fix and maintain her car, and so she took an automobile repair class.
amicable
prosaic
intrepid
superficial
mundane
superficial
"Superficial" means shallow, or lacking depth.
Example Question #1074 : Sentence Completion Questions
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Because Louisa had just jogged three miles in the sun, her face looked __________.
florid
restive
sanctimonious
ornate
implacable
florid
"Florid" means having a red or flushed complexion. It also can mean flowery or ornate.
Example Question #401 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
I don’t know what to do with a very __________ student whom I have. My usual responses to bad behavior, such as sending him to the principal’s office and having conferences with the parents, are not changing his actions.
laconic
diaphanous
impractical
recalcitrant
ingenuous
recalcitrant
"Recalcitrant" means defiant or unapologetic.
Example Question #2454 : Sat Critical Reading
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
The cartoon __________ portrays human beings befriending dinosaurs, a historical and scientific implausibility.
scrupulously
mellifluously
benignly
allegedly
anachronistically
anachronistically
A human being befriending a dinosaur is historically and scientifically incorrect, and "anachronistically" is the only answer choice that fits. “Anachronistically” means historically out of place.
Example Question #1051 : One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Many readers pored through the romance novel, looking for every __________ detail.
recurring
logistical
urbane
grotesque
lurid
lurid
While details could be "urbane," "recurring," "logistical," "grotesque," or "lurid," only "lurid" refers to the facts one would be most likely to find in a romance novel.
Example Question #1031 : One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
He had taken such a(n) __________ position that no one would believe him.
untenable
litigated
illusory
entrenched
salubrious
untenable
His position was difficult to hold or impossible to use to convince other people, thus it was "untenable." "Salibrous: can be crossed off immediately for not pertaining to a position, but instead to health. While he may be "entrenched" in this opinion, his relationship to the opinion is not in question. While "illusory" is a tempting option as it means not real, he is holding a real position; it is simply unable to be maintained or defended.
Example Question #1053 : One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Pigeons are __________ in New York City; it is hard to cross the street without seeing one.
paucity
plethora
abundant
surfeit
sparse
abundant
The answer must be an adjective that describes the noun "pigeons." "Plethora" is a noun that means a large group and "surfeit" is a noun that means excess. "Abundant" is the only adjective that suggests a large number, while "paucity" and "sparse" refer to a small number.
Example Question #1054 : One Blank Sentences
Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.
Don't be __________—I don't have time to argue about such trivial details.
petty
maudlin
childish
hyperbolic
commensurate
petty
The person being addressed in the sentence seems to be making a big deal out of "trivial issues," meaning that "petty" is the correct answer. The other answer choices provide confusing contrasts to pettiness—such as "hyperbolic" (exaggerating), "childish" (immature), "commensurate" (proportional), or "maudlin" (overly sentimental).
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