Verbs - ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning

Notice carefully that the sentence says that the worker was afraid that the boss wouldn't believe his reasons for doing the action. This means that he tried to give the boss a reason—that is, he tried to explain his reasoning for burning the building. This answer is better than some trick answers like "deliver", "recall", and "remember." None of these options have the sense of explaining the reasons in addition to merely telling some facts. Hence, "explain" is by far the best option.

Notice that the boy wants the bird to eat the cherry out of his hand. Therefore, he is not going to toss it above his head nor throw it. Instead, he is just going to lift it above his head. The word "elevate" describes this kind of lifting. The "elevation" of a mountain is its height. The verb "to elevate" means "to lift upward."

The sentence doesn't tell us much about the hikers' states of mind. Thus, we don't know if the boulder might have annoyed or even frightened them. What we do know is that it seems that it was unable to stop them from proceeding onward in their journey. Therefore, the boulder did not hinder their progress. When something is a "hindrance," that thing is an obstacle, preventing the accomplishment of a task.

The general idea of this sentence is that the road didn't get better after the work was done. It seems to have remained just as bad—quickly returning to its former state with potholes causing problems. Therefore, the best option is the simple word "improve." The work didn't help to make the road better—that is, it didn't help to improve its condition.

For this question, it is critical that you have the appropriate vocabulary. To "lament" something is to cry and moan greatly about that thing. We are told that Sebastian wept and wailed for the passing of his cat. Therefore, we are sure that he was "lamenting" the death of the animal.

The key clue for this question is the word "teach." Paul wants his father to teach him how to repair the mower. This means that he would like to be "instructed" on how to repair it. "Instructions" explain the steps needed for doing something. The verb "to instruct" means to teach or explain.

The word "although" at the beginning of the sentence indicates that a change in tone will occur after the comma. The sentence tells us that artists may be successful while alive, but the value of their paintings may change in some way after their deaths. Since being "unique" is a positive factor, we can assume that the monetary worth of paintings "increases" when they are deemed unique.

Since John is an environmentalist, he would be most likely intersted in saving the Earth's rainforests. "Preserving," which means keeping in its original state, is the best answer choice.

Because the students did well on the test, we expect the teacher gave them something positive for their efforts. The best answer choice is "rewarded," which is the only positive answer choice.

"Adhere" is defined as to stick to, or follow the practices of. In the context of this sentence, not sticking to or following the practices of a recipe could result in the recipe not turning out as expected.

Although every word is grammatically correct, saying "meow" fits best with the youngster attempting to "mimic" (copy) the cat, as saying "meow" would not represent an attempt to "bathe," "pet," "nourish," or comb the cat.

When bread is put in the freezer, it is to "preserve" the bread, or keep it in its current condition, so that it can be used for a longer period of time. "Increase" would be an incorrect choice, since putting bread in the freezer doesn't increase the amount of bread that one has on hand.

Due to her dire situation, she is probably wishing she was home safe and sound; thus, she relished the thought.

Since the sentence tells us that Darryl "used colored pencils," we can assume that he was either writing or drawing, since none of the other answer choices involve pencils or other writing instruments. In picking between "illustrate," which means to depict a story with pictures, and "write," "illustrate" is the better answer because we know that Darryl was "in art class," so it more reasonable that he would be drawing, not writing, a scene from his favorite book. So, "illustrate" is the correct answer.

We know from the sentence that the animals appeared to change into one another, so we need to pick out a verb for the blank that means something like changing. While "vanishing" might look like a potentially correct answer because magician's tricks often have to do with making things "vanish," or disappear, that is not the case in this sentence, so "vanishing" cannot be the correct answer. Similarly, while "becoming" is similar in meaning to "changing," "becoming" cannot be used with "into" following it—you don't "become into" something. So, "becoming" cannot be the correct answer either. "Transform," however, means change the form of. Because "transform" best fits the context and grammatical structure of the sentence, it is the correct answer.

We know that Jake used glue to make the paper shapes not fall off of the hat, so we can infer that we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "stick." While "magnetic" shapes could stick to certain objects, construction paper is not magnetic, so "magnetic" cannot be the correct answer. "Adhere," however, is a verb that can mean "stick fast to a surface or substance." Because "adhere" is the answer choice which best fits the context of the sentence, it is the correct answer.

If an athlete is diligent or hard working in their training, they can improve their ability. Thus, the best answer choice is persists which indicates that athletes are determined in their training.

The best answer choice indicates that shopping was favorable to both girls; thus, appeal is the correct answer.

Since Jen won many medals over the years, it means that she has accumulated medals from her wins.