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

Since we are given a description of the character of some of Isabel’s husband’s actions—that they are adulterous—the best word is “lecherous,” which means “extremely lustful.” The other options are general or make judgments regarding Isabel’s own reaction that are not necessarily stated in the rest of the sentence.

"Bibulous" refers to a person who is fond of drinking. The context of the sentence provides clues that indicate that the individual in the sentence frequents bars or saloons and stays longer than a casual drinker.

"Tantamount" means equal in value or meaning, and the description of the way the linebacker hits the wide receiver in the sentence seems to indicate that the hit was uncalled for, or too harsh for the fact the receiver was out of bounds. This would indicate a comparison to a barbarous act, so “tantamount” fits to complete the sentence.

The sentence is structured to create a contrast between the “chaotic” state of the family’s move and the period before their new jobs start. The correct choice will be a word that means something similar to calm or tranquil, and so the correct choice is "halcyon."

The sentence calls for a word that describes the type of movements of a trapeze artist, specifically the ability to walk a tight rope or fly through the air. The word that most closely fits this description would be “nimble.”

A white or light color in one’s cheeks is a symptom of sickness or ill-health, and “pallid” most closely means a paleness, typically attributed to poor health or sickness. The correct answer choice is "pallid."

We know from the sentence that the dog is loud, drags its owner down the sidewalk, and doesn't obey its owner's commands. So, we need to pick out an adjective that mean something like "loud," "hard to control," "disobedient," or some combination of these meanings. We can rule out "mild" and "docile" as potentially correct answers because "mild" means "gentle and not easily provoked" and "docile" "ready to accept control or instruction; submissive," so these words are antonyms of the word we are looking for. "Obstreperous," however, is an adjective that means "noisy and difficult to control," and because it best fits the context of the sentence, "obstreperous" is the correct answer.

Because we know that Carly thought "\[the poem's\] treatment of its subject was far too simplistic" and "none of its other features caught her interest," we can infer that she thought the poem to be dull. So, we need to pick out a word that means something like "too simple" or "dull." We can rule out "exciting" as a potential answer because "exciting" is an antonym of the word that we're looking for. "Jejune," however, is an adjective that means "naive, simplistic, and superficial" or when used of ideas or writings, "dry and uninteresting." Because "jejune" is the answer choice that best fits the sentence's context, it is the correct answer.

We know that that the library's tome is "excessively serious and extremely dull," so we need to pick out an adjective to describe it that complements this description. "Gripping" cannot be the correct answer, because if the tome were gripping, or "firmly holding the attention or interest; exciting," it would not be "extremely dull." "Ponderous," however, is an adjective that can mean either "slow and clumsy because of great weight" or "dull, laborious, or excessively solemn." Because "ponderous" is the answer choice that best describes the library's tome and best fits the sentence's context, it is the correct answer.

The use of the phrase “stark contrast” tells you that there must have been a massive difference between mainstream society and the hippie movement; the correct answer must reflect this. While "distinct" might look like a good answer, "polarized," which means characterized by extreme differences of opinion, is the most fitting answer, since it conveys a more intense difference than does "distinct." (In addition, "polarized" conveys a sense of something (e.g. a country) being made up of two or more very different aspects, whereas "distinct" would suggest that the country is different from something else, but does not suggest anything about its component parts.) As for the other answer choices, "mundane" means boring; "steadfast" means resolute; and "arrogant" means smug.

The sentence tells you that the Hawaiian nationalist movement ended in complete capitulation (surrender) which means the struggle must have been unsuccessful/insignificant. Of the five possible answer choices futile best matches this definition. Futile means pointless or useless; jubilant means very happy; monotonous means boring.

The second clause in the sentence describes how people come from all over to witness the “excessive luxury” of Versailles. This should indicate to you that the first blank must describe the luxurious nature of the palace. The correct answer is therefore extravagant which means fancy or excessive. Whimsical means quirky or silly; reserved means contained; indoctrinated means to have been caused to believe something; laconic means brief.

The first clause reveals that the teacher faulted the essay for lacking focus; therefore the blank at the end of the sentence must mean unfocused or vague. This means the correct answer is ambiguous. Terse means brief; supercilious means arrogant or condescending; prosperous means wealthy.

The use of the conjunction “however” tells you that the second clause is different in meaning to the first clause. The second clause describes how some people can still hear dog whistles “loud and clear” so you know that the first blank must describe the inability to hear. The correct answer is therefore inaudible (which means impossible to hear).

From the context of the sentence, you know that King Asoka must have possessed some positive trait that caused people to come to him for help in settling disagreements. Of the five possible answer choices, only "equitable"(fair) describes a positive attribute when it comes to mediation. As for the other answer choices, "deplorable" means appalling or terrible; "condescending" means talking down to someone or being arrogant towards someone; "lackadaisical" means careless, apathetic, or lazy; and "impoverished" means very poor.

For whatever might be said about the regularity of Robin’s undertaking of grand projects, the sentence definitely conveys that she does so without much forethought. When someone acts “impetuously,” he or she acts quickly and without much planning or thought. The word comes from the Latin meaning “to attack” or also “to seek.” The “im-” prefix here intensifies the sense of “attacking” (to the point that one attacks a task without even planning). The general root “-pet-” found in this word is related to the same root found in “petition,” “impetus,” and “repeat.”

The two things to note in this sentence are (1) that the young man refuses to follow instructions from an elder and (2) that his general attitude is one of ignoring others in the direction of his life. The elder is here rejected as an authority in the young man’s life. Also, note that he refuses in a “steadfast” manner. When someone resolutely refuses to listen to authority, such a person is said to be “recalcitrant.” The word is derived from the Latin for “heel” in the sense of “digging in one’s heels” (in refusal). The heel bone is called the “calcaneus” from the same base word.

The important thing to note in this sentence is that, in his experiment at least, the physicist is unconcerned with the question of the soul’s immortality. The question could be said to be “outside” of his concerns or irrelevant for his considerations. When something is called “extraneous” it is being described as being thus unrelated. The word comes from the Latin for “external” or “foreign.”

The words “bumbled” and “incomprehensible” both indicate that Peter could not communicate in a clear way. One could likely say that he was “incoherent.” In contrast to this, his brother could be called “articulate,” meaning that he can express himself in a coherent manner. The word is derived from the Latin word for “joint.” An “article” is like the small joint that makes up a larger body of knowledge. When someone is “articulate,” that person is said to “cut the matter at its joints”—that is, he or she breaks the topic into its appropriate parts (or articles).