GRE Verbal : Parts of Speech in One-Blank Texts
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GRE Verbal
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Example Questions
Example Question #333 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts
Her typically __________ manner often made people unsure of her intent when she made a comment.
righteous
droll
sincere
earnest
boisterous
droll
The sentence describes the subject as making "people unsure of her intent." This means her "manner," described by the missing word, should be hard to understand or confusing in some way. "Droll," meaning dry and sarcastic, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #334 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Texts
The character only appeared on the show __________ and was never a series regular.
partially
interminably
intermittently
recurrently
unfailingly
intermittently
The sentence notes the character "was never a series regular," but was the missing word. The correct answer therefore needs to mean "not regular." "Intermittently," meaning sporadic or irregular, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #983 : One Blank Texts
The text message from her ex-boyfriend was quite __________: "We're done."
verbose
bombastic
timid
garrulous
terse
terse
A "terse" response is one that is brief, concise, or succinct.
Example Question #984 : One Blank Texts
Because of the ferocity of his attack, it was clear that the child's intentions were __________.
amiable
benevolent
malevolent
banausic
benignant
malevolent
"Malevolent" is an adjective that means having a vicious will or showing hatred. If the child's attack was ferocious, it is clear his intentions would be malevolent.
Example Question #985 : One Blank Texts
It was clear that the child's pain was __________, since he was up and running around within moments of the injury.
transient
invariable
enduring
perpetual
diurnal
transient
"Transient" is an adjective that means fleeting or brief. If the child was up and running around soon after an injury, the pain would have been transient.
Example Question #986 : One Blank Texts
Charlie earned consistent top marks, which made it clear to his professor that he one of her most __________ students.
lackadaisical
lethargic
malingering
assiduous
apathetic
assiduous
"Assiduous" is an adjective that means diligent, devoted, or hard-working.
Example Question #991 : One Blank Texts
Early screening tests are important because the sooner cancer is identified, the more __________ the situation.
incorrigible
frangible
futile
corrigible
vain
corrigible
"Corrigible" is an adjective that means capable of being set right or corrected.
Example Question #1031 : Text Completion
Class often ran late, and it was difficult to take any sort of comprehensible or orderly notes with such a __________ professor.
terse
laconic
discursive
pithy
defenestrated
discursive
"Discursive" is an adjective that means passing from one topic to another, or rambling.
Example Question #1031 : Text Completion
The man's more traditional views made his children see his beliefs as __________.
heterodox
liberal
progressive
iconoclastic
atavistic
atavistic
The subject's views are referred to as "more traditional," and the sentence indicates this colors how his children see him. The correct answer will need to indicate a problematic conservatism in his worldview. "Atavistic," meaning primitive or regressive, is the best choice among the answers.
Example Question #1032 : Text Completion
The colonial interests the nation had in the burgeoning island was seen by some as __________.
anachronistic
recidivistic
refulgent
officious
moot
anachronistic
The contrast between "colonial" and "contemporary" is the clue here—there are two periods of time being contrasted. So "anachronistic" is the best word; an anochronism is something taken from its time, or old-fashioned. Don't confuse "officious" with "official"—it actually means "annoyingly eager to help."
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