ISEE Lower Level sentence completion: practice questions
Sentence completion questions make up roughly half of the ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning section: a sentence with one blank, four answer choices. Unlike synonyms, the sentence hands your child clues — the skill is reading them before peeking at the choices. One format note parents should know: the answer choices are usually single words, but on the real test some items use short phrases that complete the sentence — a format many prep books skip entirely. The set below includes both.
Practice questions
Directions (as on the test): select the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
Sample question
1. The teacher asked for a ______ summary — one that covered only the most important points in a few sentences.
AlengthyBcolorfulCconciseDcomplicated
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (C) — A definition cue: everything after the dash defines the blank (“only the most important points in a few sentences” = brief and to the point — concise). (A) lengthy is the opposite of the definition given, and (B) and (D) describe qualities the sentence never mentions.
Sample question
2. Although the seedlings looked ______ after the storm, most of them straightened and recovered within a week.
AfragileBhealthyCidenticalDcolorful
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (A) — The contrast signal Although says the blank must push against “straightened and recovered” — predict “damaged” or “weak,” then match: fragile. (B) healthy agrees with the recovery instead of contrasting with it, so Although would make no sense.
Sample question
3. Because the old telescope had belonged to his own father, Grandpa was ______ to let anyone else carry it.
AeagerBreluctantCdelightedDable
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (B) — A cause signal: Because tells you the first half explains the blank. A treasured heirloom explains hesitation, so predict “unwilling” — reluctant. (A) and (C) point the opposite way, and (D) able confuses willingness with ability; the sentimental reason has nothing to do with whether he can hand it over.
Sample question
4. Even though her team was trailing by ten points, the captain remained ______, reminding her teammates that half the game was still left.
AdiscouragedBexhaustedCsilentDoptimistic
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (D) — Two clues agree: the contrast signal Even though pushes against “trailing,” and the final clause shows her encouraging the team. (A) discouraged matches the score but fails the substitution test — a discouraged captain wouldn’t be reminding anyone that time remains — and (C) silent contradicts the reminding outright.
Sample question
5. The volunteers spent the whole morning picking up trash in the park, so by noon ------.
Athe playground had never looked worseBthe paths and lawns were finally free of litterCthey decided to leave the bags where they layDthe park was closed for the season
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (B) — This is the phrase-completion format: the choices are short phrases that finish the sentence. The cause signal so demands a result of a morning of cleanup — a cleaner park. (A) and (C) contradict the work just described, and (D) is a result of nothing in the sentence.
The routine that works
- Cover the choices and predict first. Have your child read the sentence with a hand over the answers and say their own word for the blank. Predicting first keeps tempting wrong choices from steering the reading.
- Hunt for signal words. Contrast signals (“although,” “but,” “however”) flip the sentence’s direction; cause signals (“because,” “so”) connect a reason to a result; and definition cues define the blank right in the sentence, as in question 1. Naming the clue out loud turns review into strategy.
- Match the prediction, then substitute to verify. Pick the choice closest to the prediction and read the full sentence with it in place. A wrong choice usually produces a sentence that quietly contradicts itself — the substitution test catches it.
- Never leave a blank. The ISEE has no wrong-answer penalty — eliminate the choices that fight the signal word, then commit.
Sentence completion is one half of a 34-question, 20-minute section — see the Verbal Reasoning overview for how it fits alongside synonyms and how to pace the two.
Frequently asked questions
How many sentence completion questions are on the ISEE Lower Level?
The Verbal Reasoning section has 34 questions in 20 minutes, split roughly evenly between synonyms and sentence completion — so expect about 17 sentence completion questions.
What is the phrase-completion format?
On some items, the answer choices are short phrases that complete the sentence rather than single words. This format appears on the real ISEE Lower Level, and many prep books only practice the single-word version — make sure your child sees both before test day.
What is the best strategy for sentence completion?
Cover the choices and predict the blank from context clues first, watching for signal words — contrast words like "although" and "but," cause words like "because" and "so," and definition cues. Then match the prediction to a choice and substitute it back into the sentence to verify.
More ISEE guides
The ISEE Lower Level, explained for parentsISEE vs. SSAT: which test should your child take?How long does it take to prepare for the ISEE Lower Level?ISEE Lower Level Verbal Reasoning: what to expectISEE Lower Level Quantitative Reasoning: what to expectISEE Lower Level Reading Comprehension: passage types and question typesISEE Lower Level Mathematics Achievement: the topics listISEE Lower Level synonyms: practice questionsISEE Lower Level fractions: practice questionsISEE Lower Level scores: scaled scores, percentiles, and staninesISEE Lower Level test day: what to expectWhich ISEE level does my child take? (Primary, Lower, Middle, Upper)