SAT Prep Help Sentence Completion Sample Questions Answer Explanations

1. The correct answer is (B), as the sentence should read "The peasants refused to capitulate to the king's forces as they prepared to entrench themselves on the surrounding hillside for the long battle ahead." All of the other choices are incorrect because at least one word in each choice does not make sense when placed into the sentence. (A) is incorrect because the term frolic means "to play," which does not make sense in the context of the sentence. (C) is incorrect because the term cant means "to whine" and the term castigate means "to reprimand," so neither of these words makes sense in this particular sentence. (D) is incorrect because the term censor means "to edit or excise" and so does not fit in this particular sentence, and (E) is incorrect because the term defray means "to pay" and the term divulge means "to reveal," so these words do not make sense in this sentence.

2. The correct answer is (D), as the sentence should read: "The king was forced to abdicate his throne in order to prevent a bloody civil war." All of the other choices are incorrect because they do not make sense in this sentence. (A) is incorrect because the term pilfer means "to steal," which doesn't make sense because the king probably didn't steal his own throne. (B) is incorrect because the term rend means "to tear or rip," which doesn't make sense because the king probably didn't tear his own throne apart. (C) is incorrect because the term abrade means "to scrape," and the king probably didn't scrape his throne in order to prevent a war. Finally, (E) is incorrect because the term defenestrate means to throw out a window, and it is safe to probably assume that throwing a throne out a window has nothing to do with preventing a civil war.

3. The correct answer is (A), as the sentence should read "The king absconded from the kingdom aboard a privateer." All of the other choices are incorrect because they do not make sense in this particular sentence. (B) is incorrect because the term propel means "to push" and the term cur refers to "a worthless dog or a cowardly person," and the king probably didn't push from the kingdom and then climb aboard a dog or a coward. (C) is incorrect because the term conscript refers to "an enlisted soldier" and the king probably didn't scamper away on the back of a soldier. (D) is incorrect because the term converge means "to meet or move towards," rather than move away from, so it does not fit the sentence. Finally, (E) is incorrect because the term mongrel refers to "a dog that is of a mixed breed," and it is probably safe to assume that the king did not make his way from the kingdom on a dog.

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