GRE® Verbal Practice | Text Completion Q13

This GRE text completion practice question focuses on words that describe bad state and inefficiency. Another question where knowing the nuances or subtleties in the meaning could make a big difference to getting the answer right. Can the two words dilapidated and deplorable be interchangeably used? If not, when to use which word. Knowing not just the meanings to these GRE words is important, but also knowing which word to use in what context is crucial to getting GRE text completion and sentence equivalence questions right.

This question is a two blank GRE text completion practice question. Try the question without looking at the answer explanation. If you face difficulty in arriving at the correct answer, take help from the detailed explanation provided below

Question 13: When Richard saw the ________ conditions of the rooms and the ________ of the staff, he decided not to stay in the hotel.

S No.	Blank 1	S No.	Blank 2
A	dilapidated	D	reticence
B	deplorable	E	efficiency
C	indigent	F	ineptitude

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Explanatory Answer

S No.	Word	Meaning
1	dilapidated	broken down, and in a state of decay
2	deplorable	deserving contempt
3	indigent	poor
4	reticence	being uncommunicative
5	efficiency	producing desired effects
6	ineptitude	lack of efficiency, Incompetence

The clue to the meaning of the sentence lies in understanding why Richard decided not to stay in the hotel. The decision was made because he did not like the hotel. This is because the rooms were bad and the staff were not helpful, or courteous or efficient.

From among the answer options, only B and F fit the bill. The rooms were in really bad (deplorable) conditions, and the staff were “inept” (root for ineptitude).

Dilapidated is a close answer, but it is not correct because the blank describes the condition of the room, and not the room itself. The room may be dilapidated, but the condition cannot be said to be dilapidated.

Choice B & F are the correct answers.