Part and Whole - SSAT Middle Level Verbal

This analogy shows a part to whole relationship.

A singer is part of a larger unit (the choir).

The correct answer is "player is to team." A player is part of a team (the team being the whole).

Since a pillowcase covers the outside of a pillow, we need to pick out a word which represents what covers the outside of an orange. Since we are considering "orange" as a tangible object—the fruit, not the color—we can ignore "blue," and since "citrus" is an adjective, we need not consider it either. Between "rind," "leaf," and "tree," "rind" is the best answer, since it can mean a fruit's tough exterior skin.

Since a sail is the part of a sailboat that propels it forward, we need to pick out an answer choice that describes what part of a carriage propels it forward. While "horse," "door," and "axle" are each components of a carriage, it is a horse that propels a carriage forward by pulling it, so "horse" is the correct answer.

Words are the constituent parts of sentences, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is the constituent part of the second. While "paragraph is to sentence" and "book is to page" might each look potentially correct, sentences make up paragraphs and pages make up books, not the other way around as the answer choices are listed, so neither of those answers can be correct. Letters make up words just as words make up sentences, however, so "letter is to word" is the correct answer.

A shoelace is part of a tennis shoe, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the second word is a part of the first word. Of the potential answer choices, "beak is to bird" and "blubber is to walrus" might each look like potentially correct answers, but because each of those answers's words are in the wrong order, neither can be the correct answer—birds are not part of beaks, but the other way around, and neither are walruses part of blubber. "Computer is to keyboard," however, is the correct answer, because just as shoelaces are part of tennis shoes, keyboards are part of computers.

“Core” can be used as a noun that means the tough part of a fruit found at its center, and apples have cores at their centers which people do not typically eat. So, we need to pick out an answer choice that describes a part of a peach which people do not eat, particularly one found in the center of a peach. While “pit” and “rind” may each look like a potentially correct answer, “rind” is a noun that means a fruit's tough exterior skin, but because peaches don’t have rinds, “rind” cannot be the correct answer. “Pit,” however, when used as a noun, can mean a fruit's stone, and because peaches contain pits just as apples contain cores, “pit” is the correct answer.

“Link” is a word that when used as a noun, can mean a ring that helps to make up a chain, so a link is the individual unit that makes up a chain, and we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is the individual unit that makes up the second word. “Hilt is to sword” and “handle is to bag” may each look like a potentially correct answer, but because swords are made of more than hilts and bags more than handles, neither answer can be the correct one. “Metal is to armor” and “stitch is to fabric” may both look like appealing answer choices because metal makes up armor and stitches make up fabric, but because “stitch” is a repeated unit that makes up fabric whereas “metal” just describes the substance that armor is often made of (and is not a repeating unit), “stitch is to fabric” is the correct answer.

A chapter is a subdivision of a book, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is a subdivision of the second. While “week is to month” and “day is to hour” might each look like a potentially correct answer, a day is not a subdivision of an hour, so “day is to hour” cannot be the correct answer. A week is a subdivision of a month, however, just as a chapter is a subdivision of a book, so “week is to month” is the correct answer.

“Symptom” is a noun that means an effect characteristic of a disease, so a doctor might consider a patient’s symptoms in order to figure out what disease the patient has. We need to pick out an answer choice that describes what a clue might help a person figure out. While “mystery” and “hint” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “hint” is a synonym of “clue,” not something a clue might help one figure out, so “hint” cannot be the correct answer. A clue might help someone figure out a mystery, however, just as a symptom might help a doctor figure out what disease a patient has, so “mystery” is the correct answer.

“Splinter” is a word that when used as a noun means a tiny, sharp piece of wood or glass. So, a splinter is a small piece of wood, and we need to pick out an answer choice that conveys the material that a shard can be made of. While “glass,” “wool,” and “leather” may each look like a potentially correct answer choice, because each refers to a tangible material, “shard” is defined as a small piece of broken glass or ceramic with sharp edges , and because “glass” is the only material mentioned in the definition of “shard,” “glass” is the correct answer.

A "thesis" is part of an "essay," so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices includes an "engine" as one of its parts. The correct answer is a "car."

An "army" is a group of soldiers lead by a general, so to solve the analogy, we need to pick out an answer choice that describes the person who leads a "team." A "captain" leads a "team," so "captain" is the correct answer.

A bishop is a ranking member of the church, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices is an organization that includes barons amongst its members. The correct answer is “aristocracy,” which is the name given to an entrenched upper class system, like the royalty or nobility in England. For clarification, "oligarchy" is the name of the government ruled by a few, and "tenure" is the status of guaranteed employment achieved by faculty members, usually after a number of years.

The relationship in "puzzle is to piece" is whole to part. The best choice is "cushion," as a cushion is a part of a couch. Both "brown" and "comfy" are possible characteristics of couches. The choice "seat" would make the relationship categorical because a couch is a type of seat. The choice "drawer" is unrelated to the word "couch."

The relationship in "sleeve is to shirt" is part to whole. The best choice is "branch is to tree" because a branch is a part of a tree. The choice "car is to wheel" demonstrates the same relationship, but the words are in the reverse order of whole to part rather than in the order of part to whole as the question is worded. As such, it is an inappropriate answer. Remember, the order of the words in the answer must appear in the same way as the question. Considering the other choices, "human is to mammal" has a categorical relationship in which humans are a type of mammal. "Spark is to fire" holds a cause and effect relationship and "ugly is to hideous" represents an increase in degree.

An engine is a part of an airplane. Likewise, a window is a part of a wall, making the choice "wall" the best answer. The choice "glass" would make the relationship whole to part or characteristic of,as you can think of glass as being a part of a window or describing one type of window. A "window" is an opening in a wall and does not necessarily need to have glass in it, though it usually does. Another word for "drapes" is "curtains," both of which cover a window. "Clear" is another characteristic of a glass window. "Wood" is unrelated unless you consider that a frame for a window may be made out of wood. In that case the relationship would be whole to part.

The relationship of these words is a part to a whole. More accurately, it is an outermost part and what it connects to in the human body or a tree. A "finger" connects to a "hand," and a "leaf" connects to a "twig."

A group of wolves is called a pack. Similarly, a group of geese is called a gaggle.

None of the other analogies have this specific relationship.

Groups of children are not called a school, although groups of children do go to school.

Wolf and dog are related, but the analogy does not fit the relationship of single animal to group of that animal.

Groups of pigs do live on farms, but the order of the words is incorrect: a group of farms is not called a pig.

A group of reptiles is not called a herd; a herd typically refers to a group of hoofed animals.

A pyramid is a three-dimensional version of the triangle. Similarly, a sphere is the three-dimensional version of the circle.

None of the other analogies have this relationship.

Globes are spherical, but refer specifically to spheres upon which three-dimensional maps of the Earth are depicted.

An oval is simply an elongated circle, also known as an ellipse.

Round is the quality of being non-linear, for either three-dimensional or two dimensional.

Cube is the three-dimensional version of the square.

"Infantry" is a term that can be used to describe a group of "soldiers." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these an "armada" is made up of. The correct answer is that an "armada" is a fleet, a group of "warships." Additionally, "pedestrians" are people walking, as opposed to people in cars.