All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Cause To Effect Or Effect To Cause
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Smile is to happy as frown is to __________.
silence
sad
loud
laugh
joke
sad
A "smile” is an expression we make when we are "happy," just as a "frown" is an expression we make when we are "sad."
Example Question #2 : Cause To Effect Or Effect To Cause
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Anger is to yell as __________.
joy is to sob
frustration is to congratulate
happiness is to sleep
sorrow is to cry
tiredness is to sing
sorrow is to cry
If you are feel anger towards at someone or something, you might yell at him, her, or it. So, to solve this analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is an emotion that might cause you to do the second word, an action verb. If you feel sorrow, you might cry, so "sorrow is to cry" is the correct answer.
Example Question #3 : Cause To Effect Or Effect To Cause
Complete this analogy.
Exhausted is to sleep as famished is to __________.
relax
run
drink
eat
laugh
eat
“Exhausted” means very tired, so when you are “exhausted” you need to “sleep." To solve this analogy, you need to figure out what it is that you need to do when you are “famished.” “Famished” means very hungry, so when you are “famished” you need to “eat.”
Example Question #4 : Cause To Effect Or Effect To Cause
Complete this analogy.
Sad is to frown as happy is to __________.
ecstatic
face
pout
cry
smile
smile
When you are sad you frown, so to solve this analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that describes what expression you make when you are happy. When you are happy, you smile, so "smile" is the correct answer. To help you, "ecstatic" means very happy.
Example Question #5 : Cause To Effect Or Effect To Cause
Complete this analogy.
Crisis is to disaster as hope is to __________.
pessimism
optimism
defeatism
longing
despair
optimism
A “crisis” is an unstable or crucial time, a time in which an event reaches a critical phase, or a disaster. A “disaster” is an unstable event, so "disaster" is the correct answer. We could say a “crisis” can lead to a “disaster.” “Hope” is similar to “optimism” in that they are both positive ways of thinking; we could also say that “hope” can lead to “optimism.” “Pessimism” is the opposite of “optimism” and means a negative outlook. “Despair” is the opposite of "hope" as it means the state of being hopeless, or when used as a verb no longer have any hope. “Defeatism” is similar to “despair” as it is the mentality in which one is accepting of defeat. “Longing” is like "hope" in that it is a deep desire for something. To provide a little extra help, when two words have opposite meanings to one another, we call them “antonyms.”
Example Question #5 : Cause To Effect Or Effect To Cause
Complete this analogy.
Noise is to startle as __________.
lullaby is to soothe
pirate is to treasure
toothbrush is to toothpaste
boot is to shoe
please is to gift
lullaby is to soothe
A noise might startle someone, as “startle” means “to cause a feeling of sudden alarm.” So, we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is a noun and the second word is a verb that describes what that noun might do to someone. While “please is to gift” and “lullaby is to soothe” might each look like a potentially correct answer, a please does not gift someone, so “please is to gift” cannot be the correct answer. A lullaby might soothe someone, however, as “lullaby” means “a quiet, gentle song sung to send a child to sleep” and “soothe” means “gently to calm someone.” So, because a noise might startle someone just as a lullaby might soothe someone, “lullaby is to soothe” is the correct answer.
Example Question #81 : Part/Whole, Example/Category, And Cause/Effect
Complete this analogy.
Punch is to pain as embrace is to __________.
shame
frustration
comfort
exhaustion
bewilderment
comfort
When you “punch” someone, you are likely to cause “pain,” so to solve this analogy, you need to determine what would likely be caused by “embracing” someone. To “embrace” means to hug, so you could reasonably infer that an “embrace” would be likely generate “comfort” for someone. To provide further help, “shame” means embarrassment.
Example Question #5 : Cause To Effect Or Effect To Cause
Complete this analogy.
Yawn is to tired as __________.
smile is to happy
party is to cake
teeth are to mouth
soup is to spoon
wooden is to floor
smile is to happy
Someone who is tired may yawn, so we're looking for an answer where the first word describes an action someone might do if they currently feel the emotion the second word describes. If someone is happy, they might smile, just as if they are tired, they might yawn, so "smile is to happy" is the correct answer.
Example Question #83 : Part/Whole, Example/Category, And Cause/Effect
Complete this analogy.
Rain is to wet as cold is to __________.
dark
dry
frozen
comfortable
sleepy
frozen
When it rains, it causes things to become wet, so to solve this analogy, you have to figure out what the cold causes things to become. Well, the cold can cause liquids to freeze, so "frozen" is the correct answer, so this is the correct answer.
Example Question #84 : Part/Whole, Example/Category, And Cause/Effect
Complete this analogy.
Swimming is to wet as running is to __________.
race
young
runner
sprinting
tired
tired
If you go swimming you are likely to find yourself wet afterward, since swimming most often involves being in water. To solve this analogy, then, you have to determine which of these answer choices is an effect of going running; the correct answer is therefore "tired."
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All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
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