All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Policing is to precinct as banking is to __________.
Branch
Building
Office
Hotel
Headquarters
Branch
A “police” “precinct” is where the police are located and where they deal with members of the public. Similarly in “banking” the place where a bank locally deals with customers is called a branch. Your local bank is your “branch.” There you will find the offices of the local bank manager. The banks “headquarters” are where all of the branches refer to and are at the centre of the branches.
Example Question #1 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Alter is to altar as __________.
buy is to bought
ale is to mail
hole is to fill
paper is to stack
cannon is to canon
cannon is to canon
"Alter" and "altar" mean different things, but they sound the same, so they're homophones. Look for an answer that has two words that sound the same but have different meanings. Since "cannon" sounds like "canon" but means something completely different, "cannon is to canon" is the best choice. "Ale" and "mail" rhyme, but they don't sound exactly the same when spoken.
Example Question #2 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Typewriter is to type as mouse is to __________.
click
withdraw
chop
store
click
One uses a typewriter to type, so we need to pick out an answer choice that isa verb that describes what one uses a mouse to do. While “mouse” can mean “a small rodent,” it can also mean “a small handheld device used to move the cursor on a computer screen.” Given the potential answer choices, one can infer that “mouse” is being used to describe the device, not the animal. While “click” and “print” might each look like a potentially correct answer choice, one does not use a mouse to print things, so “print” cannot be the correct answer; however, one does use a mouse to click things, just as one uses a typewriter to type, so “click” is the correct answer.
Example Question #3 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Bill is to duck as __________.
hoof is to cow
easy is to difficult
swan is to office
tree is to apple
paper is to seal
hoof is to cow
What does "bill" mean? It can mean a suggestion for a law that has not yet been signed into law, one piece of paper money, a part of a hat, or the beak of certain types of birds. Pick the meaning that fits best with the other word, "duck," which is a bird's beak. Then choose the answer that best matches this relationship: part of something is to the whole thing. The best fit is "hoof is to cow," because "hoof" refers to a part of a cow. "Tree is to apple" might work, but it would have to be switched around: "apple is to tree."
Example Question #4 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Tutor is to tutor as __________.
teacher is to teach
flog is to fog
driver is to drive
phone is to phone
sun is to son
phone is to phone
The phrase in question relates to a homograph and plays on its different meanings. Recognize that the word "tutor" has two meanings; it can be used as a noun meaning a personal teacher, or as a verb meaning to act as a tutor for someone. "Teacher is to teach" is similar to "tutor is to tutor" because a "teacher" is similar to a "tutor," but "teacher" and "teach" are not a single word with multiple meanings like "tutor." "Driver is to drive" is similar in almost the same fashion, but is also incorrect. "Sun is to son" is tempting, but it is a homophone (two words that sound alike but are spelled differently and mean different things) rather than a homograph like "tutor." The correct answer is "phone" because it also has two meanings, one which is a noun (telephone or cellular communication device) and one that is a verb (to use a phone to call someone).
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