SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Distinguishing Part of Speech

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Elementary Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Happiness is to cheer as might is to __________.

Possible Answers:

strength

uncertain

want

certain 

weakness

Correct answer:

strength

Explanation:

"Happiness" and "cheer" are synonyms, which means that they mean the same thing. So, to solve the analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice which means the same thing as "might. While "might" can be used to express that someone may or may not do something in sentences like "She might go to the movies tonight," it can also mean strength when used as a noun. So, "strength" is the correct answer.

Example Question #2 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Dangerous is to harmful as crucial is to __________.

Possible Answers:

punch

key

official

damaging

sad

Correct answer:

key

Explanation:

"Dangerous" and "harmful" are synonyms because they both mean the same thing. So, to solve this analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that means the same thing as "crucial." "Crucial" means very important. When none of the answer choices may initially look correct, you should see if you can consider any secondary meanings the answer choices might have. While "key" can mean a device used to open a lock when used as a noun, it can also mean most important when used as an adjective. So, "key" is the correct answer because it is closest in meaning to "crucial."

Example Question #3 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Finish is to coating as draw is to __________.

Possible Answers:

slide 

tie

painting 

gun 

close

Correct answer:

tie

Explanation:

"Finish” can mean the final coating on a surface or the appearance produced by such a coating. So, a “finish” is a “coating.” “Finish” is more commonly used to mean end or complete, but for this analogy, you need to know one of the secondary meanings of the word. “Draw,” like “finish,” can mean a lot of different things. Commonly “draw” means leave (a contest) undecided; a "draw" can also be called a “tie.” If you chose "gun," "painting," or "close," you were probably thinking of the different meanings of “draw,” but they do not fit the analogy perfectly.

Example Question #1 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech

Complete this analogy.

Ruby is to red as __________.

Possible Answers:

fur is to soft

dream is to asleep

fence is to wooden

grass is to green

sun is to blue

Correct answer:

grass is to green

Explanation:

“Ruby” is a noun that can mean a red gem or a deep red color, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first noun is an object that is the color that the second word, an adjective, describes, or an answer choice in which the two words are synonyms. None of the answer choices consist of a pair of synonyms, so we will need to look for an answer choice that consists of an object and the color of that object. While “grass is to green” and “sun is to blue” may each look like a potentially correct answer, the sun is not blue, so “sun is to blue” cannot be the correct answer. However, grass is often green just like rubies are red, so “grass is to green” is the correct answer.

Example Question #3 : Determining Meaning Or Part Of Speech From Context

Complete this analogy.

Wind is to clock as __________.

Possible Answers:

sewer is to trash

spin is to top

desk is to paper

student is to teacher

old is to young

Correct answer:

spin is to top

Explanation:

"Wind" has a few meanings, including the movement of air and tighten a spring. Only the last meaning has something to do with a "clock" - some clocks are wound so they keep running. So look for an answer that has the relationship of something done to something it's done to. The best match is "spin is to top", as tops, the toys, can be spun.

Example Question #11 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cardinal is to bird as __________.

Possible Answers:

tree is to wood

interesting is to engaging

poodle is to dog

ugly is to beautiful

cat is to siamese

Correct answer:

poodle is to dog

Explanation:

One definition of "cardinal" is a type of bird of which the male birds are bright red. Since a cardinal is a bird, look for an answer that consists of a word and a category into that word fits. The best match is "poodle is to dog," as a poodle is a type of dog. "Cat is to tiger" would work if it was in the other order - "tiger is to cat."

Example Question #2 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech

Complete this analogy.

Object is to disagree as trick is to __________.

Possible Answers:

surprise

deceive

question

agree

refuse

Correct answer:

deceive

Explanation:

The word "object" has two different meanings: it can mean thing or item when used as a noun, or it can mean be against or disagree with when used as a verb. "Object" and "disagree" are synonyms because they mean the same thing, so to solve this analogy, you need to pick out the answer choice that is a synonym of "trick." "Trick" can be used as a noun ("a trick") or as a verb ("to trick"), but because all of the answer choices are verbs, we will need to pick out a verb that means the same thing as "to trick." While someone may be surprised to learn that they have been tricked, "trick" does not mean the same thing as "surprise," so "surprise" cannot be the correct answer. To "trick" someone means to mislead or deceive that person, so "deceive" is the correct answer!

Example Question #13 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Mean is to average as __________.

Possible Answers:

sum is to difference

percentage is to decimal 

addition is to sum

multiplication is to division 

canine is to dog

Correct answer:

canine is to dog

Explanation:

"Mean" is another word for "average." Both words mean the same thing. Therefore, the correct answer will be an answer choice in which the two words also mean the same thing. "Canine" means the same thing as "dog." Therefore, that is the correct answer.

Example Question #14 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Pound is to dog as __________.

Possible Answers:

animal is to wilderness

bank is to money

kilogram is to cat

freedom is prisoner

sidewalk is to puppy

Correct answer:

bank is to money

Explanation:

While the word "pound" has multiple meanings; here, it refers to an animal shelter. Thus, the relationship between the words in this example is such that a pound is a place where one can find a dog. The correct answer choice parallels this relationship: "bank is to money." A bank is a place where one can find money. 

A tempting wrong answer is "animal is to wilderness." This is incorrect because an animal is not a place where one can find "wilderness."

Example Question #3 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech

Complete this analogy.

Score is to game as __________.

Possible Answers:

grade is to class

cheer is to happiness

soccer is to goal

tray is to carry

popcorn is to snack

Correct answer:

grade is to class

Explanation:

This analogy relates a word used to evaluate performance in an activity to a word referring to the specific activity. Someone's "score" is used to evaluate his or her performance in a "game," just as someone's "grade" is used to evaluate his or her performance in a "class." Therefore "grade is to class" is the correct answer. "Soccer is to goal" may look like a potentially correct answer, because the way you score in soccer is by scoring goals, but the word used to evaluate performance in an activity ("goal") is listed second, not first, so this cannot be the correct answer.

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