All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Happiness is to cheer as might is to __________.
strength
uncertain
want
certain
weakness
strength
"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 __________.
punch
key
official
damaging
sad
key
"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 __________.
slide
tie
painting
gun
close
tie
"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 __________.
fur is to soft
dream is to asleep
fence is to wooden
grass is to green
sun is to blue
grass is to green
“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 __________.
sewer is to trash
spin is to top
desk is to paper
student is to teacher
old is to young
spin is to top
"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 __________.
tree is to wood
interesting is to engaging
poodle is to dog
ugly is to beautiful
cat is to siamese
poodle is to dog
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 __________.
surprise
deceive
question
agree
refuse
deceive
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 __________.
sum is to difference
percentage is to decimal
addition is to sum
multiplication is to division
canine is to dog
canine is to dog
"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 __________.
animal is to wilderness
bank is to money
kilogram is to cat
freedom is prisoner
sidewalk is to puppy
bank is to money
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 __________.
grade is to class
cheer is to happiness
soccer is to goal
tray is to carry
popcorn is to snack
grade is to class
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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