All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #541 : Analogies
Cloud is to sky as fish is to . . .
goldfish
air
sea
land
scales
sea
You find clouds in the sky, so we're looking for a noun that describes a place where you might find fish. Of the three answer choices describing environments ("sea," "land," and "air") "sea" is the best answer, as it's where one is most likely to find fish.
Example Question #41 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Drive is to highway as park is to __________.
vehicle
parking
driveway
car
transportation
driveway
You drive on a highway, so to solve this analogy, you have to figure out where you park. The correct answer is that you park in a “driveway.”
Example Question #42 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Basketball is to court as soccer is to _________.
stadium
field
helmet
track
grass
field
Just as basketball is played on a court, soccer is played on a field, so "field" is the correct answer.
Example Question #43 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Complete this analogy.
Surf is to water as __________.
fuzzy is to soft
jewel is to shiny
zoo is to animals
ski is to snow
swim is to lava
ski is to snow
“Surf,” when used as verb, means “ride on the crest of a wave, typically while riding on a surfboard.” So, one surfs on the surface of water, and we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is an activity, and the second word is the environment in or surface on which that activity typically takes place. While “ski is to snow” and “swim is to lava” might each look like a potentially correct answer, one does not usually swim in lava, and would not be advised to, so “swim is to lava” cannot be the correct answer. However, one can ski on snow, just as one can surf on water, so “ski is to snow” is the correct answer.
Example Question #1 : Location Or Situation
Complete this analogy.
Teacher is to school as __________.
athlete is to business
music is to performance
principal is to detention
homework is to student
chef is to restaurant
chef is to restaurant
The first relationship demonstrates that teachers work in schools, so we need to find an answer in which the first word works at the second word. Thus, the best answer choice is "chef is to restaurant," since chefs typically work at restaurants!
Example Question #1 : Location Or Situation
Complete this analogy.
Principal is to school as __________.
student is to teacher
office is to worker
professor is to preschool
mayor is to town
nurse is to hospital
mayor is to town
A principal is typically the leader of his or her school, so we are looking for an answer choice in which the first answer is the leader of the second answer. The best answer is "mayor is to town" because mayors are the authority figures and leaders of towns across the country!
Example Question #44 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Complete this analogy.
Chef is to restaurant as doctor is to __________.
medicine
hospital
cook
nurse
food
hospital
A chef works in a restaurant, so to solve this analogy, you need to pick out the answer choice that describes the place where a doctor works. A doctor works in a hospital, so "hospital" is the correct answer.
Example Question #1 : Location Or Situation
Complete this analogy.
Sun is to Mars as Earth is to __________.
Mercury
planet
moon
star
comet
moon
“Mars” is a planet in our solar system, so “Mars” orbits the “Sun.” This means that “Mars” goes around the “Sun.” So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices orbits “Earth.” The correct answer is that the “Moon” orbits, or goes around, the “Earth.”
Example Question #2 : Location Or Situation
Complete this analogy.
Peak is to bottom as __________.
grade is to homework
large is to small
top is to base
flat is to bumpy
tame is to domesticated
top is to base
"Peak is to bottom" compares two words that describe opposite ends of an object, its the highest and lowest points, so the two words have opposite meanings and are antonyms. "Large is to small" describes the relative size of two objects, not relative positions on them or sides of them. "Grade is to homework," and "tame is to domesticated" do not describe the highest and lowest point of an object or consist of pairs of antonyms. Both "top is to base" and ""flat is to bumpy" consist of pairs of antonyms, but only "top is to base" describes the highest and lowest points of an object, so it is the better answer choice and the correct answer.
Example Question #3 : Location Or Situation
Complete this analogy.
Nursery is to baby as classroom is to __________.
adult
student
learning
angel
school
student
A nursery is somewhere where babies are looked after and learn. So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine who goes to a "classroom" to learn; the correct answer is therefore "student."
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All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
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