All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Dictionary is to words as magazine is to __________.
books
colors
photography
bookmarks
articles
articles
A dictionary is a book that contains words, so you need to pick out an answer choice that describes what material a magazine consists of. Magazines are made up of articles, so "articles" is the correct answer.
Example Question #2 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Minute is to hour as __________.
millisecond is to acrosecond
year is to month
century is to millennium
week is to day
weekend is to weekday
century is to millennium
Both minutes and hours are units of time, with a minute being shorter than an hour. So, we need to look for an answer choice in which the first word depicts a shorter length of time than the second word. Thus, the best answer choice is "century is to millennium" because there are multiple centuries in one millennium!
Example Question #3 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
Complete this analogy.
Bicycle is to handlebars as car is to __________.
wheels
cup holder
brakes
steering wheel
radio
steering wheel
Since handlebars are the part of a bicycle which one uses to steer it, we need to pick out an answer choice that describes the part of a car used to steer it. While all the answer choices are nouns that represent parts of a car, "steering wheel" is the correct answer because one uses a car's steering wheel to steer it, just like one uses a bicycle's handlebars to steer it.
Example Question #4 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
Complete this analogy.
Month is to year as __________.
sage is to page
cow is to calf
second is to minute
noise is to silence
child is to adult
second is to minute
Months are smaller divisions of a year, so to solve the analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice in which the first answer is a smaller division of the second answer. Seconds are smaller divisions of a minute just as months are smaller divisions of a year, so "second is to minute" is the correct answer. Considering the other answer choices, a baby "cow" is called a "calf" and "cows" give birth to "calves," a "child" develops into an "adult," "sage" and "page" are words that rhyme, and "noise" and "silence" are opposites, so none of the other answer choices are related in the same way that "month" is related to "year."
Example Question #5 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
Complete this analogy.
Bicycle is to handlebars as car is to __________.
dashboard
radio
steering wheel
brakes
windows
steering wheel
When riding a bicycle, one uses the handlebars to steer, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes which part of a car one uses to steer when driving it. One uses the steering wheel of a car to steer it, just as one uses the handlebars of a bicycle to steer it, so “steering wheel” is the correct answer.
Example Question #6 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
Complete this analogy.
Snake is to scales as tree is to __________.
grass
fur
flower
bark
nest
bark
Snakes are covered by scales, so to solve this analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that describes what covers trees. Many trees are covered by bark, so "bark" is the correct answer.
Example Question #7 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
The following questions ask you to find relationships between words. For each question, select the answer choice that best completes the meaning of the sentence.
Bear is to claw as
water is to pool
big is to small
glass is to lens
high is to low
man is to nail
man is to nail
"Claws" grow from the digits of a "bear," just as "nails" grow from the fingers of a "man."
Example Question #8 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
Complete this analogy.
Guitar is to strings as piano is to ___________.
fingers
keys
music
sound
percussion
keys
A “guitar” is an instrument, and to play a guitar, you use its “strings." To solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is something you use to play music on a “piano.” The correct answer is therefore “keys,” since the little black and white rectangles you press on to play notes on a piano are called “keys.” To provide further help, “percussion” is another name for the group of instruments played with sticks or by shaking them in a band or orchestra.
Example Question #9 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Door knob is to door as __________.
water is to glass
pane is to window
key is to lock
chair is to table
rain is to rainbow
key is to lock
Door knobs help us to open doors, just like keys help us to open locks, so "key is to lock" is the correct answer.
Example Question #10 : Part To Whole Or Whole To Part
Complete this analogy.
Wave is to ocean as __________.
ground is to dirt
bird is to nest
branch is to tree
fly is to bird
kettle is to tea
branch is to tree
Since waves are part of oceans, we need to pick out an answer in which the first thing is part of the second thing. While "birds are to nests" might seem like a good answer, because birds are found in nests, birds are not a part of nests, so "birds are to nests" can't be the right answer. "Branch is to tree" is the correct answer because a branch is a part of a tree, like waves are a part of an ocean.