Specific Terminology and Homonyms - SSAT Elementary Level Verbal

A “goddess” is a female god; often in the English language when we take a male form of something and make it female we add the suffix -ess. The same rule can be applied to turn “actor” into “actress.” An “actress” is a female actor. An "actoress" is not a word.

A "host" is a male person who throws a party, and a "hostess" is a female person who throws a party. A "duke" is a title for a male person who may or may not rule a small area of land. So, to solve this analogy, we need to figure out which word has the same meaning as "duke" but is used to describe the same sort of title for a female person. The correct answer is thus "duchess."

A "nephew" is the name given to the son of one's brother or sister. Only "boys" are called "nephews." To solve this analogy you need to determine what name is given to the daughter of one's brother or sister. The correct answer is "niece."

A “goddess” is a female god; often in the English language when we take a male form of something and make it female we add the suffix -ess. The same rule can be applied to turn “actor” into “actress.” An “actress” is a female actor. An "actoress" is not a word.

A "host" is a male person who throws a party, and a "hostess" is a female person who throws a party. A "duke" is a title for a male person who may or may not rule a small area of land. So, to solve this analogy, we need to figure out which word has the same meaning as "duke" but is used to describe the same sort of title for a female person. The correct answer is thus "duchess."

A "nephew" is the name given to the son of one's brother or sister. Only "boys" are called "nephews." To solve this analogy you need to determine what name is given to the daughter of one's brother or sister. The correct answer is "niece."

Baby cows are called calves, so to solve the analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that describes what one calls a baby lion. Baby lions are called "cubs," so "cub" is the correct answer.

“Mammal” and "reptile" are both classes of animals.” “Lions” belong to the class “mammals” because they have hair, are warm-blooded, and give birth to live young. “Alligaotrs” belong to the class “reptiles” beacuse they have scaly skin, are cold blooded, and lay eggs.

Since cats make sound by meowing, we need to pick a word that describes the sounds dogs make. Since dogs make sound by barking, "bark" is the correct answer.

Since a "foal" is a young horse, we need to find another pair of words where the first word is the name for the young version of the animal that the second word represents. While "dog is to puppy" might seem like a good answer, the words are not in the same order as they are in "foal is to horse"; "foal is to horse" begins with the younger animal, whereas "dog is to puppy" ends with the younger animal, so it can't be the correct answer. "Kitten is to cat," however, has its words in the correct order, with the word for the younger animal coming first, and since a "kitten" is a young cat, "kitten is to cat" is the correct answer.

Since birds fly, we need to pick out an answer choice that describes what fish do. Of the listed answer choices, two are verbs - "crawl" and "swim." Since fish swim, "swim" is the correct answer choice.

Since birds live in nests, we need to pick out a word that describes what kind of animal lives in a den. Since "den" means "the lair of a wild usually predatory animal," "bear" is the correct answer, since "bear" is the only answer that is a predatory wild animal of the possible answer choices, and bears specifically hibernate in dens.

Since a caterpillar eventually becomes a butterfly, we need to pick out another pair of words in which the first word describes an animal that eventually metamorphoses into a form that the second word describes. While "flower is to leaf" might look like an answer, flowers don't become leaves—both are parts of a plant. Similarly, "insect is to dragonfly" is not correct either since an insect does not become a dragonfly—a dragonfly is a kind of insect. "Tadpole is to frog" is the correct answer because just like a caterpillar metamorphoses into a butterfly, a tadpole metamorphoses into a frog.

"Troop" is a noun that can mean "a group of soldiers, especially a cavalry unit commanded by a captain, or an airborne unit," so a troop is made up of soldiers, and we need to pick out an answer choice that describes what kind of thing a flock is made up of. While "bird," "horse," and "firefly" may each look like a potentially correct answer because each one is a living thing, "bird" is the correct answer because just like a troop consists of a number of soldiers, a flock consists of a number of birds.

Fish are covered in scales, so we need to pick out an answer choice that is a noun describing what porcupines are covered in. While "quills," "ooze," and "feathers" may each look like a potentially correct answer, porcupines are covered in quills, so "quills" is the correct answer.

A cow produces milk, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes what sort of product a sheep produces. While “wool” and “beef” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “beef” specifically describes the meat of a cow, not a sheep, so “beef” cannot be the correct answer. “Wool,” however, is a noun that means “ the fine soft hair forming the coat of a sheep, goat, or similar animal.” So, because sheep can produce wool just as cows can produce milk, “wool” is the correct answer.

Beavers build dams, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes something that spiders build. “Web,” “fly,” and “spin” might each look like a potentially correct answer; however, while spiders spin webs, spiders don’t build “spins,” so “spin” cannot be the correct answer. Similarly, while spiders use webs to catch flies, spiders don’t make flies, so “fly” cannot be the correct answer. Spiders do spin webs, however, just as beavers make dams, so “web” is the correct answer.

Snakes move by slithering, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is a noun conveying an animal and the second word a verb describing how that animal moves. While “bat is to fly” and “bee is to hive” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “hive” is not a verb that describes how bees move, but a noun describing where bees live. So, “bee is to hive” cannot be the correct answer. Bats, however, move around by flying, just as snakes move around by slithering, so “bat is to fly” is the correct answer.

Alligators live in swamps, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is a location, and the second word an animal that would be likely to live in that location. All of the potential answer choices fit this format, but sharks do not live in deserts, pigs don’t live in oceans, dolphins don’t live in the mountains, and gorillas don’t live on prairies, so none of those answers can be correct. Black bears do live in forests, however, just as alligators live in swamps, so “forest is to black bear” is the correct answer.

"Puppy and dog" discuss the juvenile and grown stages of a living thing, with the younger discription first and the older one second. The only choice that matches this is "child is to adult."