All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #3 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech
Complete this analogy.
Cardinal is to bird as __________.
poodle is to dog
tree is to wood
cat is to siamese
interesting is to engaging
ugly is to beautiful
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 #4 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech
Complete this analogy.
Object is to disagree as trick is to __________.
deceive
question
refuse
agree
surprise
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 #61 : Ssat Elementary Level Verbal
Complete this analogy.
Mean is to average as __________.
multiplication is to division
addition is to sum
canine is to dog
percentage is to decimal
sum is to difference
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 #4 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech
Complete this analogy.
Pound is to dog as __________.
sidewalk is to puppy
bank is to money
kilogram is to cat
animal is to wilderness
freedom is prisoner
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 #5 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech
Complete this analogy.
Score is to game as __________.
soccer is to goal
cheer is to happiness
grade is to class
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.
Example Question #11 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech
Complete this analogy.
Sail is to boat as drive is to __________.
Road
Car
River
Fly
Water
Car
"Sail" can be used as either a noun or a verb, so we need to figure out in which word form it is being used. As a noun, "sail" means a part of a boat which catches the wind and propels the boat through the water. However, "drive" is a verb, not a noun, so it cannot represent a part of any of the answer choices. So, "sail" must be being used as a verb that means to travel in a boat. When you sail, you travel by boat. So, to solve this analogy, you have to figure out what vehicle you use when you go driving. The answer is a “car.”
Example Question #11 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Hail is to rain as spring is to __________.
flowers
snow
fall
None of the other answer choices
thunder
fall
Hail and rain are both weather related, while spring and fall relate to our seasons.
Example Question #12 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Side is to front as __________.
sad is to happy
engine is to stern
deck is to chair
bold is to shy
top is to bottom
top is to bottom
"Front" and "side" are alternate sides of an object, just as "top" and "bottom" are.
Example Question #13 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Hoof is to mane as __________.
wings are to fly
dairy is to cows
ear is to hear
horse is to saddle
whiskers are to paws
whiskers are to paws
In this question, "hoof" and "mane" are both parts of a horse's body, so to solve the analogy, we need to pick out the answer choice which lists two nouns that are both part of a given animal's body. While "horse is to saddle" and "whiskers are to paws" may each look like potentially correct answers, saddles are put on horses so that people can more easily ride them; a saddle is not naturally part of a horse. "Whiskers" and "paws" are both parts of the bodies of various animals like cats and foxes just like hooves and manes are parts of horses' bodies, so "whiskers are to paws" is the correct answer.
Example Question #14 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Leaf is to flower as beak is to __________.
teeth
feathers
fish
horns
flying
feathers
A leaf and flower are both parts of a plant. A beak is a part of a bird, therefore the answer must be another part of a bird. "Feathers" is the only possible option.