SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Analogies

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Elementary Level Verbal

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #311 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Beaver is to dam as spider is to __________.

Possible Answers:

jungle

fly

arachnid

web

spin

Correct answer:

web

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #1 : Specific Terminology And Homonyms

Complete this analogy.

Foal is to horse as __________.

Possible Answers:

wings are to bee

mouse is to cheese

ant is to anthill

kitten is to cat

dog is to puppy

Correct answer:

kitten is to cat

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #311 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Lions are to pride as __________.

Possible Answers:

rats are to organization

birds are to flock

bears are to forest

fish are to pack

dogs are to pound

Correct answer:

birds are to flock

Explanation:

Since a group of lions is called a "pride," we are looking for an answer choice in which the first blank is an animal, and the second blank describes the species-specific name for a group of those animals. Thus, the best answer choice is "birds are to flock," because a group of birds is referred to as a "flock."

Example Question #312 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Caterpillar is to butterfly as __________.

Possible Answers:

day is to night

tadpole is to frog

flower is to leaf

nocturnal is to bat

insect is to dragonfly

Correct answer:

tadpole is to frog

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #313 : Analogies

Troop is to soldier as flock is to . . .

Possible Answers:

leaf

firefly

bird

plant

horse

Correct answer:

bird

Explanation:

"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.

Example Question #314 : Analogies

Fish is to scales as porcupine is to . . .

Possible Answers:

quills

warmth

feathers

ooze

speedy

Correct answer:

quills

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #11 : Specific Terminology And Homonyms

Swamp is to alligator as __________.

Possible Answers:

prairie is to gorilla

ocean is to pig

desert is to shark

forest is to black bear

mountain is to dolphin

Correct answer:

forest is to black bear

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #316 : Analogies

Bird is to fly as fish is to . . .

Possible Answers:

scales

water

goldfish

swim

crawl

Correct answer:

swim

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #315 : Analogies

Cat is to meow as dog is to . . .

Possible Answers:

play

bark

puppy

doghouse

tail

Correct answer:

bark

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #318 : Analogies

Nest is to bird as den is to . . .

Possible Answers:

deer

mole

squirrel

bear

fish

Correct answer:

bear

Explanation:

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.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors