All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #311 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Beaver is to dam as spider is to __________.
jungle
fly
arachnid
web
spin
web
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 __________.
wings are to bee
mouse is to cheese
ant is to anthill
kitten is to cat
dog is to puppy
kitten is to cat
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 __________.
rats are to organization
birds are to flock
bears are to forest
fish are to pack
dogs are to pound
birds are to flock
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 __________.
day is to night
tadpole is to frog
flower is to leaf
nocturnal is to bat
insect is to dragonfly
tadpole is to frog
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 . . .
leaf
firefly
bird
plant
horse
bird
"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 . . .
quills
warmth
feathers
ooze
speedy
quills
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 __________.
prairie is to gorilla
ocean is to pig
desert is to shark
forest is to black bear
mountain is to dolphin
forest is to black bear
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 . . .
scales
water
goldfish
swim
crawl
swim
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 . . .
play
bark
puppy
doghouse
tail
bark
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 . . .
deer
mole
squirrel
bear
fish
bear
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.
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