SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Analogies

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #321 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Bear is to cub as __________.

Possible Answers:

goose is to gander

buck is to doe

cow is to calf

plow is to snow

chuck is to throw

Correct answer:

cow is to calf

Explanation:

A young bear is called a "cub." So, to solve the analogy, you need to pick out the answer choice in which the first word is an animal and the second word is the name given to a young animal of that type. A young cow is called a "calf," so "cow is to calf" is the correct answer. (A "gander" is a name given to a male goose, and a "buck" is a male deer, while a "doe" is a female deer.)

Example Question #322 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Puppy is to dog as __________.

Possible Answers:

child is to adult

up is to down

wet is to dry

red is to yellow

rich is to poor

Correct answer:

child is to adult

Explanation:

"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."

Example Question #323 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cow is to calf as lion is to __________.

Possible Answers:

duckling

fledgling

kitten

puppy

cub

Correct answer:

cub

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #22 : Animal Related Terminology

Complete this analogy.

Sow is to pig as __________.

Possible Answers:

hoe is to horse

shear is to sheep

rake is to snake

plough is to cow

doe is to deer

Correct answer:

doe is to deer

Explanation:

Do not get confused when answering this analogy: it does not relate farm work to farm animals, as you might guess based on the answer choices. Instead, it relates a term used to refer to a specific animal with a term used to refer to a female animal of that species. A "sow" is a female pig.

Therefore, "shear is to sheep," "hoe is to horse," and "plough is to cow" are all convincing but incorrect answers. What gives this away is that they could all be correct answers if the given phrase was indeed analogous to any one of them. However, there is only one correct answer.

A "sow" is a female pig just as a "doe" is a female deer. "Doe is to deer" is the correct answer choice.

Example Question #324 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Snake is to slither as __________.

Possible Answers:

cheetah is to gazelle

bee is to hive

elk is to antlers

elephant is to tusks

bat is to fly

Correct answer:

bat is to fly

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #324 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cat is to feline as dog is to __________

Possible Answers:

equine

canine

reptilian

animal

mammalian

Correct answer:

canine

Explanation:

The word "feline" means related to cats, so, to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices means related to dogs. The correct answer is therefore "canine." While dogs are animals, and mammalian, other animals could be described by these words. "Feline" is specific to cats, so "canine" is the best answer because it is is specific to dogs. 

Example Question #325 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cow is to milk as sheep is to __________.

Possible Answers:

beef

hay

ram

wool

farm

Correct answer:

wool

Explanation:

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.

Example Question #321 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy. 

Cat is to curious as dog is to __________.

Possible Answers:

kennel

volatile 

potent

harmful

loyal

Correct answer:

loyal

Explanation:

To be "curious" means to be interested in other things, to want to find something out. This is a characteristic commonly associated with a cat, so to answer this analogy you have to determine which of these is a characteristic commonly associated with a dog. The correct answer is that dogs are commonly described as being "loyal." To provide further help, a "kennel" is somewhere dogs live; "volatile" means unstable, dangerous; "potent" means strong

Example Question #323 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cattle is to cows as swine is to __________.

Possible Answers:

sheep

pigs

chickens

wheat

fish

Correct answer:

pigs

Explanation:

"Cattle" is the collective name for "cows" and other "bovine" creatures. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these animals is described by the collective name "swine." The correct answer is "pigs." So, a "swineherd" is a farmer who keeps pigs.

Example Question #322 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Lamb is to sheep as __________ is to cow.

Possible Answers:

calf

cattle

goat

beef

farm

Correct answer:

calf

Explanation:

A "lamb" is a baby "sheep." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is the name given to a baby "cow." The correct answer is "calf." Additionally, "cattle" is the name given to a group of cows.

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