SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Analogies

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Location Or Situation

Cloud is to sky as fish is to . . .

Possible Answers:

goldfish

scales

land

air

sea

Correct answer:

sea

Explanation:

You find clouds in the sky, so we're looking for a noun that describes a place where you might find fish. Of the three answer choices describing environments ("sea," "land," and "air") "sea" is the best answer, as it's where one is most likely to find fish.

Example Question #2 : Location Or Situation

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Drive is to highway as park is to __________.

Possible Answers:

vehicle

transportation 

parking 

car

driveway 

Correct answer:

driveway 

Explanation:

You drive on a highway, so to solve this analogy, you have to figure out where you park. The correct answer is that you park in a “driveway.”

Example Question #3 : Location Or Situation

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Basketball is to court as soccer is to _________

Possible Answers:

stadium

helmet

grass

track

field

Correct answer:

field

Explanation:

Just as basketball is played on a court, soccer is played on a field, so "field" is the correct answer.

Example Question #4 : Location Or Situation

Complete this analogy.

Surf is to water as __________.

Possible Answers:

ski is to snow

zoo is to animals

fuzzy is to soft

jewel is to shiny

swim is to lava

Correct answer:

ski is to snow

Explanation:

“Surf,” when used as verb, means “ride on the crest of a wave, typically while riding on a surfboard.” So, one surfs on the surface of water, and we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is an activity, and the second word is the environment in or surface on which that activity typically takes place. While “ski is to snow” and “swim is to lava” might each look like a potentially correct answer, one does not usually swim in lava, and would not be advised to, so “swim is to lava” cannot be the correct answer. However, one can ski on snow, just as one can surf on water, so “ski is to snow” is the correct answer.

Example Question #5 : Location Or Situation

Complete this analogy.

Teacher is to school as __________.

Possible Answers:

principal is to detention

athlete is to business

chef is to restaurant

music is to performance

homework is to student

Correct answer:

chef is to restaurant

Explanation:

The first relationship demonstrates that teachers work in schools, so we need to find an answer in which the first word works at the second word. Thus, the best answer choice is "chef is to restaurant," since chefs typically work at restaurants!

Example Question #6 : Location Or Situation

Complete this analogy.

Principal is to school as __________.

Possible Answers:

professor is to preschool

student is to teacher

nurse is to hospital

mayor is to town

office is to worker

Correct answer:

mayor is to town

Explanation:

A principal is typically the leader of his or her school, so we are looking for an answer choice in which the first answer is the leader of the second answer. The best answer is "mayor is to town" because mayors are the authority figures and leaders of towns across the country!

Example Question #7 : Location Or Situation

Complete this analogy.

Chef is to restaurant as doctor is to __________.

Possible Answers:

medicine 

nurse 

hospital 

food 

cook 

Correct answer:

hospital 

Explanation:

A chef works in a restaurant, so to solve this analogy, you need to pick out the answer choice that describes the place where a doctor works. A doctor works in a hospital, so "hospital" is the correct answer.

Example Question #8 : Location Or Situation

Complete this analogy.

Sun is to Mars as Earth is to __________

Possible Answers:

comet 

planet 

Mercury 

moon 

star

Correct answer:

moon 

Explanation:

“Mars” is a planet in our solar system, so “Mars” orbits the “Sun.” This means that “Mars” goes around the “Sun.” So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these answer choices orbits “Earth.” The correct answer is that the “Moon” orbits, or goes around, the “Earth.”

Example Question #549 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Peak is to bottom as __________.

Possible Answers:

large is to small

flat is to bumpy

grade is to homework

top is to base

tame is to domesticated

Correct answer:

top is to base

Explanation:

"Peak is to bottom" compares two words that describe opposite ends of an object, its the highest and lowest points, so the two words have opposite meanings and are antonyms. "Large is to small" describes the relative size of two objects, not relative positions on them or sides of them. "Grade is to homework," and "tame is to domesticated" do not describe the highest and lowest point of an object or consist of pairs of antonyms. Both "top is to base" and ""flat is to bumpy" consist of pairs of antonyms, but only "top is to base" describes the highest and lowest points of an object, so it is the better answer choice and the correct answer.

Example Question #550 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Nursery is to baby as classroom is to __________

Possible Answers:

student

adult

angel

learning

school

Correct answer:

student

Explanation:

A nursery is somewhere where babies are looked after and learn. So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine who goes to a "classroom" to learn; the correct answer is therefore "student."

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