All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #581 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Trudge is to slow as sprint is to __________.
slower
dash
fast
start
stop
fast
If you "trudge," it means you walk slowly, so you need to pick out an answer choice that describes your speed when you "sprint." If you sprint, it means that you run very quickly, so as trudged is to slow, sprinted is to “fast.”
Example Question #582 : Analogies
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Plug is to socket as __________.
key is to lock
foot is to yard
pie is to slice
shards are to glass
peanut butter is to chocolate
key is to lock
Plugs fit into sockets, so we are looking for an answer in which the first word fits into the second word; thus, the best answer choice is "key is to lock," because a key fits into a lock.
Example Question #583 : Analogies
Basketball is to hoop as __________.
baseball is to sport
tennis is to racket
pool is to swimming
field is to football
game is to play
tennis is to racket
Since you use a hoop to play basketball, we need to pick out another pair of words in which the second word describes something that you use to play the game that the first word describes. While "tennis" and "baseball" are each sports, "catch" is not something you use to play baseball—it can't be, as it's not a noun. "Racket," however, is something that you use to play tennis, so "tennis is to racket" is the correct answer.
Example Question #584 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Cat is to walking as fish is to __________.
ocean
shark
fishing
swimming
drowning
swimming
“Walking” is an action undertaken by a cat when it wants to get from one place to another. To solve this analogy, you need to figure out how a fish moves from one place to another. The correct answer is “swimming.” The key to solving analogy questions is to figure out the relationship between the first two words and then use that same relationship to figure out the missing word.
Example Question #581 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Priest is to preaching as professor is to __________.
church
thinking
university
clergy
teaching
teaching
A “priest” is a religious leader, and someone who would be likely to be “preaching.” “Preaching” means speaking forcefully and giving advice on how to live one’s life. To solve this analogy, you need to figure out which of these answer choices is an action associated with being a “professor.” A “professor” is a well-educated teacher who works at a university, so you can assume that a “professor” is associated with “teaching.” To provide further help, “clergy” is a name for the group of all priests considered together, particularly in Christianity.
Example Question #582 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Student is to learn as teacher is to __________.
school
lesson
instruct
profession
class
instruct
Students learn, so you need to pick out an answer choice that is a verb and describes what teachers do. Teachers "instruct," which means teach, so "instruct" is the correct answer. While the other answer choices are all words that you might use when talking about teachers and students, none of them are verbs, and because "learn" is a verb, we know that the word that goes in the blank needs to also be a verb. The incorrect answer choices are all nouns.
Example Question #583 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Oral is to mouth as nasal is to __________.
nose
mouthwash
clean
ears
teeth
nose
"Oral" is an adjective that means related to the mouth. To solve this analogy you need to pick out a noun that relates to the adjective "nasal." The correct answer is “nose," because "nasal" means related to the nose.
Example Question #587 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Syrup is to pancakes as __________.
icing is to cake
milk is to pasta
sour cream is to chocolate
ketchup is to mustard
egg is to egg whites
icing is to cake
Syrup is commonly put on top of pancakes, so we are looking for an answer in which the first word is a popular topping put on the second word. Thus, the best answer choice is "icing is to cake" because many cakes have icing on them!
Example Question #588 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Blue is to green as __________.
gray is to white
brown is to black
purple is to blue
red is to orange
red is to yellow
red is to orange
Blue is a component color of green. (Green is created with a combination of blue and yellow.) Thus, the correct answer would be one in which the first word is a color that when combined with the color yellow, results in the second color.
When red is combined with yellow, the resulting color is orange. Therefore, "red is to orange" is the correct answer.
Example Question #584 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Tadpole is to frog as __________.
imagination is to creativity
addition is to division
paper is to drawing
water is to pool
batter is to cake
batter is to cake
In this problem, a tadpole is the stage that a frog is in before it becomes a frog. Similarly, batter is the stage that a cake is in before it becomes a cake. While a tadpole must grown and develop, a cake must bake. In both cases, there is a developmental stage that has to happen between each of the two pairs of words.
A tempting wrong answer is "addition is to division." While division is more complex than addition, there is not a stage of growth causes addition to become division.
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