SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Analogies

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #601 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Dwarf is to short as fairy is to __________.

Possible Answers:

fat

smart

tall

magic

tired

Correct answer:

magic

Explanation:

A common quality associated with a "dwarf" is that they are "short." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a common quality associated with a "fairy." The correct answer is that "faeries" are "magic."

Example Question #602 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Glass is to fragile as ice is to __________.

Possible Answers:

boiling

water

frozen

break

drink

Correct answer:

frozen

Explanation:

To begin with the adjective "fragile" means easily broken. So, it is a quality of "glass" to be easily broken, or "fragile." Therefore, to solve this analogy you need to figure out which of these is a quality of "ice." The correct answer is that it is "frozen." Additionally, "boiling" means very hot.

Example Question #603 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Mansion is to __________ as church is to holy.

Possible Answers:

servant

cheap

large

house

priest

Correct answer:

large

Explanation:

A quality often associated with a "church" is that it is "holy." To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a quality of a "mansion." Well, a "mansion" is a very large and expensive house. So, the correct answer is "large."

Example Question #604 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Deaf is to hear as __________ is to see.

Possible Answers:

ears

touch

eyes

blind

glasses

Correct answer:

blind

Explanation:

If someone is "dear" it means they cannot "hear." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words is used to describe someone who cannot "see." The correct answer is "blind."

Example Question #621 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Fiction is to fake as biography is to __________.

Possible Answers:

depressing

uninteresting

spoken

true

long

Correct answer:

true

Explanation:

"Fiction" refers to stories that are made up, stories that are not real. So, a quality of "fiction" is to be "fake." To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a quality of a "biography." A "biography" tells the story of someone's life. So, a quality of a "biography" is to be "true." Additionally, "uninteresting" means boring and "depressing" means makes you sad.

Example Question #606 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Jock is to __________ as genius is to smart.

Possible Answers:

sports

study

school

athletic

old

Correct answer:

athletic

Explanation:

A "genius" is someone who is very intelligent. So, a quality of a "genius" is to be "smart." Which of these is a quality often associated with a "jock?" The correct answer is to be "athletic" or good at sports.

Example Question #31 : Qualities And Features

Complete this analogy.

Employee is to inferior as __________ is to superior.

Possible Answers:

boss

medicine

career

convict

better

Correct answer:

boss

Explanation:

To begin with it is necessary to define "inferior" and "superior." "Inferior" means worse than, in a lower position than and "superior" means better than, in a higher position than. Also, an "employee" is a worker, someone who works for someone else. If an "employee" is "inferior," which of these could be described as "superior?" The correct answer is "boss." Additionally, a "convict" is a prisoner; "medicine" is something given to cure a sick person; a "career" is a job someone does for a large period of their lives, like teaching or nursing or accounting.

Example Question #623 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Antler is to deer as __________ is to elephant.

Possible Answers:

tusk

hand

fin

mammoth

feathers

Correct answer:

tusk

Explanation:

An "antler" is a feature of a "deer." It is the name given to the branched horns on a deer's head. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is a feature of an "elephant." The correct answer is "tusk."

Example Question #32 : Qualities And Features

Complete this analogy.

Sugar is to sweet as __________.

Possible Answers:

lime is to sour

green is to blue

bitter is to lemon 

soft is to hard

apple is to red

Correct answer:

lime is to sour

Explanation:

Sugar has the characteristic of being sweet. The only option here that has this same relationship is "lime is to sour," as a lime has the characteristic of being sour. 

A tempting wrong answer is "bitter is to lemon." However, it is incorrect because bitter does not have the characteristic of being a lemon.

Example Question #621 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Thief is to steal as __________.

Possible Answers:

musician is to instrument

room is to house

chef is to cook

charity is to donate

hawk is to talon

Correct answer:

chef is to cook

Explanation:

A thief is someone who steals, so to solve this analogy, we need to pick out an answer choice in which the second word is a verb that the first word, a noun, does. While "donate is to charity" and "chef is to cook" may both look like correct answer choices, a "charity" does not "donate"—people donate to charities. While "chef" and "cook" can be seen as synonyms, "cook" can also be used as a verb meaning to prepare food. So, because chefs cook just as thieves steal, "chef is to cook" is the correct answer.

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