SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Determining Meaning or Part of Speech from Context

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

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Example Questions

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Example Question #11 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cardinal is to bird as __________.

Possible Answers:

ugly is to beautiful

tree is to wood

cat is to siamese

interesting is to engaging

poodle is to dog

Correct answer:

poodle is to dog

Explanation:

One definition of "cardinal" is a type of bird of which the male birds are bright red. Since a cardinal is a bird, look for an answer that consists of a word and a category into that word fits. The best match is "poodle is to dog," as a poodle is a type of dog. "Cat is to tiger" would work if it was in the other order - "tiger is to cat."

Example Question #1 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech

Complete this analogy.

Object is to disagree as trick is to __________.

Possible Answers:

surprise

agree

deceive

refuse

question

Correct answer:

deceive

Explanation:

The word "object" has two different meanings: it can mean thing or item when used as a noun, or it can mean be against or disagree with when used as a verb. "Object" and "disagree" are synonyms because they mean the same thing, so to solve this analogy, you need to pick out the answer choice that is a synonym of "trick." "Trick" can be used as a noun ("a trick") or as a verb ("to trick"), but because all of the answer choices are verbs, we will need to pick out a verb that means the same thing as "to trick." While someone may be surprised to learn that they have been tricked, "trick" does not mean the same thing as "surprise," so "surprise" cannot be the correct answer. To "trick" someone means to mislead or deceive that person, so "deceive" is the correct answer!

Example Question #12 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Mean is to average as __________.

Possible Answers:

multiplication is to division 

canine is to dog

addition is to sum

sum is to difference

percentage is to decimal 

Correct answer:

canine is to dog

Explanation:

"Mean" is another word for "average." Both words mean the same thing. Therefore, the correct answer will be an answer choice in which the two words also mean the same thing. "Canine" means the same thing as "dog." Therefore, that is the correct answer.

Example Question #1 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech

Complete this analogy.

Pound is to dog as __________.

Possible Answers:

freedom is prisoner

animal is to wilderness

bank is to money

kilogram is to cat

sidewalk is to puppy

Correct answer:

bank is to money

Explanation:

While the word "pound" has multiple meanings; here, it refers to an animal shelter. Thus, the relationship between the words in this example is such that a pound is a place where one can find a dog. The correct answer choice parallels this relationship: "bank is to money." A bank is a place where one can find money. 

A tempting wrong answer is "animal is to wilderness." This is incorrect because an animal is not a place where one can find "wilderness."

Example Question #2 : Distinguishing Part Of Speech

Complete this analogy.

Score is to game as __________.

Possible Answers:

cheer is to happiness

soccer is to goal

grade is to class

tray is to carry

popcorn is to snack

Correct answer:

grade is to class

Explanation:

This analogy relates a word used to evaluate performance in an activity to a word referring to the specific activity. Someone's "score" is used to evaluate his or her performance in a "game," just as someone's "grade" is used to evaluate his or her performance in a "class." Therefore "grade is to class" is the correct answer. "Soccer is to goal" may look like a potentially correct answer, because the way you score in soccer is by scoring goals, but the word used to evaluate performance in an activity ("goal") is listed second, not first, so this cannot be the correct answer.

Example Question #61 : Ssat Elementary Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Sail is to boat as drive is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Car

Water 

Fly 

Road 

River 

Correct answer:

Car

Explanation:

"Sail" can be used as either a noun or a verb, so we need to figure out in which word form it is being used. As a noun, "sail" means a part of a boat which catches the wind and propels the boat through the water. However, "drive" is a verb, not a noun, so it cannot represent a part of any of the answer choices. So, "sail" must be being used as a verb that means to travel in a boat. When you sail, you travel by boat. So, to solve this analogy, you have to figure out what vehicle you use when you go driving. The answer is a “car.”

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