SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Determining Meaning from Type of Relationship

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #411 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Hawk is to mouse as frog is to __________.

Possible Answers:

willow

dragonfly

heron

pond

shark

Correct answer:

dragonfly

Explanation:

A rabbit could be the prey of a hawk, meaning that a hawk might eat a rabbit, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes an animal that might be the prey of a frog, or is something that a frog might eat. While “dragonfly” and “heron” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “heron” cannot be the correct answer because a heron might eat a frog, but a frog would be very unlikely to eat a heron. A frog might eat a dragonfly, though, just as a hawk might eat a mouse, so “dragonfly” is the correct answer.

Example Question #412 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Pig is to pork as cow is to __________.

Possible Answers:

beef

calf

bull

grass

poultry

Correct answer:

beef

Explanation:

"Pig" is the name given to an animal, and "pork" the name given to the meat that animal provides. So, we need to pick out a word that is used to describe the meat a cow provides. While "beef," "calf," and "steer" all have to do with cows (a "calf" is a young cow and a "steer" a term for a male cow), "beef" is the correct answer, as meat from a cow is called "beef" just as meat from a pig is called "pork."

Example Question #413 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Ewe is to ram as hen is to __________.

Possible Answers:

rooster

egg

feathers

seed

bird

Correct answer:

rooster

Explanation:

“Ewe” is a noun that means a female sheep, while “ram” is a word that when used as a noun can mean a male sheep. So, because “hen” is a noun that can mean a female chicken, we need to pick out an answer choice that means a male chicken. Both “rooster” and “bird” might look like potentially correct answers, but “bird” specifies a general category into which "hen" could fit, along with other types of birds besides chickens, and it could also refer to an organism of either sex, so it cannot be the correct answer because we’re specifically looking for a word that means a male chicken. “Rooster,” however, is a noun that means a male chicken, and because “rooster” is the name given to a male chicken while “hen” is the name given to a female chicken, just like “ram” is the name given to a male sheep and “ewe” the name given to a female sheep, “rooster” is the correct answer.

Example Question #414 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Armada is to ships as flock is to __________.

Possible Answers:

dreams

dinosaurs

wolves

seagulls

trees

Correct answer:

seagulls

Explanation:

"Armada" is a noun that means "a large group of ships or boats," so we need to pick out a word that describes what, in a large group, constitutes a flock. "Seagulls," "wolves," and "dinosaurs" might all seem like potential answers because they are all animals, but since "flock" means "a number of birds of one kind feeding, resting, or traveling together," "seagulls" is the correct answer, since seagulls are a type of bird. 

Example Question #415 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Lion is to pride as goose is to __________

Possible Answers:

group 

school

gaggle

den 

murder

Correct answer:

gaggle

Explanation:

A group of lions is called a “pride,” so to solve the analogy, we need to pick out an answer choice that is a term used to describe a group of geese. A group of geese is called a “gaggle,” so "gaggle" is the correct answer. 

Example Question #416 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Dog is to leash as horse is to __________.

Possible Answers:

saddle

rope 

tether

support 

reins

Correct answer:

reins

Explanation:

A “leash” is a length of rope, leather, or chain attached to a dog's collar used to restrain and guide it. "Reins” are a leather straps attached to a horse's bridle used to restrain and guide it. So, just as a leash is used to restrain and guide a dog, reins are used to restrain and guide a horse, so "reins" is the correct answer.

Example Question #417 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Ship is to fleet as __________.

Possible Answers:

bird is to pride

goose is to bird

moose is to pack

herd is to deer

fish is to school

Correct answer:

fish is to school

Explanation:

A group of ships is called a "fleet," so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the second word is a noun describing a group of the first word’s noun. While both “herd is to deer” and “fish is to school” might look like potentially correct answers, “herd is to deer” cannot be the correct answer because a “deer” is not what one calls a group of "herds," but the other way around. A school is what one calls a group of fish, however, just like how a fleet is what one calls a group of ships, so “fish is to school” is the correct answer.

Example Question #418 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Shark is to teeth as snake is to __________.

Possible Answers:

reptile

scales

fangs

constrict

sunshine

Correct answer:

fangs

Explanation:

A shark uses its teeth to bite things, so we need to pick out an answer that describes what part of a snake it uses to bite things. While “fangs” and “scales” might each look like a potentially correct answer because each refers to a part of a snake’s body, a snake uses its fangs, not its scales, to bite things. Because a snake uses its fangs to bite things just as a shark uses its teeth to bite things, “fangs” is the correct answer.

Example Question #419 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete the analogy:

Pack is to wolf as __________.

Possible Answers:

forest is to bush

school is to children

swarm is to fox

herd is to fish

herd is to bison

Correct answer:

herd is to bison

Explanation:

A group of wolves is called a "pack." Similarly, a group of "bison" is called "a herd."

None of the other analogies have this relationship:

"Herd is to fish": herd is not a word used to describe groups of fish.

"Forest is to bush": while there are often numerous bushes in a forest, a collection of bushes is not called a forest.

"Swarm is to fox": Swarm is a word meaning a large group of flying insects, thus foxes cannot form swarms, and a collection of foxes is called a troop or a lead.

"Children is to school": While groups of children are typically found in schools, a group of children is not called a school.

Example Question #21 : Specific Terminology

Complete this analogy.

Snout is to __________ as beak is to bird.

Possible Answers:

eye

mammal

fish

tail

human

Correct answer:

mammal

Explanation:

The nose of a "bird" is usually referred to as a "beak." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answer choices matches with the use of the word "snout" for "nose." The correct answer is that we use the word "snout" to describe the nose of many "mammals."

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