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 #61 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Isosceles is to __________ as parallelogram is to quadrilateral.

Possible Answers:

triangle

three

angles

circle

four

Correct answer:

triangle

Explanation:

A "parallelogram" is an example of a "quadrilateral." A "quadrilateral" is a shape with four sides. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is related to an "isosceles." The correct answer is that "isosceles" is the name given to a certain type of "triangle." A "triangle" is a shape with three sides. Based on this evidence what do you think the prefixes quad- and tri- mean?

Example Question #62 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Bungalow is to __________ as calligraphy is to handwriting.

Possible Answers:

occupation

color

house

organ

vehicle

Correct answer:

house

Explanation:

"Calligraphy" is a style of "handwriting," it is generally ornate and decorative. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these categories includes a "bungalow." A "bungalow" is a "house" with only one story, so the correct answer is "house." Additionally, "occupation" means job, what one does for a living.

Example Question #63 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Knife is to __________ as oblong is to shape.

Possible Answers:

vagabond

implement

sorcerer

miser

mentor

Correct answer:

implement

Explanation:

An "oblong" is an example of a "shape," so to solve this analogy you need to determine what a "knife" is an example of. The correct answer is an "implement," which is another word for utensil. Additionally, a "miser" is someone who is not generous with money; a "sorcerer" is someone who performs magic; a "mentor" is someone with experience who provides guidance to a novice; a "vagabond" is a homeless person who wanders from place to place.

Example Question #64 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Bicep is to muscle as __________ is to song.

Possible Answers:

cull

truce

carol

antics

specter

Correct answer:

carol

Explanation:

A "bicep" is a "muscle" in your arm. So, it is an example of a "muscle." To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is an example of a "song." The correct answer is that a "carol" is an example of a "song." A "carol" is a popular folk song in a religion. Additionally, "antics" are silly or foolish behavior; a "cull" is an organized killing of a particular animal; a "specter" is a phantom, a ghost; a "truce" is a pause in fighting.

Example Question #65 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Chlorine is to gas as dysentery is to __________.

Possible Answers:

sport

animal

disease

vehicle

philosophy

Correct answer:

disease

Explanation:

"Chlorine" is an example of a "gas." It is particularly noteworthy for being a poisonous gas that has been used in many wars. To solve this analogy you need to determine what "dysentery" is an example of. The correct answer is that "dysentery" is a "disease."

Example Question #1 : Cause And Effect

Hush is to quiet as __________.

Possible Answers:

anchor is to boat

confused is to understand

slither is to snake

sad is to depressed

cheer up is to happy

Correct answer:

cheer up is to happy

Explanation:

“Hush” is a verb that means “make (someone) be quiet or stop talking,” so if you hush someone, you want them to be quiet. So, we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is a verb that describes an action one would take if one wanted someone else to have the quality that the second word, an adjective, describes. While “sad is to depressed” and “cheer up is to happy” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “sad” is not a verb, and we need the first word to be a verb in the answer choice that we select. So, “sad is to depressed” cannot be the correct answer; however, when one cheers up someone, one expects that person to feel happy, just as when one hushes someone, one wants them to be quiet, so “cheer up is to happy” is the correct answer.

Example Question #2 : Cause And Effect

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Winter is to frostbite as summer is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Emaciated 

Heatstroke 

Whiplash 

Saturated 

Fortitude

Correct answer:

Heatstroke 

Explanation:

"Frostbite" is something negative that can afflict an individual in the height of "winter," so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices can afflict someone during "summer." The correct answer is “heatstroke.” For clarification, "saturated" means soaked, "emaciated" means very skinny and unhealthy, "whiplash" is a type of injury to the neck generally sustained in a car crash or some other collision, and "fortitude" means strength.

Example Question #66 : Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Accelerate is to faster as decelerate is to __________.

Possible Answers:

fast 

car

slower 

brake

crash 

Correct answer:

slower 

Explanation:

When you "accelerate," you go faster, and and when you "decelerate," you go slower. This question simply requires you to ignore the distracting references to words associated with acceleration and focus on the relationship between the four words.

Example Question #4 : Cause And Effect

Complete this analogy.

Cluttered is to organize as ripped is to __________.

Possible Answers:

mend

tear

paper

cloth

torn

Correct answer:

mend

Explanation:

If something is cluttered, someone might organize it, so we need to find another verb that describes something someone might do if something is ripped. "Mend" and "torn" are the only two answer choices that are present-tense verbs like "organize," so we need to pick between them. It doesn't make much sense to tear something that is already ripped, and if "tear" were the correct answer, we might expect our model words to have been something like "cluttered is to make messy" to convey that the verb needed to be something one would do to make the first adjective worse. However, since our model words were "cluttered is to organize" and you organize something to make it uncluttered, "mend" is the best answer, since you mend something torn to repair it.

Example Question #5 : Cause And Effect

Complete this analogy.

Evaporation is to sunlight as __________.

Possible Answers:

eye is to nose

car is to drive

ring is to phonecall

desk is to wood

carp is to fish

Correct answer:

ring is to phonecall

Explanation:

The relationship in "evaporation is to sunlight" is effect to cause. Evaporation is caused by sunlight warming water. The best choice is "ring is to phonecall" as a phonecall will cause a telephone to ring. None of the other choices share this relationship of effect and cause and are inappropriate. One that might seem similar is "car is to drive", but this is not a cause and effect. "Driving" is what you do with a car. In other words, "driving" is the car's use.

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