SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Suffixes

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Suffixes

Complete this analogy.

Before is to prelude as after is to __________

Possible Answers:

laborious 

legislate 

catalogue 

mandatory 

epilogue 

Correct answer:

epilogue 

Explanation:

The prefix "pre-" usually suggest that the word will come before something or designate some beginning. In this instance, a “prelude” is an introductory event or piece of music. To solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is something that comes after something else. The correct answer is an “epilogue,” which is the name given to a piece of writing that comes after the main narrative. None of the other answer choices make sense in the blank: “mandatory” means required; “laborious” means hard-work or exhausting; “legislate” means make laws; and “catalogue” means document and list some group of things when used as a verb and a booklet produced by a business showcasing the products that they are currently selling when used as a noun. 

Example Question #32 : Suffixes

Complete this analogy.

Ill-will is to malevolent as goodwill is to __________.

Possible Answers:

beneficial

malfeasance 

benevolent

malicious

malcontent 

Correct answer:

benevolent

Explanation:

The prefix "mal-" means evil or bad, and the prefix ­"ben-" means helpful or good. So someone who is “malevolent” is wicked and has a great deal of ill-will and someone who is “benevolent” is good-natured and has a lot of goodwill. So, the correct answer is "benevolent." None of the other answer choices make sense in the blank: “beneficial" means helpful; “malicious" means cruel and spiteful; “malcontent" means unhappy or not content; and “malfeasance" means something bad that someone does or a crime.

Example Question #33 : Suffixes

Complete this analogy.

Visible is to seen as audible is to __________

Possible Answers:

spoken 

heard 

felt 

touched 

tasted 

Correct answer:

heard 

Explanation:

The suffix "-ible" means able to be and the roots "vis" and "aud" mean related to seeing and related to hearing or sound, respectively. “Visible” thus means able to be seen and “audible” means able to be heard, so "heard" is the correct answer.

Example Question #34 : Suffixes

Complete this analogy.

Falsify is to deceive as magnify is to __________.

Possible Answers:

diminish 

achieve 

enlarge 

grant 

reduce 

Correct answer:

enlarge 

Explanation:

The prefix "fall-" or "fals-" means having to do with lying, deception and dishonesty, and the prefix "mag-" means having to do with largeness and grandness. “Falsify” means change something in order to deceive, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine how “magnify” changes something. The correct answer is that “magnify” means make bigger or make appear bigger; just think of what a "magnifying glass" does. "Enlarge" also means make bigger, so "enlarge" is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “diminish” means make smaller, as does “reduce," and “grant” means give.

Example Question #117 : Ssat Middle Level Verbal

Analogies: Fill in the blank(s) to complete this analogy. 

Dysfunctional is to inability as cosmopolitan is to __________

Possible Answers:

focused

feral 

innate

worldly

perilous

Correct answer:

worldly

Explanation:

The prefixes dys- and in- carry negative meanings that take their words and cause them to mean the opposite. So “dysfunctional” means not working, and “inability” means lack of ability. Something that has an “inability” to do something is also “dysfunctional,” so these terms are loosely synonyms. To solve this analogy then you need to determine which word is closest in meaning to “cosmopolitan.” “Cosmopolitan” means international, exhibiting cultural diversity or knowledge; therefore the best answer choice is “worldly.” To provide further help, “innate” means natural; “focused” means not distracted; “feral” means wild; “perilous” means dangerous

Example Question #118 : Ssat Middle Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Anglophobia is to English as Francophobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Scottish 

Italian 

French 

Spanish 

Finnish 

Correct answer:

French 

Explanation:

The prefix ­"anglo-" means of or related to the English; the prefix "franco-" means of or related to the French. The suffix "–phobia" means fear. So "Anglophobia" is the fear of English people and "Francophobia" is the fear of French people.

Example Question #113 : Ssat Middle Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Sinophobe is to China as Francophobe is to ­__________.

Possible Answers:

Chinese 

love 

French 

fear

France 

Correct answer:

France 

Explanation:

The suffix, -phobe, (or -phobia), means fear, and the prefix, Sino-, means related to China or the Chinese. So a "Sinophobe" is someone who is afraid of China; in order to solve this analogy you have to determine which country a "Francophobe" is afraid of. The correct answer is “France.” The prefix, Franco-, means related to France or the French.

Example Question #120 : Ssat Middle Level Verbal

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Triskaidekaphobia is to thirteen as heliophobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

darkness 

spiders 

sunlight 

animals 

loneliness

Correct answer:

sunlight 

Explanation:

Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number thirteen. The suffix "-phobia" describes a fear. So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine what "heliophobia" is the fear of. The correct answer is “sunlight,” as you may have determined from the prefix "helio-," which means related to the sun or sunlight and is found in other words like "heliocentric" (having the sun at the center, used to describe the modern view of the solar system). 

Example Question #101 : Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Arachnophobia is to spiders as agoraphobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

bees

darkness

farm animals

public spaces 

heights 

Correct answer:

public spaces 

Explanation:

The suffix "-phobia" means a fear of and the word "arachnid" is the Latin term for the biological family containing spiders, so “arachnophobia” is a fear of spiders. To solve this analogy, you have to determine what “agoraphobia” is the fear of. The correct answer is “public spaces,” as the prefix ­"agor-" means related to outside or open spaces. To help you remember this prefix, just think of an "agora," an open-air public space found in an ancient Greek city.

Example Question #1 : Suffixes From Greek

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Agrizoophobia is to wild animals as dementophobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

insanity 

normality 

adolescence

modernity

reality 

Correct answer:

insanity 

Explanation:

The suffix "phobia" means fear of, and the word fragment "zoo" means related to animals, so “agrizoophobia” means fear of wild animals. The prefix "dement-" means related to insanity or the loss of mental capabilities, as seen in words like “dementia” or “demented.” Someone who suffers from “dementophobia” can thus be said to be suffering from fear of insanity.

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