All SSAT Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Tapestry is to woven as __________.
bow is to violin
ice is to freeze
hearth is to fireplace
sharpen is to pencil
sculpture is to carved
sculpture is to carved
Since "woven" describes how a tapestry is constructed, we need to pick out another pair of words in which the second word describes how the first word is constructed. Both "sculpture is to carved" and "ice is to freeze" appear to be potentially correct answers, but "sculpture is to carved" is the better answer. This is because tapestries and sculptures share the feature of both being traditional types of art, a feature ice does not share, and "woven" and "carved" are both past participles whereas "freeze" is an infinitive. (The answer choices might be more comparable if instead of "ice is to freeze" we had "ice is to frozen").
Example Question #12 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Leaves are to floral as __________.
fur is to bear
wooden is to table
fur is to mammalian
scales are to ursine
aquatic is to fish
fur is to mammalian
Leaves form a constituent part of many floral things, so we need to find another pair of words in which the first word is a constituent part of many things in the category the second word represents. While "aquatic is to fish" may seem like the correct answer, but since "aquatic" is an adjective that describes many fish, it does not represent a constituent part of fish, so it can't be correct. Also, while "scales are to ursine" appears to be in the correct answer format, "ursine" means having to do with bears or bear-like, and since bears do not have scales, "scales are to ursine" can't be the correct answer either. In "fur is to mammalian," however, fur is a constituent part of (many) animals which are mammalian, just as leaves are a constituent part of many plants which are floral. So, the correct answer is "fur is to mammalian."
Example Question #13 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Lie is to deceitful as __________.
flee is to courageous
sleep is to energetic
relax is to uptight
dirty is to hygienic
insist is to persistent
insist is to persistent
If someone lies, other people will likely consider them to be "deceitful," or often intentionally misleading others. So, we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is a verb, and the second word is an adjective describing someone who does what the verb conveys. Someone who relaxes is probably not going to be called “uptight” (anxious), and similarly, someone who sleeps is not going to be characterized as "energetic." Someone who is "dirty" is probably not going to be known to be "hygienic" (sanitary), and someone who flees probably isn’t the most "courageous"; however, someone who insists on something is very likely "persistent" (tenacious or determined), just as someone who lies is "deceitful," so “insist is to persistent” is the correct answer.
Example Question #14 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Comedy is to humorous as tragedy is to _________.
dramatic
entertaining
gloomy
horrifying
romantic
gloomy
A quality of a comedy is to be humorous, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is a quality commonly associated with a tragedy. A tragedy is sad, so the correct answer is “gloomy," which means sad and disspirited.
Example Question #15 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy
Ungainly is to balance as lethargic is to __________.
energy
money
time
happiness
friends
energy
"Ungainly" means clumsy, so someone who is ungainly lacks balance. To solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices is lacking in someone who is lethargic. "Lethargic" means lazy or very tired, so the correct answer is “energy.”
Example Question #16 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Food is to starving as water is to __________.
eat
liquid
compound
thirsty
drink
thirsty
When you are "starving" you eat food, when you are “thirsty” you drink water.
Example Question #16 : Qualities And Features
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Dehydration is to water as scurvy is to __________.
Fruit
Paper
Oxygen
Money
Love
Fruit
"Dehydration" is a condition wherein someone or something chronically requires water. So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine what someone suffering from "scurvy" requires. "Scurvy" is a disease commonly experienced by sailors in years gone by, where the affected person becomes unhealthy due to a lack of fruit and vitamins. So, "fruit" is the correct answer.
Example Question #17 : Qualities And Features
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Lethargic is to sleep as emaciated is to __________.
Tired
Exercise
Water
Air
Food
Food
"Lethargic" means tired and in need of sleep, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine what it is that someone who is "emaciated" needs. Someone who is "emaciated" would be very thin and unhealthy, so he or she would require “food.”
Example Question #18 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Ice is to frozen as water is to __________.
melted
perspire
snow
rain
drink
melted
"Ice" is water molecules in their frozen state, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what state of matter water molecules are in when we refer to them simply as water. The correct answer is “melted.” For clarification, "perspire" means to sweat.
Example Question #19 : Qualities And Features
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Guile is to sly as gumption is to ___________.
confident
adamant
intelligent
capricious
sagacious
confident
Someone who has "guile" is "sly," so to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is a characteristic possessed by someone who has "gumption." If you have "gumption," you possess boldness and confidence, so "confident" is the correct answer. For clarification, "guile" means cunning or sneakiness, "adamant" means insistent or persistent, "capricious" means hard to predict, and "sagacious" means wise.
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