All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #31 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Dog is to dalmatian as __________.
sandwich is to bread
fork is to spoon
melt is to candle
vegetarian is to meat
cheese is to cheddar
cheese is to cheddar
Since a dalmatian is a type of dog, we're looking for an answer where the second word is a specific variety of the first word. While "sandwich is to bread" may initially look like a decent answer choice because the two words are closely related, bread is a constituent element of a sandwich, not a specific kind of sandwich, so it is not the correct answer. "Cheese is to cheddar," on the other hand, retains the same relationship as "dog is to dalmatian," because cheddar is a type of cheese, just like dalmatian is a type of dog. So, "cheese is to cheddar" is the correct answer.
Example Question #32 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Calligraphy is to handwriting as cuisine is to __________.
restaurant
lasagna
culture
drink
food
food
Since calligraphy is decorative handwriting, it is nearly a synonym of "handwriting." So, we need to pick out an answer choice of which "cuisine" is a near synonym. Since "cuisine" means food cooked in a specific way, often relating to a specific country or culture, "food" is the best answer.
Example Question #87 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Stool is to furniture as hammer is to __________.
tool
sledge
pounding
handyman
nails
tool
While very simple seeming, this analogy does link the terms, namely by a member-to-class relationship. As stools are types of furniture, so are hammers types of tools. The other options among the answers are related to hammers—what they do, who uses them, of in other ways; however, none of the other options relates to “hammer” as a general class as “furniture” does to “stool.”
Example Question #33 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Science is to astronomy as __________.
straight is to crooked
candy is to truffle
wisdom is to sophistry
chair is to sitting
skyscraper is to building
candy is to truffle
The best choice is "candy is to truffle." The relationship between "science" and "astronomy" is that astronomy is a type of science (category). Likewise, a "truffle" is a type of candy. Considering the other choices, "skyscraper is to building" shares the correct relationship, but uses an incorrect word order. The relationship in "chair is to sitting" is that a chair is used for sitting. "Wisdom" is part of the definition of "sophistry" as this word means false wisdom or reasoning, so the two words are antonyms, and "straight" and "crooked" are also antonyms.
Example Question #88 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Manuscript is to text as apartment is to __________.
rent
housing
efficient
miniscule
loft
housing
In its original usage, the word “manuscript” indicated a type of text written by hand. (The “manu-” portion is related to the word “manual,” which means related to the use of hands—think of “manual labor.” The “-script” portion is related not only to “script” but to “scribe,” “subscription,” and other such words). We now use the word to describe an unpublished version of an author’s work, e.g. the “manuscript” of a soon-to-be-published novel that is still being edited. “Manuscript” is related to “text” as a member to a class, as though to say, “as a manuscript is a type of text, so is an apartment a type of X.” While the word “loft” might seem appropriate, it is at best the opposite of what you need (if not totally unrelated). A “loft apartment” is a type of apartment—an apartment is not a type of loft! The best option, as simple as it might seem, is “housing,” for an apartment is a type of housing.
Example Question #89 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Orangutan is to primate as pediatrician is to __________.
treatment
medical
patients
children
doctor
doctor
Primates are the general class of monkeys, apes, humans, and so forth into which we can include orangutans. Thus, we have a case of a specific type being related to its general class. You could think of your bridge sentence as being something like, “As orangutans are types of primates, so are pediatricians types of X.” The only relevant general category offered among your options is “doctor.”
Example Question #90 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Dessert is to course as calmness is to __________.
perturbation
sloth
relaxation
tranquility
trait
trait
The relationship needs to be read together in order to make sense. A dessert is a course in the sense of being one part of a number of plates served at a meal. Thus, we could construct a bridge sentence like, “As a desert is a type of course, so calmness is a type of X.” This is perhaps a bit abstract, but the best answer is “trait.” One can have many different types of character traits, among which we can number calmness. Several of the other words are related to calmness or to other specific character traits; however, none of them are a general class—which is what we need, since “course” is the general class in relation to “dessert.”
Example Question #34 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Lynx is to cat as __________.
black is to white
bench is to seat
wheel is to car
dog is to coyote
animal is to mouse
bench is to seat
The best option is "bench is to seat." The relationship between a "lynx" and a "cat" is that a lynx is a type of cat. Likewise, a bench is a kind of seat. Two other choices share this relationship: "animal is to mouse" and "dog is to coyote." However, the order of the words in each of those answer choices is reversed. Instead of being in the order of example to category as "lynx is to cat" is, the order of these two choices is category to example, which is inappropriate and incorrect.
Example Question #35 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Money is to coin as __________.
clothing is to jacket
universe is to star
scientist is to medicine
website is to media
wealth is to career
clothing is to jacket
One form of "money" is a "coin"; similarly, one form of "clothing" is a "jacket."
Example Question #36 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship
Complete this analogy.
Telegram is to communication as carriage is to __________.
horse
outmoded
vehicle
train
aristocratic
vehicle
A telegram is an antiquated mode of communication, using some mechanism of signal that would be translated into a written message to be delivered. The general relationship for this analogy is a specific type to a general class. You could make the bridge sentence, “As a telegram is a type of communication, so is a carriage a type of X.” Although all of the options bear some relationship to carriages, the only one that is a general class is “vehicle.” Even the option “train,” would at best be a whole of which a single carriage would be a part. This is not the same as a “member to a class” relationship.
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