SSAT Upper Level Verbal : Analogies

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #111 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Dog is to dalmatian as __________.

Possible Answers:

sandwich is to bread

melt is to candle

fork is to spoon

vegetarian is to meat

cheese is to cheddar

Correct answer:

cheese is to cheddar

Explanation:

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 #112 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Calligraphy is to handwriting as cuisine is to __________.

Possible Answers:

drink

restaurant

food

culture

lasagna

Correct answer:

food

Explanation:

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 #113 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Stool is to furniture as hammer is to __________.

Possible Answers:

pounding

tool

nails

sledge

handyman

Correct answer:

tool

Explanation:

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 #114 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Science is to astronomy as __________.

Possible Answers:

candy is to truffle

skyscraper is to building

wisdom is to sophistry

chair is to sitting

straight is to crooked

Correct answer:

candy is to truffle

Explanation:

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 #115 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Manuscript is to text as apartment is to __________.

Possible Answers:

loft

rent

miniscule

housing

efficient

Correct answer:

housing

Explanation:

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 #116 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Orangutan is to primate as pediatrician is to __________.

Possible Answers:

children

treatment

medical

patients

doctor

Correct answer:

doctor

Explanation:

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 #117 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Dessert is to course as calmness is to __________.

Possible Answers:

tranquility

trait

sloth

relaxation

perturbation

Correct answer:

trait

Explanation:

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 #118 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Lynx is to cat as __________.

Possible Answers:

wheel is to car

dog is to coyote

animal is to mouse

black is to white

bench is to seat

Correct answer:

bench is to seat

Explanation:

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 #119 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Money is to coin as __________.

Possible Answers:

wealth is to career

scientist is to medicine

universe is to star

website is to media

clothing is to jacket

Correct answer:

clothing is to jacket

Explanation:

One form of "money" is a "coin"; similarly, one form of "clothing" is a "jacket."

Example Question #120 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Telegram is to communication as carriage is to __________.

Possible Answers:

outmoded

aristocratic

vehicle

train

horse

Correct answer:

vehicle

Explanation:

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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