All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Analogies: Determining Part Of Speech
Complete this analogy.
Bad situation is to weather as good situation is to __________.
provoke
castigate
degrade
implore
revel
revel
Weather, as used here, means to endure or survive. A bad situation is something that you are likely to need to endure so to solve this analogy you have to identify which of the answer choices would be an appropriate response to a good situation. This should lead you to “revel” which means to enjoy the moment. For clarification, "provoke" means to illicit a reaction; "castigate" means to condemn; "implore" means urge; "degrade" means to make worse or dirty.
Example Question #1 : Analogies: Determining Meaning Or Part Of Speech From Context
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Hammer is to carpenter as tome is to __________.
chef
architect
attorney
scholar
doctor
scholar
Although "hammer" can mean several things, as it can be used as a noun or as a verb, in this case, we know that it is a noun because it is being compared to "tome," which means a scholarly book. A hammer is a tool used by a carpenter, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes an occupation in which someone would use a tome. A tome is a tool used by a scholar, just as a hammer is a tool used by a carpenter, so "scholar" is the correct answer.
Example Question #31 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Affix is to post as __________.
grow is to wilt
cheese is to cheddar
car is to drive
verify is to substantiate
explanation is to demand
verify is to substantiate
“Affix” is a verb that means fasten to something, while “post” is a word that can be used as a noun meaning a stable pole in the ground or a verb that means display a notice. So, the example either consists of a pair of synonyms, if “post” is being used as a verb, or a verb and a noun to which one might do that verb (one could affix something to a post). To pick between these interpretations, we will need to consider the potential answer choices. None of the potential answer choices fit the model of “a verb and a noun to which one might do that verb,” so we will need to consider the example to consist of a pair of synonyms, and pick out a pair of synonyms as the correct answer. While “explanation is to demand” and “verify is to substantiate” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “explanation” is not a verb, but a noun, so “explanation is to demand” cannot be the correct answer. “Verify,” however, is a verb that means make sure something is true, while “substantiate” is a verb that means provide evidence in favor of something, so the two words are synonyms, just as “affix” and “post” are synonyms, so “verify is to substantiate” is the correct answer.
Example Question #3 : Analogies: Determining Meaning Or Part Of Speech From Context
Complete this analogy.
Tote is to lug as __________.
despondency is to determination
rat is to flea
nag is to pester
scale is to heaviness
proportionate is to size
nag is to pester
“Tote” is a word that when used as a verb means carry something heavy, while “lug” is a verb that also means carry something heavy; so, that means that “tote” and “lug” are synonyms, and that we need to pick out an answer choice which also consists of a pair of synonyms. While “despondency is to determination” and “nag is to pester” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “despondency” is a noun that means a lack of optimism and courage, while “determination” is a noun that means resoluteness, so the two words are antonyms and “despondency is to determination” cannot be the correct answer. (Also, the two words are nouns, while the example consists of two verbs.) “Nag,” however, when used as a verb, means annoy someone by constantly asking about something, while “pester” means annoy someone by interrupting them often. So, “nag” is a synonym of “pester” just as “tote” is a synonym of “lug,” making “nag is to pester” the correct answer.
Example Question #1 : Analogies: Prefixes From Latin
The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.
Unilateral is to side as monorail is to __________.
front
track
pass
line
decision
track
"Uni-" and "mono-" are both prefixes that mean "one" or "single." A unilateral decision is made by only one side of a dispute; a monorail is a train that runs on a single track.
Example Question #32 : Analogies
The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.
Bicameral is to branches as duet is to __________.
bicycles
camels
singers
trees
music
singers
"Bi-" and "duo-" are prefixes that both mean "two." A bicameral government is one with two branches, and a duet is a musical performance by two singers.
Example Question #33 : Analogies
Theology is to religion as genealogy is to __________.
God
justice
families
politics
science
families
Theology is the study of religion so to solve this analogy you need to determine what genealogy is the study of. The prefix gene- should provide a clue that it likely describes the study of families or family history. The correct answer is therefore families.
Example Question #34 : Analogies
Cow is to bovine as dog is to __________.
feline
lupine
equine
cat
canine
canine
The adjective bovine is used to describe characteristics displayed by or attributed to cows. To solve this analogy you have to identify the adjective used to describe characteristics displayed by or attributed to dogs. This leads to the correct answer which is canine. Cow is to bovine as dog is to canine as cat is to feline, etc.
Example Question #35 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
One is to unity as three is to __________.
triangle
infinity
trisect
trinity
bipedal
trinity
Unity means the state or condition of being one or as one so to solve this analogy you have to identify which answer choice means the state or condition of being three parts working together. The prefix tri- usually describes something to do with the number three, such as triangle or tripod. From the suffix -ity in unity you might well have guessed at the correct answer which is “trinity.”
Example Question #36 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Misogynist is to women as Luddite is to __________.
animals
technology
men
environmentalism
politics
technology
Someone who is a misogynist hates women, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what it is that a Luddite dislikes. The Luddites were a nineteenth-century organization in Britain, dedicated to fighting the introduction of life changing technology during the Industrial Revolution; as such, the word has come to be used to describe all disdain for “technology” in the contemporary era. The prefix mis- is often used to describe the dislike of something.
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