All SSAT Elementary Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #11 : Qualities And Features
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Stripes are to zebra as __________.
hair is to cats
gills are to fish
stars are to moon
chromes are to colors
spots are to dalmatian
spots are to dalmatian
Zebras have a striped coloring pattern, so we are looking for an answer in which the first word depicts a pattern that is often found on the second word. The best answer is "spots are to dalmatian" because dalmatians (a breed of dog) typically have numerous black spots on their bodies.
Example Question #12 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Boiling is to steam as frozen is to __________.
water
ice
icicle
cold
rain
ice
When water undergoes the process of “boiling,” it turns into “steam.” “Boiling” means heated to the temperature at which something bubbles and turns from liquid to gas. To solve this analogy, you need to determine what water becomes when it has been “frozen"; the correct answer is “ice.” You might say “icicle,” but an “icicle” is a specific type of “ice” that can only occur in certain situations. “Ice” is a much better option.
Example Question #13 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Flammable is to burn as __________.
descriptive is to detailed
audible is to see
tangible is to hear
smelly is to stinky
legible is to read
legible is to read
“Flammable” is an adjective that means “easily set on fire,” so things that are flammable are able to be burned. So, we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is an adjective describing things to which one can easily do what the second word says. While “legible is to read,” “audible is to see,” and “tangible is to hear” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “audible” means “able to be heard,” so something that is audible is able to be heard, not seen, making “see” the incorrect verb and “audible is to see” an incorrect answer. Similarly, “tangible” means “perceptible by touch,” so “hear” is not the correct verb, making “tangible is to hear” another incorrect answer. “Legible,” however, is an adjective that is used of handwriting or print and means “clear enough to read,” so things that are legible can be read, just as things that are flammable can be burned, so “legible is to read” is the correct answer.
Example Question #14 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Hot is to lava as cold is to __________.
ice
warm
rock
chilly
tree
ice
Since "hot" is a word that describes the temperature of lava, we need to pick out a word describing something that is cold. While "chilly" might look like a good answer, "chilly" actually means the same thing as "cold," so it can't be the correct answer, because "chilly" is not a thing which is cold. "Ice," on the other hand, is a thing which is cold, so "ice" is the correct answer.
Example Question #15 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Fragile is to vase as flammable is to __________.
kindling
music
ice
freeze
weather
kindling
“Fragile” is an adjective that means “easily broken” when referring to an object, “vulnerable” when referring to a person. A vase could be described as fragile, so we need to pick out an answer choice that is a noun conveying something that is flammable. While “kindling” and “ice” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “ice” cannot be accurately described as flammable, so “ice” cannot be the correct answer. “Kindling,” however, is a noun that can mean “easily combustible small sticks or twigs used for starting a fire,” so because kindling is flammable just as a vase is fragile, “kindling” is the correct answer.
Example Question #16 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Wooden is to table as frozen is to __________.
flame
icicle
gravel
rug
shoes
icicle
Since a table can be wooden, we need to pick out an answer choice that describes an object that can be frozen. While all the answer choices are nouns, only icicles are made of ice. Since icicles are the only things that are frozen among the listed answer choices, "icicle" is the correct answer.
Example Question #17 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Fire is to hot as __________.
free is to bound
liquid is to wet
height is to tall
red is to blue
crazy is to sane
liquid is to wet
A characteristic of fire is that it is hot, just as a characteristic of a liquid is that it is wet. So, "liquid is to wet" is the correct answer.
Example Question #18 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Water is to wet as __________.
crumble is to sand
earth is ground
fire is to stone
mountain is to trees
ice is to cold
ice is to cold
In the phrase, "water is to wet," the relationship between the words is that the second word describes the first word. "Wet" describes "water," as it is a characteristic of water.
The only answer that follows this same relationship is "ice is to cold," as ice has the quality of being cold.
Example Question #19 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Swear is to oath as author is to __________.
story
publish
writer
read
page
story
An “oath” is a promise or commitment of loyalty to someone or something. An “oath” is something you “swear,” so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices is related to the verb “author.” An “author” is someone who writes books, and to "author” something means to write it. Of the provided answer choices, the only thing that one can "author" is a "story." To provide further help, “publish” means share a story with the world by making it available to readers.
Example Question #20 : Qualities And Features
Complete this analogy.
Fighter is to strong as dancer is to __________.
agile
timid
determined
serene
pensive
agile
Being “strong” is a characteristic usually associated with being a “fighter,” so to solve this analogy you need to figure out which of these answer choices is a word often associated with a “dancer.” The correct answer is “agile,” which means having good balance and athleticism. To provide further help, “serene” means peaceful; “determined” means hard-working and wanting to succeed very badly; “pensive” means thinking a lot about something; and “timid” means quiet and shy.
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