All SSAT Middle Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #41 : Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots
Complete this analogy.
Falsify is to deceive as magnify is to __________.
reduce
achieve
grant
enlarge
diminish
enlarge
The prefix "fall-" or "fals-" means having to do with lying, deception and dishonesty, and the prefix "mag-" means having to do with largeness and grandness. “Falsify” means change something in order to deceive, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine how “magnify” changes something. The correct answer is that “magnify” means make bigger or make appear bigger; just think of what a "magnifying glass" does. "Enlarge" also means make bigger, so "enlarge" is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “diminish” means make smaller, as does “reduce," and “grant” means give.
Example Question #42 : Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots
Analogies: Fill in the blank(s) to complete this analogy.
Dysfunctional is to inability as cosmopolitan is to __________.
worldly
perilous
feral
innate
focused
worldly
The prefixes dys- and in- carry negative meanings that take their words and cause them to mean the opposite. So “dysfunctional” means not working, and “inability” means lack of ability. Something that has an “inability” to do something is also “dysfunctional,” so these terms are loosely synonyms. To solve this analogy then you need to determine which word is closest in meaning to “cosmopolitan.” “Cosmopolitan” means international, exhibiting cultural diversity or knowledge; therefore the best answer choice is “worldly.” To provide further help, “innate” means natural; “focused” means not distracted; “feral” means wild; “perilous” means dangerous.
Example Question #1 : Suffixes From Greek
Complete this analogy.
Anglophobia is to English as Francophobia is to __________.
Scottish
Italian
Spanish
Finnish
French
French
The prefix "anglo-" means of or related to the English; the prefix "franco-" means of or related to the French. The suffix "–phobia" means fear. So "Anglophobia" is the fear of English people and "Francophobia" is the fear of French people.
Example Question #1 : Suffixes From Greek
Complete this analogy.
Sinophobe is to China as Francophobe is to __________.
love
fear
France
French
Chinese
France
The suffix, -phobe, (or -phobia), means fear, and the prefix, Sino-, means related to China or the Chinese. So a "Sinophobe" is someone who is afraid of China; in order to solve this analogy you have to determine which country a "Francophobe" is afraid of. The correct answer is “France.” The prefix, Franco-, means related to France or the French.
Example Question #3 : Suffixes From Greek
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Triskaidekaphobia is to thirteen as heliophobia is to __________.
darkness
sunlight
loneliness
animals
spiders
sunlight
Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number thirteen. The suffix "-phobia" describes a fear. So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine what "heliophobia" is the fear of. The correct answer is “sunlight,” as you may have determined from the prefix "helio-," which means related to the sun or sunlight and is found in other words like "heliocentric" (having the sun at the center, used to describe the modern view of the solar system).
Example Question #4 : Suffixes From Greek
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Arachnophobia is to spiders as agoraphobia is to __________.
heights
farm animals
darkness
bees
public spaces
public spaces
The suffix "-phobia" means a fear of and the word "arachnid" is the Latin term for the biological family containing spiders, so “arachnophobia” is a fear of spiders. To solve this analogy, you have to determine what “agoraphobia” is the fear of. The correct answer is “public spaces,” as the prefix "agor-" means related to outside or open spaces. To help you remember this prefix, just think of an "agora," an open-air public space found in an ancient Greek city.
Example Question #5 : Suffixes From Greek
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Agrizoophobia is to wild animals as dementophobia is to __________.
insanity
adolescence
modernity
normality
reality
insanity
The suffix "phobia" means fear of, and the word fragment "zoo" means related to animals, so “agrizoophobia” means fear of wild animals. The prefix "dement-" means related to insanity or the loss of mental capabilities, as seen in words like “dementia” or “demented.” Someone who suffers from “dementophobia” can thus be said to be suffering from fear of insanity.
Example Question #41 : Suffixes
Analogies: Fill in the blank(s) to complete this analogy.
Chronophobia is to time as panphobia is to __________.
everything
breakfast
space
nothing
sleep
everything
The suffix -phobia means related to a fear, and the prefix chrono- means time so “chronophobia” means fear of time, or fear of the passage of time. To solve this analogy you therefore need to determine what “panphobia” is the fear of. The prefix pan- means everything, everywhere, so the word “panphobia” means fear of everything.
Example Question #42 : Suffixes
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Ergophobia is to work as arachnophobia is to __________.
fire
loneliness
flying
insects
spiders
spiders
The suffix -phobia means related to fear, and the prefix ergo- means related to work, so “ergophobia” is a fear of work. To solve this analogy you need to determine what “arachnophobia” is the fear of. The prefix arach- means related to spiders, so the correct answer is fear of “spiders.”
Example Question #43 : Suffixes
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Ecclesiophobia is to church as pharmaphobia is to __________.
Politics
People
Drugs
Teenagers
Knowledge
Drugs
The suffix "-phobia" means fear of. The root "ecclesi" means related to Christianity and its church, as seen in “ecclesiastical,” so “ecclesiophobia” is fear of the Christian church. To solve this analogy, you have to determine what "pharmaphobia" is a fear of. You may notice that "pharma" is also contained in the word "pharmacy," which is a place where you purchase drugs. The root "pharma" means related to drugs or medicine, and "pharmaphobia" is the fear of drugs.
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