SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Analogies

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #2 : Qualities, Features, Abilities, And Other Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Cigarette is to detrimental as apple is to _________.

Possible Answers:

injurious 

harmful 

helpful 

hurtful 

deleterious

Correct answer:

helpful 

Explanation:

A quality associated with cigarettes is that they are “detrimental” to your health. "Detrimental" means not helpful, causing negative consequences. To solve this analogy you have to determine what impact an apple would likely have on someone’s health. The correct answer is that an apple is “helpful.” For clarification, the other four answer choices are synonyms of one another and of detrimental.

Example Question #1 : Qualities And Features

Complete this analogy.

Funeral is to somber as wedding is to __________.

Possible Answers:

impertinent 

depressing 

jubilant 

gloomy

despondent 

Correct answer:

jubilant 

Explanation:

A "funeral" is a somber occasion, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices best captures the occasion of a wedding. A "wedding" is generally a jubilant time, so the correct answer is “jubilant,” which means celebratory and happy. For clarification, "despondent," "depressing," and "gloomy" are all synonyms of one another; "impertinent" means rude and impudent.

Example Question #1 : Qualities And Features

Complete this analogy.

Glutton is to greedy as philanthropist is to __________.

Possible Answers:

charitable 

miserly 

selfish 

penurious 

parsimonious 

Correct answer:

charitable 

Explanation:

A characteristic of a glutton is to be greedy, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices is a characteristic commonly associated with a philanthropist. A "philanthropist" is someone who gives to charity, so the correct answer is “charitable.” For clarification, "penurious" means destitute, or very poor; "selfish," "miserly," and "parsimonious" are all synonyms that mean not generous, particularly with money.

Example Question #2 : Qualities And Features

Complete this analogy.

Stubborn is to mule as sly is to __________.

Possible Answers:

fox 

elephant 

dog 

lizard 

shark 

Correct answer:

fox 

Explanation:

A common saying in English is “as stubborn as a mule.” As such obstinacy has come to be associated with mules. Another common saying is “as sly as a fox.”  To solve this analogy you had to determine which animal is generally associated with slyness. The correct answer is “fox.”

Example Question #2 : Qualities And Features

Complete this analogy.

Orator is to eloquent as priest is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Despondent

Remorseful

Miserable 

Pious 

Forlorn 

Correct answer:

Pious 

Explanation:

An orator is a public speaker and someone who is eloquent is adept at speaking. A characteristic associated with an orator is eloquence, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of the answer choices is a characteristic associated with priests. Priests are generally pious, as pious means deeply religious. For clarification, remorseful means full of guilt and regret; forlorn, despondent and miserable are all loosely synonyms that mean to be sad and without hope.

Example Question #3 : Qualities And Features

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Strong is to ox as quiet is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Seagull

Parrot

Lion 

Mouse 

Woodpecker

Correct answer:

Mouse 

Explanation:

“As strong as an ox” is a famous English expression. However, even if you have never heard of this expression, you can still solve the analogy by realizing that "strong" is an adjective that someone might use to describe an ox. So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices' words is an animal that is quiet. A "mouse" is a quiet animal, so "mouse" is the correct answer.

Example Question #4 : Qualities And Features

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Skyscraper is to tall as elephant is to ___________.

Possible Answers:

tusk

large

ivory

Africa

small

Correct answer:

large

Explanation:

The relationship between "skyscraper" and "tall" is that "tall" is a common characteristic of skyscrapers. The best choice is "large," as an elephant's size is a characteristic that is commonly associated with these animals. "Small" does not apply, as elephants are not typically thought of as small creatures. A "tusk" is a part of an elephant and "ivory" is the name of the material that the tusk is made out of. "Africa" is where many elephants live. The most appropriate chioce is "large."

Example Question #5 : Qualities And Features

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Analog is to digital as pocket-watch is to __________.

Possible Answers:

time

knife

climate

computer

pocket

Correct answer:

computer

Explanation:

Something that is “analog” is of or relating to a device or process in which data is represented by physical quantities that change continuously. Something which is “digital” is of, relating to, or being data in the form of especially binary digits. So a “pocket-watch” can be seen as “analog,” whereas a computer is “digital.” The key to this question is your understanding of the word “digital” and that you relate it to “computers.” To clarify, a “climate” is the weather of an area of the world, so India has a hot and tropical “climate,” while New Jersey has a mild and temperate “climate.”

Example Question #711 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Tapestry is to woven as __________.

Possible Answers:

bow is to violin

sharpen is to pencil

ice is to freeze

hearth is to fireplace

sculpture is to carved

Correct answer:

sculpture is to carved

Explanation:

Since "woven" describes how a tapestry is constructed, we need to pick out another pair of words in which the second word describes how the first word is constructed. Both "sculpture is to carved" and "ice is to freeze" appear to be potentially correct answers, but "sculpture is to carved" is the better answer. This is because tapestries and sculptures share the feature of both being traditional types of art, a feature ice does not share, and "woven" and "carved" are both past participles whereas "freeze" is an infinitive. (The answer choices might be more comparable if instead of "ice is to freeze" we had "ice is to frozen").

Example Question #712 : Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Leaves are to floral as __________.

Possible Answers:

fur is to bear

fur is to mammalian

wooden is to table

scales are to ursine

aquatic is to fish

Correct answer:

fur is to mammalian

Explanation:

Leaves form a constituent part of many floral things, so we need to find another pair of words in which the first word is a constituent part of many things in the category the second word represents. While "aquatic is to fish" may seem like the correct answer, but since "aquatic" is an adjective that describes many fish, it does not represent a constituent part of fish, so it can't be correct. Also, while "scales are to ursine" appears to be in the correct answer format, "ursine" means having to do with bears or bear-like, and since bears do not have scales, "scales are to ursine" can't be the correct answer either. In "fur is to mammalian," however, fur is a constituent part of (many) animals which are mammalian, just as leaves are a constituent part of many plants which are floral. So, the correct answer is "fur is to mammalian."

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