SSAT Upper Level Verbal : Analogies: Determining Meaning from Type of Relationship
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Verbal
All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Other Analogies
Surgeon is scalpel as __________.
handcuffs are police officer
barber is to razor
samurai is to sword
baseball bat is to baseball player
tutu is to ballerina
barber is to razor
The relationship here is one of utility. Surgeons use scalpels. There are a few answer choices that fit this relationship. Baseball bat is to baseball player could work, because baseball players use baseball bats, but they don't really use baseball bats in the same way that surgeons use scalpels. Surgeons use scalpels for cutting. That leaves us with "Samurai is to sword" and "Barber is to razor." The best choice is "Barber is to razor," because barbers use razors to help people. Samurais use them to hurt people, even if they are doing it to protect others.
Example Question #4 : Other Analogies
Horse is to zebra as __________.
whale is to dolphin
wolf is to hyena
monkey is to ape
cat is to tiger
dog is to Dalmatian
cat is to tiger
A zebra is a horse-like animal with a striped coat; a tiger is a cat-like animal with a striped coat.
Example Question #3 : Other Analogies
Recommendation is to law as __________.
counselor is to judge
rights are to Constitution
advice is to legal
prescription is to enforcement
suggest is to order
suggest is to order
A recommendation is something someone would suggest that you do (but do not require), while a law is something you are ordered to do.
Example Question #6 : Other Analogies
Harp is to trumpet as __________.
arpeggio is to taps
guitar is to flute
string is to brass
heaven is to hell
halo is to cornet
string is to brass
The harp is a string instrument, and the trumpet is a brass instrument. "Guitar is to flute" is a tempting choice, but the flute is a woodwind.
Example Question #11 : Other Analogies
Crate is to square as __________.
triangle is to pyramid
globe is to sphere
three is to two
orange is to circle
box is to cube
orange is to circle
A crate is a rectangular solid: a three-dimensional object that may be made out squares, a two-dimensional shape. Of the available choices, only the orange is a three-dimensional object, roughly spherical, matched with the corresponding 2D shape (a circle). "Triangle is to pyramid" gets the relationship backwards, moving from a two-dimensional to a three-dimensional object.
Example Question #722 : Analogies
A yield traffic sign is to three as __________.
yellow is to red
green is to go
caution is to five
traffic is to jam
stop is to eight
stop is to eight
A yield traffic sign has three sides: it's a triangle. A stop traffic sign has eight sides: it's an octagon.
Example Question #723 : Analogies
Design is to clothes as __________.
create is to graphics
fashion is to dress
type is to font
style is to hair
runway is to hangar
style is to hair
Designing is the what you call creating fashionable or attractive clothing, while styling is what you call creating fashionable or attractive haircuts.
Example Question #12 : Other Analogies
Mispronunciation is to pronunciation as misnomer is to __________.
name
spelling
meal
arrangement
volume
name
A mispronunciation is an incorrect pronunciation, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes what is incorrect in the case of a misnomer. While “name” and “spelling” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “misnomer” is a noun that means either “a wrong name” or “an inaccurate use of a name or term,” so “name” is the correct answer.
Example Question #13 : Other Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Bourgeois is to middle class as proletarian is to __________.
Royalty
Media
Nobility
Working class
Upper class
Working class
"Bourgeois" means of or relating to the middle class or capitalist values so to solve this analogy you have to determine which group of people is described by the word “proletarian.” Proletarian means of or relating to the working class.
Example Question #14 : Other Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Malaise is to discomfort as lethargy is to __________.
Exhaustion
Transient
Mirth
Clandestine
Happiness
Exhaustion
Malaise is a feeling of discomfort, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what lethargy is a feeling of. Lethargy is a feeling of exhaustion. For clarification, transient means fleeting or passing; clandestine means secret; mirth is a synonym for happiness.
All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
