All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #5 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots
Complete this analogy.
One is to unity as three is to __________.
trisect
infinity
triangle
bipedal
trinity
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 #1 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots
Complete this analogy.
Misogynist is to women as Luddite is to __________.
environmentalism
technology
men
politics
animals
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.
Example Question #3 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots
Complete this analogy.
Xenophobia is to foreigners as zoophobia is to __________.
Men
Children
Women
Death
Animals
Animals
Xenophobia is the fear of foreigners, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what zoophobia is a fear. This question is a little easier than most phobia analogy questions because the prefix zoo- is such a dead giveaway. The correct answer is that zoophobia is the fear of animals.
Example Question #2 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots
Complete this analogy.
Arachnophobia is to spiders as triskaidekaphobia is to __________.
Clowns
Outlandish behavior
The afterlife
The outdoors
The number thirteen
The number thirteen
Arachnophobia, as you might have gathered from the prefix arach- and the suffix -phobia, is the fear of spiders; therefore, in order to solve this problem you have to determine what exactly triskaidekaphobia is the fear of. This is a tough question, but there are some clues in the word to help you determine the answer. The prefix tri- suggests it might have something to do with the number three, and the inclusion of deka (think decathlon) suggests it might have something to do with the number ten. In the absence of any other clues it seems logical to guess the correct answer is triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number thirteen. Now, good luck trying to pronounce it.
Example Question #5 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots
Complete this analogy.
Eighty is to octogenarian as seventy is to _________.
Pentagenarian
None of these answers
Nonagenarian
Septuagenarian
Pretty old
Septuagenarian
An octogenarian is somebody in his or her eighties, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what name is given to somebody in his or her seventies. The prefix sept- is commonly used to refer to the number seven or things composed of seven parts; therefore the correct answer is “septuagenarian.” For clarification, a nonagenarian is somebody in his or her nineties, and pentagenarian is not a word.
Example Question #2 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Prefixes, Suffixes, And Roots
Complete this analogy.
Cartographer is to map as vintner is to __________.
soda
hats
wine
shoes
coffee
wine
A cartographer is someone who makes maps, so in order to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the items is produced by a vintner. The prefix "vin-" might clue you in that the answer choice has to be wine (from the Latin for wine, vino).
Example Question #41 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Aquaphobia is to water as chronophobia is to __________.
loneliness
insects
love
poverty
time
time
Aquaphobia is the fear of water. Whenever you see the prefix "aqua-," you can assume that the word will have something to do with water. So to solve this analogy, you have to determine what chronophobia is a fear of. Chronophobia has the same prefix as the word "chronological" (which has to do with the passage of time), so it would be reasonable to assume that the prefix "chrono-" implies a relationship to time. This line of thinking would lead you to the correct answer, that chronophobia is the fear of time or the passage of time.
Example Question #42 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Antecedent is to predecessor as postscript is to __________.
preface
prologue
signature
descendant
afterword
afterword
"Ante-" and "pre-" both mean "before;" both words refer to things that come before other things. "Post" means "after" and "script" refers to writing, so a postscript is an afterword.
Example Question #41 : Analogies
The words in these verbal analogies are based on the understanding and use of common Latin and Greek word roots.
Anhydrous is to water as analgesic is to __________.
land
sand
water
pain
ocean
pain
Anhydrous means without water ("an" = without, "hydro" = water), and analgesic means without pain ("an" = without, "algesia" = pain).
Example Question #44 : Analogies
Complete this analogy.
Hydrodynamics is to water as thermodynamics is to __________.
sound
peace
wealth
heat
feel
heat
The Greek prefix hyrdo- means related to water. "Hydrodynamic" means a branch of science concerned with the movement of water and other fluids. To solve this analogy you need to consider the meaning of the Greek prefix therm- which means heat, temperature. "Thermodynamics" is therefore a branch of science concerned with heat, temperature and their relationship to movement and energy. The correct answer is therefore "heat." You might also have noticed that the root -dynam- means related to energy.
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All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
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