SSAT Elementary Level Verbal › Cause to Effect or Effect to Cause
Complete this analogy.
Yawn is to tired as __________.
smile is to happy
teeth are to mouth
party is to cake
soup is to spoon
wooden is to floor
Someone who is tired may yawn, so we're looking for an answer where the first word describes an action someone might do if they currently feel the emotion the second word describes. If someone is happy, they might smile, just as if they are tired, they might yawn, so "smile is to happy" is the correct answer.
Complete this analogy.
Circus is to __________ as decoy is to distract.
entertain
refrain
pity
relent
deplore
A "decoy" is something used to mislead, distract, or trap someone. So, the purpose of a "decoy" is to "distract." What is the purpose of a "circus?" The correct answer is to "entertain" (provide fun, laughter, and amusement). Additionally, "deplore" means hate; "pity" means feel sorry for; "refrain" means stop oneself from doing, not allow oneself to do; "relent" means give up.
Complete this analogy.
Noise is to startle as __________.
lullaby is to soothe
please is to gift
toothbrush is to toothpaste
pirate is to treasure
boot is to shoe
A noise might startle someone, as “startle” means “to cause a feeling of sudden alarm.” So, we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is a noun and the second word is a verb that describes what that noun might do to someone. While “please is to gift” and “lullaby is to soothe” might each look like a potentially correct answer, a please does not gift someone, so “please is to gift” cannot be the correct answer. A lullaby might soothe someone, however, as “lullaby” means “a quiet, gentle song sung to send a child to sleep” and “soothe” means “gently to calm someone.” So, because a noise might startle someone just as a lullaby might soothe someone, “lullaby is to soothe” is the correct answer.
Complete the analogy.
Writer is to novel as __________.
runner is to race
sculpture is to sculptor
painting is to painter
bread is to baker
newspaper is to article
To complete the analogy, you first need to determine the relationship between the initial pairing. A "writer" writes a novel; a writer completes a novel. There is a sense of cause and effect. You should therefore look for that type of relationship in the possible answers. A runner runs a race; a runner completes a race. No other answers fulfill the relationship in this way.
Complete this analogy.
Clumsy is to broken as forgetful is to __________.
lost
found
fixed
graded
destroyed
Someone who is clumsy is someone who falls over and drops things often, and therefore someone who might cause something to break. To solve this analogy, you have to determine what someone who is forgetful might cause to happen to something. Being forgetful means you often forget things or lose them, so the correct answer is "lost." To provide further help, "repaired" means fixed, and "destroyed" means broken.
Complete this analogy.
Punch is to pain as embrace is to __________.
comfort
frustration
bewilderment
shame
exhaustion
When you “punch” someone, you are likely to cause “pain,” so to solve this analogy, you need to determine what would likely be caused by “embracing” someone. To “embrace” means to hug, so you could reasonably infer that an “embrace” would be likely generate “comfort” for someone. To provide further help, “shame” means embarrassment.
Complete this analogy.
Exhausted is to sleep as famished is to __________.
eat
drink
laugh
run
relax
“Exhausted” means very tired, so when you are “exhausted” you need to “sleep." To solve this analogy, you need to figure out what it is that you need to do when you are “famished.” “Famished” means very hungry, so when you are “famished” you need to “eat.”
Complete this analogy.
Swimming is to wet as running is to __________.
tired
race
runner
sprinting
young
If you go swimming you are likely to find yourself wet afterward, since swimming most often involves being in water. To solve this analogy, then, you have to determine which of these answer choices is an effect of going running; the correct answer is therefore "tired."
Engagement is to fiancé as wedding is to ____________.
spouse
parent
child
guest
priest
When one has an "engagement," one becomes a "fiancé." Likewise, when one has "a wedding," one becomes "a spouse."
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Smile is to happy as frown is to __________.
sad
laugh
joke
loud
silence
A "smile” is an expression we make when we are "happy," just as a "frown" is an expression we make when we are "sad."