SSAT Elementary Level Verbal › Part to Whole or Whole to Part
Complete this analogy.
Hands are to fingers as feet are to __________.
toes
toenails
ears
fingernails
elbows
Hands have fingers attached to them, so to solve the analogy, you need to pick out the answer choice which describes the appendages attached to feet. So, "toes" is the correct answer.
Complete this analogy.
Wave is to ocean as __________.
branch is to tree
bird is to nest
ground is to dirt
fly is to bird
kettle is to tea
Since waves are part of oceans, we need to pick out an answer in which the first thing is part of the second thing. While "birds are to nests" might seem like a good answer, because birds are found in nests, birds are not a part of nests, so "birds are to nests" can't be the right answer. "Branch is to tree" is the correct answer because a branch is a part of a tree, like waves are a part of an ocean.
Complete the analogy.
Light bulb is to lamp as __________.
page is to book
lamp is to outlet
chair is to book
light is to dark
room is to door
To complete the analogy, you first need to determine the relationship between the initial pairing. A "light bulb" is a part of a lamp. Therefore the answer must be in the form of "'part' is to 'whole.'" A "page" is a part of a book, so that must be the correct answer.
Complete the analogy.
Magazine is to article as ___________.
book is to chapter
pen is to paper
journalist is to interview
essay is to computer
homework is to student
To complete the analogy, you first need to determine the relationship between the initial pairing. An "article" is a part of a "magazine." Therefore the answer must be in the form of "'whole' is to 'part.'" A "chapter" is a part of a book, so that must be the correct answer.
Complete this analogy.
Loaf is to bread as __________ is to grapes.
bunch
fruit
apples
healthy
toast
A collection of "bread" is known as a "loaf," as in "a loaf of bread." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what a group of "grapes" is called. The correct answer is a "bunch," as in "a bunch of grapes."
Complete this analogy.
Sailboat is to sail as __________.
mop is to handle
bristles are to toothbrush
conversation is to interruption
insistence is to stubbornness
antique is to old
A sail is part of a sailboat, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the second word is a part of the first word. While "mop is to handle" and "bristles are to toothbrush" might each look like a potentially correct answer, a toothbrush is not a part of bristles, so "bristles are to toothbrush" cannot be the correct answer. A handle is part of a mop, however, just like a sail is part of a sailboat, so "handle is to mop" is the correct answer.
Complete this analogy.
Bicycle is to handlebars as car is to __________.
steering wheel
brakes
wheels
radio
cup holder
Since handlebars are the part of a bicycle which one uses to steer it, we need to pick out an answer choice that describes the part of a car used to steer it. While all the answer choices are nouns that represent parts of a car, "steering wheel" is the correct answer because one uses a car's steering wheel to steer it, just like one uses a bicycle's handlebars to steer it.
Complete this analogy.
Bicycle is to handlebars as car is to __________.
steering wheel
brakes
radio
windows
dashboard
When riding a bicycle, one uses the handlebars to steer, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes which part of a car one uses to steer when driving it. One uses the steering wheel of a car to steer it, just as one uses the handlebars of a bicycle to steer it, so “steering wheel” is the correct answer.
Complete this analogy.
Leaf is to plant as __________ is to dog.
tail
pet
cat
loyal
tree
A "leaf" is a part of a "plant." So, which of these is a part of a "dog?" The correct answer is a "tail."
Complete this analogy.
Month is to year as __________.
second is to minute
cow is to calf
child is to adult
sage is to page
noise is to silence
Months are smaller divisions of a year, so to solve the analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice in which the first answer is a smaller division of the second answer. Seconds are smaller divisions of a minute just as months are smaller divisions of a year, so "second is to minute" is the correct answer. Considering the other answer choices, a baby "cow" is called a "calf" and "cows" give birth to "calves," a "child" develops into an "adult," "sage" and "page" are words that rhyme, and "noise" and "silence" are opposites, so none of the other answer choices are related in the same way that "month" is related to "year."