Example and Category

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SSAT Middle Level Verbal › Example and Category

Questions 1 - 10
1

Complete this analogy.

Dinosaur is to pterodactyl as dessert is to __________.

brownie

water

insect

damage

sweetness

Explanation

A pterodactyl is a kind of dinosaur, so we need to pick out an answer choice that consists of a kind of dessert. While both "water" and "brownie" may look like potentially correct answer choices because each can be consumed by humans, "brownie" is the correct answer, because while "water" is not a kind of a desert, "brownie" is.

2

Complete this analogy.

Knife is to __________ as oblong is to shape.

implement

sorcerer

mentor

vagabond

miser

Explanation

An "oblong" is an example of a "shape," so to solve this analogy you need to determine what a "knife" is an example of. The correct answer is an "implement," which is another word for utensil. Additionally, a "miser" is someone who is not generous with money; a "sorcerer" is someone who performs magic; a "mentor" is someone with experience who provides guidance to a novice; a "vagabond" is a homeless person who wanders from place to place.

3

Complete this analogy.

Leek is to onion as yam is to __________.

potato

farmer

fruit

dinner

meal

Explanation

A "leek" is an example of an "onion," so to solve this analogy you merely need to determine what a "yam" is an example of. The correct answer is "potato."

4

Complete this analogy.

Jaguar is to cat as __________ is to dog.

hyena

loyal

quick

hunter

pack

Explanation

A "jaguar" is a type of big "cat" native to South America. So, it is an example of a "cat." To solve this analogy you therefore need to determine which of these is an example of a type of "dog." The correct answer is "hyena."

5

Xylophone is to instrument as __________.

pear is to fruit

game is to chess

wax is to candle

lock is to key

cloud is to sky

Explanation

A xylophone is an example of an instrument, so we need to pick out an answer choice that consists of two nouns, where the first is an example of the second. While “pear is to fruit” and “game is to chess” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “game” is not an example of a “chess,” so “game is to chess” cannot be the correct answer. A pear is an example of a fruit, however, just as a xylophone is an example of an instrument, so “pear is to fruit” is the correct answer.

6

Complete this analogy.

Granite is to rock as haiku is to __________.

poem

liquid

meal

job

language

Explanation

"Granite" is a type of "rock." So, to solve this analogy you merely need to determine which of these categories a "haiku" belongs in. A "haiku" is a metered "poem" with an established number of lines and syllables. So, the correct answer is "poem."

7

Complete this analogy.

Brother is to kin as __________ is to criminal.

outlaw

constable

aviator

mendicant

teacher

Explanation

"Kin" means family member. So, a "brother" is an example of "kin." To solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is an example of a "criminal." The correct answer is an "outlaw," someone who has broken the law and is on the run from the authorities. Additionally, "constable" means police officer; "aviator" means pilot of a plane; "mendicant" means beggar.

8

Complete this analogy.

Catamaran is to __________ as blacksmith is to tradesman.

boat

animal

occupation

subject

religion

Explanation

A "blacksmith" is someone who makes and shapes iron by hand. This is an example of a "tradesman." So, to solve this analogy which of these answer choices is a "catamaran" an example of? Well, a "catamaran" is a "boat" with twin-hulls. So, the correct answer is "boat." Additionally, "occupation" means job, vocation, profession, what someone does for a living.

9

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Cockatoo is to bird as __________.

frog is to amphibian

whale is to fish

mammal is to dolphin

sky is to bird

plant is to animal

Explanation

The relationship between "cockatoo" and "bird" is that a cockatoo is a type of bird. Likewise, a "frog" is a _type of "_amphibian." One choice that may seem similar is "whale is to fish," but whales are not fish; they are mammals. Therefore, there is no relationship between "whale" and "fish." The choice "mammal is to dolphin" shares the same relationship as a "dolphin" is a type of mammal, but the order of the words is category to example instead of example to category, as it is worded in the question. Therefore, "mammal is to dolphin" is an inappropriate choice. The relationship between "bird" and "sky" is that birds fly in the sky. The relationship between "plant" and "animal" is unclear.

10

Complete this analogy.

Isosceles is to __________ as parallelogram is to quadrilateral.

triangle

circle

angles

three

four

Explanation

A "parallelogram" is an example of a "quadrilateral." A "quadrilateral" is a shape with four sides. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is related to an "isosceles." The correct answer is that "isosceles" is the name given to a certain type of "triangle." A "triangle" is a shape with three sides. Based on this evidence what do you think the prefixes quad- and tri- mean?

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