SSAT Middle Level Verbal › Suffixes from Latin
Complete this analogy.
Double is to two as quadruple is to __________.
four
three
five
six
two
If you "double" something, you increase it by two-fold. The prefix "quad-" means related to the number four, so when you quadruple something, you increase it by four-fold. So, the correct answer is "four."
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Deify is to god as vilify is to __________.
villain
ancestor
protagonist
juvenile
adolescent
“Deify” means consider as or make into a god and “vilify” means make into a villain or condemn. So, "villain" is the correct answer. If you did not immediately know this, it would become necessary to use your knowledge of prefixes to solve the analogy. The prefix "dei-"means related to (a) god(s) or (a) goddess(es) and the prefix "vil_-_" means related to evil doings. None of the other answer choices would make sense in the blank: “juvenile” means youthful and immature; “adolescent” means teenager; “ancestor” is the term used to describe the people who came before us to whom we are related, like our grandparents; and a “protagonist” is a hero.
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Gigabyte is to billion as terabyte is to __________.
trillion
ten
million
hundred
thousand
The prefix "giga_-" means related to a billion of something and the prefix "tera-" means related to a trillion of something. Do not confuse "tera-"_ with "terra_-,_" which means related to the Earth. A “byte” is a unit of computer storage space, so a "gigabyte" is a computer memory unit of one billion bytes, and a "terabyte" is a computer memory unit that consists of one trillion bytes, so "trillion" is the correct answer.
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Mortality is to death as veracity is to __________.
truth
deception
kindness
taxes
religion
The prefix "mort-"means related to the nature of life and death and the prefix "ver-"means related to truth and honesty. “Mortality” can mean many things, although most frequently it is used to mean death or the certainty of death. Likewise, “veracity” means “truth” or “truthfulness," so "truth" is the correct answer. “Deception” is the act of trying to trick and lie to someone.
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Fish is to gills as squirrel is to __________.
lungs
tail
fur
acorn
ears
A fish uses its gills to breathe, so to solve this analogy, you need to pick out a word that describes what part of its body a squirrel uses to breathe. The correct answer is "lungs." None of the other answer choices describe the body part that a squirrel uses to breathe.
Analogies: Complete this analogy.
Mandatory is to required as intermittent is to __________.
irregular
gregarious
abrasive
laborious
frequent
The prefix mand- means command, so something that is “mandatory” is something you are commanded to do and have to do. As such, it is a synonym of “required,” so to solve this analogy you need to determine the best available synonym for “intermittent.” The prefix inter- means between, and the word fragment -mit- means send so something that is “intermittent” is sent back and forth at irregular, or varied, intervals. As such it is closest in meaning to “irregular,” which means not frequent, out of pattern. The prefix ir- negates the meaning of the original word “regular,” causing the new word to mean the opposite. To provide further help, “frequent” means often; “abrasive” means rude; “laborious” means hard-work; “gregarious” means friendly, sociable.
Analogies: Fill in the blank(s) to complete this analogy.
Marriage is to divorce as contract is to __________.
termination
accord
litigation
anniversary
slander
"Marriage" is an institution that is ended by "divorce." To solve this analogy, you have to determine which of these words describes the ending of a "contract." A "contract" is a binding agreement between two parties. When a "contract" is ended, it is said to be "terminated." It may have helped you arrive at this answer if you considered that the prefix "term-" means boundary, ending. To provide further, help, an "accord" is an agreement; "litigation" is the process of suing someone; an "anniversary" is a yearly rememberance of a specific event on a specific date, such as a birthday; "slander" is the act of writing untruthful statements about someone with the intent of negatively affecting their reputation.
Complete this analogy.
Falsify is to deceive as magnify is to __________.
enlarge
diminish
reduce
achieve
grant
The prefix "fall-" or "fals-" means having to do with lying, deception and dishonesty, and the prefix "mag_-_" means having to do with largeness and grandness. “Falsify” means change something in order to deceive, so to solve this analogy, you have to determine how “magnify” changes something. The correct answer is that “magnify” means make bigger or make appear bigger; just think of what a "magnifying glass" does. "Enlarge" also means make bigger, so "enlarge" is the correct answer. As for the other answer choices, “diminish” means make smaller, as does “reduce," and “grant” means give.
Complete this analogy.
Before is to prelude as after is to __________.
catalogue
mandatory
laborious
legislate
epilogue
The prefix "pre_-_" usually suggest that the word will come before something or designate some beginning. In this instance, a “prelude” is an introductory event or piece of music. To solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the answer choices is something that comes after something else. The correct answer is an “epilogue,” which is the name given to a piece of writing that comes after the main narrative. None of the other answer choices make sense in the blank: “mandatory” means required; “laborious” means hard-work or exhausting; “legislate” means make laws; and “catalogue” means document and list some group of things when used as a verb and a booklet produced by a business showcasing the products that they are currently selling when used as a noun.
Complete this analogy.
Terrestrial is to earth as celestial is to __________.
outer space
forests
mountains
caverns
seas
“Terrestrial” is an adjective that means having to do with the earth, so we need to pick out a noun that conveys what the adjective “celestial” refers to. “Celestial” means having to do with sky, heaven, or outer space, so while all of the answer choices describe places or land features, “celestial” refers to something that has to do with "outer space" just as “terrestrial” refers to something that has to do with the earth. So, “outer space” is the correct answer.