SSAT Elementary Level Verbal : Determining Meaning or Part of Speech from Context

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Elementary Level Verbal

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Example Questions

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Example Question #1 :Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Policing is to precinct as banking is to__________.

Possible Answers:

Headquarters

Branch

Hotel

Office

Building

Correct answer:

Branch

Explanation:

A “police” “precinct” iswhere the police are locatedandwhere they deal with members of the public. Similarly in “banking” the placewhere a bank locally deals with customersis called a branch. Your local bank is your “branch.” There you will find the offices of the local bank manager. The banks “headquarters” are whereall of the branches refer to and are at the centre of the branches.

Example Question #1 :Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Alter is to altar as__________.

Possible Answers:

ale is to mail

paper is to stack

cannon is to canon

buy is to bought

hole is to fill

Correct answer:

cannon is to canon

Explanation:

"Alter" and "altar" mean different things, but they sound the same, so they're homophones. Look for an answer that has two words that sound the same but have different meanings. Since "cannon" sounds like "canon" but means something completely different, "cannon is to canon" is the best choice. "Ale" and "mail" rhyme, but they don't sound exactly the same when spoken.

Example Question #1 :Determining Meaning Or Part Of Speech From Context

Complete this analogy.

Typewriter is to type as mouse is to__________.

Possible Answers:

store

print

withdraw

click

chop

Correct answer:

click

Explanation:

一种使用打字机,所以我们需要选择out an answer choice that isa verb that describes what one uses a mouse to do. While “mouse” can mean “a small rodent,” it can also mean “a small handheld device used to move the cursor on a computer screen.” Given the potential answer choices, one can infer that “mouse” is being used to describe the device, not the animal. While “click” and “print” might each look like a potentially correct answer choice, one does not use a mouse to print things, so “print” cannot be the correct answer; however, one does use a mouse to click things, just as one uses a typewriter to type, so “click” is the correct answer.

Example Question #1 :Determining Meaning Or Part Of Speech From Context

Complete this analogy.

Bill is to duck as__________.

Possible Answers:

paper is to seal

swan is to office

hoof is to cow

tree is to apple

easy is to difficult

Correct answer:

hoof is to cow

Explanation:

What does "bill" mean? It can meantha法律的建议t has not yet been signed into law,one piece of paper money,a part of a hat, orthe beak of certain types of birds. Pick the meaning that fits best with the other word, "duck," which is a bird's beak. Then choose the answer that best matches this relationship: part of something is to the whole thing. The best fit is "hoof is to cow," because "hoof" refers to a part of a cow. "Tree is to apple" might work, but it would have to be switched around: "apple is to tree."

Example Question #1 :Determining Meaning Or Part Of Speech From Context

Complete this analogy.

Tutor is to tutor as__________.

Possible Answers:

teacher is to teach

driver is to drive

sun is to son

flog is to fog

phone is to phone

Correct answer:

phone is to phone

Explanation:

The phrase in question relates to a homograph and plays on its different meanings. Recognize that the word "tutor" has two meanings; it can be used as a noun meaninga personal teacher, or as a verb meaningto act as a tutor for someone. "Teacher is to teach" is similar to "tutor is to tutor" because a "teacher" is similar to a "tutor," but "teacher" and "teach" are not a single word with multiple meanings like "tutor." "Driver is to drive" is similar in almost the same fashion, but is also incorrect. "Sun is to son" is tempting, but it is a homophone (two words that sound alike but are spelled differently and mean different things) rather than a homograph like "tutor." The correct answer is "phone" because it also has two meanings, one which is a noun (telephoneorcellular communication device) and one that is a verb (to use a phone to callsomeone).

Example Question #1 :Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Happiness is to cheer as might is to__________.

Possible Answers:

certain

weakness

want

strength

uncertain

Correct answer:

strength

Explanation:

"Happiness" and "cheer" are synonyms, which means that they mean the same thing. So, to solve the analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice which means the same thing as "might. While "might" can be used to express that someone may or may not do something in sentences like "She might go to the movies tonight," it can also meanstrengthwhen used as a noun. So, "strength" is the correct answer.

Example Question #1 :Determining Meaning Or Part Of Speech From Context

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Dangerous is to harmful as crucial is to__________.

Possible Answers:

sad

punch

official

damaging

key

Correct answer:

key

Explanation:

"Dangerous" and "harmful" are synonyms because they both mean the same thing. So, to solve this analogy, you need to pick out an answer choice that means the same thing as "crucial." "Crucial" meansvery important. When none of the answer choices may initially look correct, you should see if you can consider any secondary meanings the answer choices might have. While "key" can meana device used to open a lockwhen used as a noun, it can also meanmostimportantwhen used as an adjective. So, "key" is the correct answer because it is closest in meaning to "crucial."

Example Question #8 :Analogies

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

是涂料画是完成__________.

Possible Answers:

slide

painting

close

gun

tie

Correct answer:

tie

Explanation:

"Finish” can meanthe final coating on a surfaceorthe appearance produced by such a coating.So, a “finish” is a “coating.” “Finish” is more commonly used to meanendorcomplete, but for this analogy, you need to know one of the secondary meanings of the word. “Draw,” like “finish,” can mean a lot of different things. Commonly “draw” meansleave (a contest) undecided; a "draw" can also be called a “tie.” If you chose "gun," "painting," or "close," you were probably thinking of the different meanings of “draw,” but they do not fit the analogy perfectly.

Example Question #1 :Analogies

Complete this analogy.

鲁比(人名)is to red as__________.

Possible Answers:

grass is to green

fur is to soft

dream is to asleep

fence is to wooden

sun is to blue

Correct answer:

grass is to green

Explanation:

“Ruby” is a noun that can meana red gemora deep red color, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first noun is an object that is the color that the second word, an adjective, describes, or an answer choice in which the two words are synonyms. None of the answer choices consist of a pair of synonyms, so we will need to look for an answer choice that consists of an object and the color of that object. While “grass is to green” and “sun is to blue” may each look like a potentially correct answer, the sun is not blue, so “sun is to blue” cannot be the correct answer. However, grass is often green just like rubies are red, so “grass is to green” is the correct answer.

Example Question #1 :Analogies

Complete this analogy.

Wind is to clock as__________.

Possible Answers:

desk is to paper

student is to teacher

sewer is to trash

old is to young

spin is to top

Correct answer:

spin is to top

Explanation:

"Wind" has a few meanings, includingthe movement of airandtighten a spring. Only the last meaning has something to do with a "clock" - some clocks are wound so they keep running. So look for an answer that has the relationship of something done to something it's done to. The best match is "spin is to top", as tops, the toys, can be spun.

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