Analogy Tricks

 

Analogy literally means ‘similarity’ having similar features. Questions on analogy test the ability of a candidate to understand the relationship between two given objects in mind that are asked in the question.

 

Verbal analogies tests are standardized psychometric assessment tests (also used on SAT, GRE, and other professional exams) that provide the employing organization with information about a candidate’s general verbal acuity and insight. Verbal analogy tests are designed to assess a candidate’s ability to recognize relationships between ideas, think methodically and fluency in the English language. The questions in the test are designed to assess a candidate’s logical and analytical reasoning through the use of partial analogies.

 

Several relationships between pairs of words are possible. For instance, expect relations such as:

• Antonyms: words that have opposite meanings.
• Synonyms: words that have similar meanings, such as Buy – Purchase.
• Descriptive: in which one word describes the other word, such as Blue – Ocean.
• Part to Whole: in which one word is a part or piece of the other, such as Head – Body.
• Steps in a Process: such as Cooking – Serving.
• Cause and Effect: such as Fire – Scorch and Blizzard – Freeze
• Things and Their Functions: such as Scissors – Cut.
• Item to Category: in which one word names something that falls into the group named by the other, such as Lemonade – Beverage.
• Implied Relationships: such as Clouds – Sun.
• Symbol and What it Represents: such as Heart – Love.

 

 

This type of question covers all types of relationships that one thinks about. There are many ways of establishing a relationship.

It must be borne in mind that a candidate’s intellectual skill is important to analyse the similarity between two or more objects, yet a rich knowledge of usages of different words adds to one’s performance.

 

Important types of Analogy

 

Synonym Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, two words have a similar meaning.
Examples:

Big: Large	Huge : Gigantic
Endless : Eternal	Thin : Slim
Benevolent : Kind	Notion : Idea

Antonym Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, the two words of the question pair are opposite in meaning.
Examples:

Poor : Rich	Fat : Slim
Tall : Short	Big : Small
Light : Dark	Avoid : Meet

Tool and Object Based Analogy

This establishes a relationship between a tool and the object in which it works.
Examples:

Pencil : Paper	Pen : Paper
Scissors : Cloth	Saw : Wood
Eraser : Paper	Filter : Water

Worker & Tool Based Analogy

This establishes a relationship between a particular tool and the person of that particular profession who uses that tool.
Examples:

Writer : Pen	Painter : Brush
Cricketer : Bat	Blacksmith : Hammer
Barber : Scissors	Hunter : Gun

Worker and Product Based Analogy

This type of analogy gives a relationship between a person of a particular profession and his/her creations.
Examples:

Batsman : Run	Writer : Book
Author : Novel	Singer : Song
Poet : Poem	Journalist : News

Causes and Effect Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, 1st-word acts and the 2nd-word is the effect of that action.
Examples:

Work : Tiredness	Bath : Freshness
Race : Fatigue	Shoot : Kill
Infection : Disease	Food : Energy

Gender Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, one word is masculine and another word is feminine of that word.

Examples:

Man : Woman	Boy : Girl
Nephew : Niece	Bull : Cow
Duck : Drake	Lion : Lioness

Classification Based Analogy

This type of analogy is based on biological, physical, chemical or any other classification. In such problems, the 1st word may be classified by the 2nd word and vice-versa.

Examples:

Cow : Animal	Girl : Human
Oxygen : Gas	Water : Liquid
Snake : Reptile	Parrot : Bird

Function Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, 2nd word describes the function of the 1st word.

Examples:

Singer : Sings	General : Commands
Player : Plays	Surgeon : Operates
Spoon : Feed	Microscope : Magnify

Quantity and Unit Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, 2nd word is the unit of the 1st word and vice-versa.

Examples:

Distance : Mile	Mass : Kilogram
Length : Metre	Force : Newton
Power : Watt	Temperature : Degree

Product & Raw Material Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, the 1st word is the raw material and 2nd word is the end product of that raw material and vice-versa.

Examples:

Yarn : Fabric	Milk : Curd
Flour : Bread	Latex : Rubber
Grape : Wine	Fruit : Juice

Utility Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, the 2nd word shows the purpose of the 1st word or vice-versa.

Examples:

Pen : Writing	Food : Eating
Chair : Sitting	Bed : Sleeping
Bat : Playing	Steering : Drive

Symbolic Relationship Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, the 1st word is the symbol of the 2nd word and vice-versa.

Examples:

White : Peace	Red : Danger
Black : Sorrow	Red Cross : Hospital
Swastika : Fortune	Yellow : Flood

Adult abd Young one Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, the 1st word is the adult one and 2nd word is the young one of the 1st word or vice-versa.

Examples:

Cow : Calf	Human : Child
Dog : Puppy	Duck : Duck ling
Goat : Kid	Tiger : Cub

Subject and Specialist Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, the 2nd word is the specialist of the 1st word (subject) or vice-versa.

Examples:

Heart : Cardiologist	Skin : Dermatologist
Pediatrics : Children	Ophthalmologist : Eye
Geologist : Earth Science

Habit Based Analogy

In this type of analogy 2nd word is the habit of 1st and vice-versa.

Examples:

Cat : Omnivorous	Tiger : Carnivorous
Cow : Herbivorous	Goat : Herbivorous

Instrument and Measurement Based Analogy

We see in this type of analogy, the 1st word is the instrument to measure the 2nd word and vice-versa.

Examples:

Hygrometer : Humidity	Barometer : Pressure
Thermometer : Temperature	Sphygmomanometer : Blood pressure

Individual and Group Based Analogy

The 2nd word is the group of 1st word (or vice-versa) in such type of analogy.

Examples:

Cow : Herd	Sheep : Flack
Grapes : Bunch	Singer : Chorus

State and Capital Based Analogy

In this type of analogy, 1st word is the state and 2nd word is the capital of that state (or vice-versa).

Examples:

Bihar : Patna	West Bengal : Kolkata
Maharashtra : Mumbai	Karnataka : Bangluru

Country and Capital Based Analogy

In this type of analogy, 1st word is the country and 2nd word is the capital of that country (or vice-versa).

Examples:

Rome : Italy	Muskat : Oman
Lima : Peru	Accra : Ghana
Oslo : Norway	Delhi : India

Individual and Dwelling Place Based Analogy

In such a type of analogy, 1st word is the individual and 2nd word is the dwelling place of that individual (1st word) and vice-versa.

Examples:

Horse : Stable	Bee : Apiary
Dog : Kennel	Birds : Aviary
Monk : Monastery	Human : House

Worker and Working Place Based Analogy

In this type of analogy, the 1st word represents a person of a particular profession and 2nd word represents the working place of that person (1st word) and vice-versa.

Examples:

Doctor : Hospital	Clerk : Office
Cook : Kitchen	Professor : College
Teacher : School	Lawyer : Court

Topic and Study Based Analogy

1st word is the study of the 2nd word (or vice-versa) in the analogy.

Examples:

Birds : Ornithology	Earth quakes : Seismology
Botany : Plants	Zoology : Animals
Mycology : Fungi	Histology : Tissues

Trophy and Game Based Analogy

Examples:

Ranji Trophy : Cricket	Dhyan Chand Trophy : Hockey
Thomas Cup : Badminton	Uber Cup : Badminton

Product and Raw Material Based Analogy

Examples:

Metal : Ore	Bread : Flour
Curd : Milk	Wine : Grapes
Butter : Milk	Wall : Brick

Individual and Group/class

Examples:

Man : Crowd	Flowers : Bouquet
Fish : Shoal	Sheep : Flock
Cattle : Herd	Singer : Chorus

Organ and Disease

Examples:

Liver : Jaundice	Eye : Cataract
Kidney : Stone

 

Analogy Based on Alphabet

 

1. Forward Alphabetical Sequence

Examples:

1. CD : FG :: PQ : ST
2. EGI : MOQ :: UWY : CEG

 

2. Backward Alphabetical Sequence

Examples:

1. DC : GF :: QP : TS
2. IGE : QOM :: YWU : GEC
   

 

3. Vowel–Consonant Relation

Example: ATL : EVX :: IPR : ORS

Here, the 1st two words start with the 1st two vowels A and E and the next two words start with the next two vowels I and O. Last two letters of every word are consonants.

 

4. Skip Letter Relation

Example: ABC : FGH :: IJK : NOP

Here between ABC and FGH two letters (D and E) skip. Similarly, between IJK and NOP two letters (L and M) skip.

 

5. Jumbled Letters Relation

Examples:

1. LAIN : NAIL :: EVOL : LOVE

Here the 1st term gets reversed to produce the 2nd term and similar relation is shown between the 3rd and 4th term.

2. ABCD : OPQR :: WXYZ : KLMN

Each letter of the 1st group ‘ABCD’ is moved fourteen steps forward to obtain the corresponding letter of the 2nd group ‘OPQR’. A similar relation is established between the 3rd group ‘WXYZ’ and the 4th group ‘KLMN.’

 

Quick tips:

Tips for solving Analogies

• The only way to become better at verbal analogies is through practice. Our verbal analogy tests are developed by professionals and provide you with full explanations.
• Try to determine the relationship between the first pair of words.
• Turn the analogies into sentences. Read the analogy problems as sentences, even if they aren’t actually written that way.
• Go through tough problems systematically.
• Read all of the answer choices first before making a decision. This might sound obvious, but candidates commonly stop reading the answer choices once they’ve found what seems like a strong match.
• Eliminate any pairs in the answers that do not have a similar type of relationship.
• If the meaning of a word is unknown, then try to recollect the context in which you have come across the word.
• Also, consider alternative meanings of words.
• Take another look at the relationship possibilities as described above and try to look for them when trying to solve analogies.
• If all else fails, eliminate the unlikely answers and make an educated guess.