Analogies

Analogies test your ability to: Recognize the relationship between the words in a word pair Recognize when two word pairs display parallel relationships

To answer an analogy question you must: Formulate and recognize the relationship between the words in the given word pair Select the answer containing words related to one another in most nearly the same way Recognize when two word pairs display parallel relationships

Analogies look like this: STEM:WORDS :: First pair Second pair Third pair Fourth pair Fifth pair

In what ways could two words be related? The relationship will always have to do with the meaning of the words

Examples of possible relationships Synonyms or antonyms A part to the whole A member to the category that contains it Cause to effect (or effect to cause) Varying degrees of a quantity or quality Object to function

Here is one example of each of these relationships Synonyms INFANT: BABY GROWN-UP : ?? Antonyms BIG : SMALL FULL : ?? Part to whole WHEEL : CAR BRANCH : ?? Member to Category APPLE : FRUIT CARROT : ?? Cause to Effect SLIVER : PAIN HEAT : ?? Matters of Degree WARM : HOT COOL : ?? Object to Function TRUCK : TRANSPORT OVEN : ?? Grown-Up -ADULT Full - EMPTY Branch - TREE Carrot -VEGTABLE Heat - BOIL Cool -FRIGID Oven - BAKE

PRACTICE PLATOON:SOLDIER HOT:SCALDING STARVATION:BINGING GILLS:BREATHING PERSUASIVE:CONVINCING SOCCER:SPORT Let’s practice recognizing relationships. Part to whole - the second word (solider) is part of the first word (platoon) Varying degree - the first word (hot) is the extreme of the second word (scalding) Antonym Object to function - gills are used to breathe Synonym -someone who is persuasive is also convincing Member to category- soccer is a type of sport

Approaches that may be helpful in answering analogy questions: Try to establish a precise relationship between the words in the given pair Form a sentence that captures the relationship between the two words Then look for the answer choice containing the word pair whose relationship is closest to that of the given pair and can be expressed in a similar fashion

Example APPLE : FRUIT :: Salad : Mix Orange: Banana Juice : Can Slice : Core Carrot : Vegetable Make a sentence that shows the relationship between apple and fruit. How about “An apple is a type of fruit.” Test that sentence by going through all five answers choices, replacing apple & fruit with the different pairs of words. Only one pair fits the sentence. Answer E: A carrot is a type of vegetable.

How do you know if you have a good sentence? Look at the answer choices If more than one answer choice seems to fit, then your sentence is too general If none of them work, then your sentence is too specific

Example PEN : WRITE :: Pencil : Sharpen Ink : Blue Letter : Compose Knife : Cut Mistake : Erase Too specific sentence - I once had a pen that my dog chewed but it still wrote in different colors. - sentence is too long, too specific. Too general: A pen is a thing and to write is an action. Sentence is too vague. It describes each word individually and not the relationship of the words. Lots of very different pairs of words could fit from this sentence.

Helpful Approaches con’t: Pay attention to the order of the words in the pair Pay attention to the parts of speech The relationships you need to explain will be constant relationships Analogy questions are vocabulary intensive Remember that a single word can have several different meaning Never decide on the best answer without reading all the answer choices Practice recognizing and formulating relationships between word pairs

Practice Mnemonic : Remember :: Amnesiac : Forget Euphoria : Relax Nostril : Smell Audio : Hear E. Glasses : See Mnemonic - a device used to aid memory Remember is to recall A mnemonic is a device used to help one to remember Looking for an object to a function An amnesiac is someone who has lost their memory. Euphoria is a feeling of great joy. Nostril is either of two openings at the end of a nose. Audio- the recording or reproduction of sound. Are glasses a device used to help one see? Glasses are a device used to correct poor vision, thus enabling a person to see more clearly.

Answer Mnemonic : Remember :: E. Glasses : See

Practice EXCORIATE : ABRADE :: Consent : Decree Demur : Agree Mar : Burnish Eschew : Avoid Proscribe : Support Excoriate - to wear off the skin, often through abrasion Abrade - to be worn away by friction Excoriate and Abrade are synonyms. We are looking for two words that mean the same. Consent means to give permission, decree means to order Demur means to object which is the opposite of agree. Mar means to detract from. Burnish means to polish metal until it shines. Eschew means to avoid doing something. Proscribe is to prohibit something , support is to give active help D. Is the only answers that the two words have the same meaning.

Answer EXCORIATE : ABRADE :: D. Eschew : Avoid

Practice COBBLER : OXFORDS :: Mason : Mortar Lapidary : Stones Haberdasher : Linen Chandler : Candles Agronomist : Fertilizer Cobbler is someone who makes shoes. Oxfords are a type of shoe. Looking for a member to category. Mason -someone who makes things out of stone. Mortar is used to hold bricks and stone together. Lapidary means to engrave in stone. Haberdasher is someone who owns or works in a store that sells mens clothing. A chandler is a candle maker. Agronomist is someone who studies soil management.

Answer COBBLER : OXFORDS :: D. Chandler : Candles