Understanding Word Problems

 An analogy is a word problem made up of two different pairs of words  Analogies require you to identify a relationship between two words

 An analogy contains two pairs of words  happy : joyful :: sad : depressed (pair one) (pair two)  Both pairs of words must contain the same word relationship

 The analogies we will study this year will contain the following word relationships:  Synonyms  Words that have the same, or similar meaning  Example: Obnoxious  Annoying  Antonyms  Words that have opposite meanings  Example: Vicious  Kind  Part to Whole  One word represents a part, or portion of the second word which represents a whole object or item  Example: Toe  Foot, Engine  Car, Page  Book

 Descriptive  One word describes a characteristic, or property of the other word  Example: Blue  Sky, Sour  Lemon, Immaculate  Mary  Item to Category  One word is an item, article, or piece that resides within the category found in the other word  Example: Pants  Clothing, Apple  Fruit, Yogurt  Dairy

 Analogies are written as:  Graceful : Clumsy :: Late : Early  Analogies are read as:  Graceful is to Clumsy as Late is to Early

 When determining the relationship between words you must initially concentrate on the FIRST PAIR OF WORDS  When concentrating on the first pair of words ask yourself what the relationship is between those words.  Are they:  Synonyms?  Antonyms?  Part to whole?  Descriptive?  Item to Category?

 Example:  GRACEFUL : CLUMSY :: Sunny : _____________  What is the relationship between graceful and clumsy ?  They have opposite meanings therefore they are ANTONYMS  Since the first pair of words are antonyms, the second pair of words also have to be antonyms  To solve the analogy you would ask yourself what the antonym, or opposite of sunny is  ANSWER : Graceful : Clumsy :: Sunny : Cloudy

1) Analyze the first set of words only. 2) Ask yourself what the relationship is between the first two words. 3) Once you’ve identified a relationship, look at the word given in the second pair. 4) Ask yourself what word you could place in the blank to create the same relationship you identified in the first pair of words.

 MSV8 MSV8  AIwM&playnext=1&list=PLBFE0FF9458C62E3 0&feature=results_main AIwM&playnext=1&list=PLBFE0FF9458C62E3 0&feature=results_main

 Permanent : Temporary :: Success : __________  The relationship between the first set of words is:  They are antonyms, or opposites  What is the antonym of success?  Failure  Solve the analogy  Permanent : Temporary :: Success : Failure

 Smart : Intelligent :: Honest : ______________  Relationship:  Synonyms  Solve:  Smart : Intelligent :: Honest : Truthful  Venus : Solar System :: Leaf : _____________  Relationship:  Part to Whole  Solve:  Venus : Solar System :: Leaf : Tree

 Desert : Hot :: Arctic : __________________  Relationship:  Descriptive  Solve:  Desert : Hot :: Arctic : Cold  Monopoly : Board Game :: Basketball : _______  Relationship:  Item to Category  Solve:  Monopoly : Board Game :: Basketball : Sport