VERBAL ANALOGIES: AN INTRODUCTION

Verbal analogies provide excellent training in seeing relationships between concepts.

From a practical standpoint, verbal analogies always appear on standardized tests (like
the SAT, the GRE, and other professional exams). Increasingly, too, employers may
use these word comparisons on personnel and screening tests to determine an
applicants quickness and verbal acuity. So it is worth your while to master this skill,
and besides, theyre fun to do.
The student portion of the Web site contains three analogy exercises of varying levels.
You can do them alone, either with or without a dictionary, or with friends. Before you
begin, however, study the information on this page so that you see the many possible
relationships suggested in each pair of words. If you wish to practice with other
samples, your instructor can give you additional exercises on the instructor portion of
this Web site.
How to "Read" Analogies
The symbol ( : ) means "is to" and the symbol ( : : ) means "as." Thus, the analogy,
"aspirin : headache : : nap : fatigue," should be read "aspirin is to headache as nap is
to fatigue." Stated another way, the relationship between aspirin and headache is the
same as the relationship between nap and fatigue.
Tips for Doing Analogies

Try to determine the relationship between the first pair of words.

Eliminate any pairs in your answer choices that dont have the same
relationship.
Try putting the first pair into a sentence: "Aspirin relieves a headache."
Therefore, a nap relieves fatigue.
Sometimes paying attention to the words parts of speech helps. For example
"knife" (noun) : "cut" (verb) : : "pen" (also a noun) : "write" (also a verb).

Common Relationships Between Word Pairs

1. Sameness (synonyms)

boring : monotonous

wealthy : affluent : : indigent : poverty-stricken

2. Oppositeness (antonyms)

genuine : phony

zenith : nadir : : pinnacle : valley

3. Classification Order (general - specific)

food : fruit : peach

orange : fruit : : beet : vegetable

4. Difference of Degree (or Connotative Values)

cool : cold : frozen

slender : skinny
clever : crafty : : modest : prim
5. Person Related to Tool, Major Trait, Skill, or Interest

writer : novel

entomologist : insects : : philosopher : ideas

6. Part and Whole

wheels : bicycle

eraser : pencil : : tooth : comb

7. Steps in a Process

birth : life : death

cooking : serving : : word processing : printing

8. Cause and Effect (or Typical Result)

poison : death

fire : scorch : : blizzard : freeze

9. Thing and Its Function

shovel : dig

scissors : cut : : pen : write

10. Qualities or Characteristics

gold : valuable

aluminum : lightweight : : thread : fragile

11. Substance Related to End Product

cow : milk

silk : scarf : : wool : sweater

12. Implied Relationships

light : knowledge

clouds : sun : : hypocrisy : truth

13. Thing and What It Lacks

spinster : husband

atheist : belief : : indigent : money

14. Symbol and What It Represents
dove : peace : : four-leaf clover : luck
1. arrival : departure : : ________ : death

Uncle Sam : U. S.

life
person
birth
train

2. elbow : arm : : knee : _________

walking
finger
leg
nose

3. car : road : : train : ________

track
vehicle
fast
wheel

4. baiting hook : fishing : : _______ : hunting

loading gun
firing gun
stalking game
aiming gun

5. violence : activity : : melancholy : ________

evening
cruelty
mood
silence

6. man : trousers : : woman : ____________

clothing
skirt
hat
blanket

7. university : institution : : mayor : _______

official
town
law
councilman

8. grass : soil : : seaweed : ___________

water
salty

river
fish

9. truthfulness : court : : cleanliness : _________

virtue
restaurant
bath
pig

10. egg : fish : : ________ : plant

leaf
root
seed
stem

11. lion : animal : : flower : ___________

plant
grass
roots
rose

12. wave : crest : : _________ : peak

water
top
moving
mountain

13. falling : gravitation : : collapse : __________

balloon
electricity
pressure
destruction

14. professor : ___________ : : musician : entertainment

pupils
school
homework
instruction

15. grains : sand : : drops : __________

rain
snow
surf
flood

16. wave : tide : : moment : ________

time
ocean
tardiness
clock

17. wife : woman : : _______ : man

father
groom
boy
husband

18. book : _______ : : comb : tooth

title
library
page
knowledge

19. boy : child : : man : ________

father
uncle
adult
person

20. flower : weed : : _______ : buzzard

plant
swan
bird
vulture

Student Name: