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Verbal Analogies

This section assesses students' inductive and deductive reasoning skills. In the test, the student is given one pair of related words and another word without its pair. The student must find a word that has the same relationship to the word as the first pair.

An example is shown below:
1.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
happysad:wealthy
A) debtB) powerC) griefD) poorE) ill
[Correct Answer]:D

In order to answer a verbal analogies question, students are to determine the relationship between the given pair of words, and then select a word from the answer choices that combine with the given third word to represent the same kind of relationship as the first pair of words.

    Tips for doing verbal analogies
  • Try to determine the relationship between the first pair of words.
  • Eliminate any choices that don't have the same relationship with the given word.
  • Then read the first pair along with the possible answer pair with the same relationship in a sentence, and the correct answer should make sense.
  • Sometimes( not always!) paying attention to the word's part of speech helps. For example "book" (noun) is for "read" (verb) as "movie" (also a noun) is for "watch" (also a verb).
    Pairs of words in verbal analogies can be related in many ways, including the following types:
  • Things that go together:
    2.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    butterbread:nurse
    A) batB) saltC) bowD) forkE) doctor
    [Correct Answer]:E
  • Opposite words:
    3.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    clumsygraceful:small
    A) bigB) wideC) laughD) genuineE) hot
    [Correct Answer]:A
  • Synonym words:
    4.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    icycold:tiny
    A) smallB) thinC) showD) bigE) hide
    [Correct Answer]:A
  • Word and classification:
    5.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    seasonspring:clothing
    A) sneakerB) bearC) pantsD) lunchE) uncle
    [Correct Answer]:C
  • Related objects:
    6.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    chickchicken:sprout
    A) frogB) dogC) motherD) butterflyE) plant
    [Correct Answer]:E
  • Object and its characteristic:
    7.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    greengrass:shiny
    A) skunkB) spongeC) desertD) goldE) ball
    [Correct Answer]:D
  • Object and location:
    8.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    flowergarden:student
    A) kitchenB) schoolC) zooD) factoryE) garage
    [Correct Answer]:B
  • Whole and part:
    9.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    toothcomb:shell
    A) pencilB) footC) turtleD) bookE) hand
    [Correct Answer]:C
  • Object and its function:
    10.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    digshovel:read
    A) penB) bookC) scissorD) knifeE) oven
    [Correct Answer]:B
  • Object and action:
    11.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    protectpolice:study
    A) studentB) scientistC) artistD) teacherE) actress
    [Correct Answer]:A
  • Subject and its moving action:
    12.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    crawlbaby:climb
    A) snakeB) monkeyC) birdD) fishE) kangaroo
    [Correct Answer]:B
  • Problem and solution:
    13.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    eathungry:scratch
    A) brokenB) tiredC) thirstyD) itchE) sick
    [Correct Answer]:D
  • Degrees of a characteristic:
    14.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    smalltiny:big
    A) enormousB) oceanC) burningD) feebleE) freezing
    [Correct Answer]:A
  • Typical behavior or result:
    15.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    fireburn:plant
    A) elapseB) growC) colorD) standE) retreat
    [Correct Answer]:B
  • Verb tenses:
    16.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    drivedrove:come
    A) combB) cameC) drivenD) buyingE) swum
    [Correct Answer]:B
  • Subject related to product:
    17.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    egghen:milk
    A) treeB) sheepC) seaD) cowE) silkworm
    [Correct Answer]:D
  • Subject and what it lacks:
    18.  Review the first two words and determine how they are related. Select the word from the five choices that has the same relationship with the third word.
    freedomjail:rain
    A) vegetarianB) nightC) noviceD) droughtE) homeless
    [Correct Answer]:D
  • Other relationships such as object and its group word: bird and flock, cow and herd, ...