A verbal analogy is a comparison between two pairs of words that have a similar relationship. You are given a pair of related words, followed by several other word pairs. Your task is to choose the pair that best mirrors the relationship in the original pair.
A verbal analogy test the ability to understand and identify the relationship between different words. The most popular format of a verbal analogy test is:
WordA : WordB :: Word1 :
A. Word2
B. Word3
C. Word4
D. Word5
Common Types of Relationships in Verbal Analogies:
There are different types of word associations that are used in verbal analogy tests. The most popular types are:
1. Synonym or Antonym
As the name suggests, in synonyms, you are asked to identify a similar meaning word as per the given word.
Example:
accurate : precise :: sad :
A. happy
B. disappointed
C. content
D. good
In case of antonyms, identification of a opposite meaning word is required.
Example:
open : close:: give :
A. send
B. change
C. take
D. arrange
2. Group
Here, you are asked to identify a word that is a part of the other word.
Example:
pack: cards :: bunch:
A. flowers
B. car
C. game
D. man
3. Function
In case of function type, one word describes the function or properties of the other word.
Example:
decoration : beautify :: movie :
A. cook
B. entertain
C. drive
D. read
4. Degree
This type of word association requires you to identify the shade or variation of meaning in degree between the pair of words.
Example:
cool : cold :: pretty :
A. heavy
B. gentle
C. beautiful
D. happy
5. Item to Category
Here, one word is a type of the other word.
Example:
bread : food :: blue :
A. tea
B. colour
C. wood
D. tree
6. Cause and effect
As the name suggests, one word leads to the other word.
Example:
sad : cry :: cloudy :
A. sun
B. happy
C. dance
D. rain
Rules or Tricks to master verbal analogy tests
Follow these rules to crack the verbal analogy test:
1. The first step is to identify the meaning of the words.
2. Once the meanings are known, you have to decode the type of word association that is being used.
3. After knowing the meaning and the word association type, see the options and find the word that fits both the categories.
Also Check:
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