Lesson 1 of 27 | General Intelligence and Reasoning / Analogy / सादृश्यता
Word relations in an analogy
Learning outcome
Name the relation in the first word pair, keep its direction, and apply that same relation to the second pair.
Concepts and reasons
An SSC analogy is written A : B :: C : ? The single colon means "is related to". The double colon means the second pair must use the same kind of relation, in the same direction.
Read the first pair before looking at the options. A useful relation is specific enough to reject most choices and still true of both pairs. These relations cover most word analogies:
- Synonym: brief : short. The two words mean the same thing.
- Antonym: scarce : plentiful. The two words are opposites.
- Part and whole: petal : flower. A petal is part of a flower.
- Worker and tool: carpenter : saw. The carpenter works with a saw.
- Purpose: knife : cut. A knife is used to cut.
- Degree: warm : hot. Hot is a stronger degree of warm.
- Place: pilot : cockpit. A pilot works in a cockpit.
- Producer and product: baker : bread. A baker makes bread.
- Animal and its young: duck : duckling.
Direction is part of the relation. Bird : nest runs from a creature to its home. Nest : bird is the reverse. If the given pair runs from creature to home, the answer must do the same.
Worked examples
Example 1. Painter : brush :: writer : ? A painter's tool is a brush, so the relation is worker and tool. A writer's matching tool is a pen. Book is the product, and ink is a material, so neither copies the relation.
Example 2. Finger : hand :: toe : ? A finger is part of a hand. A toe is part of a foot. The answer is foot.
Example 3. Warm : hot :: cool : ? Hot is a higher degree of warm. Cold is a higher degree of cool. The answer is cold. Chill is close in meaning to cool, but it does not increase the degree.
Common traps
One word can sit in several relations. Use the relation that is actually present in the first pair, then test every option against it. A synonym of the third word is not the answer unless the first pair was a synonym pair. Reversing the pair makes it a different question.
Practice questions
- Doctor : stethoscope :: carpenter : ? Name the relation and the answer.
- Page : book :: spoke : ?
- Tiny : small :: huge : ? Why is "gigantic" the wrong answer?
Answers and explanations
- The relation is worker and tool. The carpenter's matching tool is a saw.
- A page is part of a book. A spoke is part of a wheel. The answer is wheel.
- Tiny and small are synonyms, not different degrees. Huge and large are also synonyms, so large copies the relation. Gigantic would be a higher degree, which the first pair does not show.
Analogy
Painter : brush :: writer : pen.
Say the pattern aloud: a painter uses a brush, so a writer uses a pen. Book and ink are related to a writer, but they are not the tool.
Quick reference
- Read A : B before the options.
- Name one relation: synonym, antonym, part-whole, worker-tool, purpose, degree, place, product, or young one.
- Keep the direction. Creature : home is not home : creature.
- Reject a true fact that uses a different relation.