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Working Analogy Questions
When reading the analogy questions you can interpret the colons like this: (:) translates to "is to" and (::) translates to "as". Let's try one. The capitalized words are the stem words.
SKYSCRAPER:SHACK::
(A) elevator:escalator
(B) house:building
(C) village:town
(D) jetliner:biplane
(E) chimney:fireplace
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Comparing the Stem Words
The stem words are skyscraper and shack. What's the relationship between skyscraper and shack? A skyscraper is a large, modern structure. A shack is a small structure.
So the relationship is: The first word is a large, modern version of the second word.
Choosing an Answer
Once you know how the stem words are related, your next job is to find the one answer choice that best matches this relationship. Let's try the answer choices one at a time.
(A) Is the first word, elevator, a large, modern version of the second word, escalator? Obviously not. So knock this choice out.
(B) Is a house a large, modern version of a building? Not at all. So cross out this choice.
(C) Is a village a large, modern version of a town? Of course not. So eliminate this choice.
(D) Is a jetliner a large, modern version of a biplane? Yes. A jetliner is a large, modern aircraft. A biplane is one of those small double-wing planes with two seats. So the relationship in this choice matches the relationship of the stem words. Looks like you have a winner. Mark it, but let's look at the remaining choice, just in case.
(E) Is a chimney a large, modern version of a fireplace? Well, a chimney is a part of a fireplace, not a modern version of it. Even though this choice has something to do with buildings, its relationship doesn't match, so knock it out.
So, you would go with choice D as your answer.
Finding the Answer
Did you notice something? The stem words are about buildings, but the correct answer has nothing to do with buildings.
You're looking for same relationships, not same categories. The first word was a modern and big version of the second word.
Defining the Relationship
Sometimes it's easier to define the relationship between the stem words if you start with the second word in the pair instead of the first one. Let's look at another analogy question to see how this strategy works.
SPORT:SOCCER::
(A) fish:river
(B) volleyball:net
(C) field:fun
(D) stadium:game
(E) literature:sonnet
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Stem Word Order
Here it's easier to say, "Soccer is a kind of sport." The second word is a specific type of the first word. Can you find the choice where the second word is a specific type of the first word?
The correct answer is choice (E): A sonnet is a type of literature.
Remember: The correct answer pair must relate in the same order that the stem words relate.
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