What is an analogy?

What is an analogy?

ANALOGY

An analogy is a comparison between two different things in order to highlight some point of similarity. As Freud suggested, an analogy won’t settle an argument, but a good one may help to clarify the issues. In this type of question, students are presented with a pair of words followed by four or five additional pairs of words. They must select from among the choices that which best matches the relationship existing between the first pair. In handling this type of questions, it is necessary to determine the exact nature of relationship existing between the given words.

Analogies in the Verbal Section of the Graduate Record Exam, or GRE look like this. In this type of analogy problem, the relationship between one set of items is given, and the test taker must choose an analogous set from five choices.Here is an example.

COW: CALF

A) Ewe: kid

B) Mare: foal

C) Hen: rooster

D) Ram: lamb

E) Sow: pig

Types of Analogies

Here are some relationships that form the basis of many analogies: 

 Nature of the Relationship       Sample Analogy 

1. synonym                                  happy : joyous :: irritated : cranky
2. antonym                                  day : night :: in : out 
3. worker and tool used               gardener : hoe :: carpenter : saw 
4. tool and object it’s used upon   hammer : nail :: scissors : cloth
5.function of a tool                       safety pin : fasten :: pencil : write 
6. creator and work created          writer : novel :: composer : symphony 
7. part to whole                            petal : flower :: pocket : jacket 
8. masculine and feminine              actor : actress :: bull : cow 
9. symbol and what it stands for    heart : love :: flag : nation 
10. category and instance                cat : Persian :: automobile : convertible 
11. cause and effect germ :             disease :: fertilizer : growth 
12. effect and cause                        tidal wave : earthquake :: mudslide : excessive rain

 

Quick Tips for tackling Analogies

1. Create a sentence that includes the two capitalized words. Ideally, the sentence should reveal the essence of the relationship between the two words, and should not be so specific that none of the answer choices will fit, or so general that several fit. Here are two examples of the types of sentences that might zero in on the correct choice:

  One possible function of a [first word] is to [second word]

  [First word] is a condition that is necessary in order for [second word] to occur.

2.    Eliminate any answer choice in which the two words are unrelated to each other. Typically, at least one answer choice will fit this description. You can eliminate all such choices without even considering the original pair!

3.    If you know only one of the two words in an answer choice, you can always take an educated guess, even with just one of the words. You can often eliminate an answer choice by knowing just one of the two words.

4.    If one of the original words has either a negative or positive connotation, the corresponding word in the correct answer choice will be similarly “charged.” But if the original word is neutral, the corresponding word in the correct answer choice is must be neutral as well.

5.    You can often guess the meaning of unfamiliar words. Any of the following might provide a clue about what a word means:

  another word that resembles the word in any way

  the word’s root of prefix

  The meaning of the other word in the pair

Sample Question:

PRESERVE: MORATORIUM

Tyrannize:   revolt

Shade:          tree

Solve:            problem

Accumulate: collection

Cover:           eclipse

Quick Tip:

     One type of relationship frequently appearing among Analogy word pairs is that of function, or use. In this type of relationship, one word is essentially a tool, while the other is a function, purpose, or use of that tool.

Analysis:

A moratorium is an official halt or cessation of an activity. One possible, or use, of a moratorium is to preserve (for instance, to preserve an endangered animal species). Similarly, one possible use of a tree is to shade. The second answer choice is the best response.

The first answer choice: Is one possible use of a revolt to tyrannize? No. The purpose of a revolt might be to stop tyranny (which means “oppressive rule”).

The third answer choice: Is one possible use of a problem to solve? No.

The fourth answer choice: Is one possible use of a collection to accumulate? No. The relationship between these two words is just the opposite: One possible purpose of accumulating is to form a collection.

The fifth answer choice: Is one possible use of an eclipse to cover? No. Covering is part of the definition of eclipse.