Using Test-Taking Skills: Analogies
You are likely to encounter word analogies when you take a standardized vocabulary test. This type of question asks you to look at the relationships between a word pair and then create another pair having a similar relationship. Here are some tips to help you answer these types of questions.
- Examine carefully the relationship between the given pair of words. Decide how the words are related. For example, does one word name an action and the other word a person who completes the action? Are the words synonyms, or similar in meaning? Are they antonyms, or opposite in meaning?
- Notice the part of speech of each word in the given pair. For example, is the pair a noun/verb combination? An adjective/adjective combination? A noun/noun combination? The pair that is the correct answer will usually represent the same parts of speech.
- First, eliminate the answers that you are sure are wrong. For example, look for a misleading answer, different parts of speech in the given pair, or a relationship that is obviously different from the one expressed by the example pair.
- Use your knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and word roots to figure out the meanings of any words you don't recognize.
- Choose the pair that is MOST like the given pair. More than one pair may seem correct. If you are confused or undecided, always refocus on the relationship between the two words in the example. Remember, you are trying to match the relationship of the given pair.
