Test-Taking Skills: Analogies
Analogies show the relationship of one thing to another thing. For example, when you say that you love apple pie as much as your sister loves chocolate cake, you are making an analogy. Your relationship to apple pie is the same as your sister's relationship to chocolate cake; they're your favorite desserts. Analogies are sometimes expressed in this way:
you : apple pie :: your sister : chocolate cake
Many kinds of relationships can be expressed by analogies. Some of the most common are antonyms, or opposites, and synonyms, or words that mean the same thing. Others include:
- differences of degree (warm : roasting :: cool : freezing)
- class to subclass (oak : tree :: bass : fish)
- cause and effect (sadness : crying :: happiness : smiling)
- part to the whole (player : team :: musician : orchestra)
- object to location (scorpion : desert :: dolphin : ocean)
- user to tool (carpenter : hammer :: math teacher : calculator)
The first step in understanding an analogy is to analyze the relationship. Then, look for the choice that best matches the analogy.
