Verbal reasoning practice: explain an analogy before choosing

What makes an analogy match?

An analogy asks whether the relationship between one pair fits another pair. Begin by putting the first relationship into a sentence. “A tool is used for this action” gives you a clearer test than “these words go together”.

Preserve the order. A whole contains a part; a part belongs to a whole. Those relationships point in different directions even when the same two words appear.

Compare a tool with its use

Original example: thermometer is to temperature as ruler is to what? A thermometer measures temperature; a ruler measures length. The matching answer is length, because the second pair preserves instrument to measured quantity.

“Wood” might be associated with rulers, but it is a material rather than the quantity being measured. A relevant association is not enough to preserve the relationship.

Use a precise sentence to reject a distractor

If two options seem plausible, insert each into the same sentence. Do not quietly change the sentence to make the second option fit. The point is to compare the same relationship across both pairs.

An unfamiliar word can prevent that comparison. Record a vocabulary problem separately from a reasoning error. Learning the word and testing the relationship are different follow-up tasks.

Practise the method with a changed pair

After reviewing, create a new pair using the same relationship. Then mix it with a different relationship, such as part to whole. Explain each before looking at the options.

Confirm the assessment named by your school before choosing test-specific practice. A verbal reasoning exercise can support a skill without being a specimen of every provider’s actual paper.

Try it yourself

Compass is to direction as clock is to what: time or wall?