Analogy is one of the types of questions that is always included in the Civil Service Examination, both professional and sub-professional. This type of question is one of the trickiest questions in English. In this post, we are going to discuss some of the tips that you can use in answering this type of question.

Before discussing the first tip, you should note that there are two types of word analogy. The first one is called single-word analogy and the second is called double-word analogy. Here are some examples.

Single Word Analogy

_____: king :: bench : judge
a. queen
b. court
c. throne
d. knight

Double Word Analogy

prize : contestant::

a. trophy: presenter
b. diploma: principal
c. medal: runner
d. book: author
e. mortgage: lender

Do you know the answers to the questions above?

Now, let us proceed to the tips in answering analogy questions.

Tip 1: Take note of the relationships among the words.

It is important to know the relationship among words and their particular order as shown in the next example.

petal: flower

A. hands: nail
B. car: road
C. monitor: computer
D. daughter: mother

The relationship above is an example of a part to whole relationship. In the question, petal is a part of a flower. Petal is also a vital part of a flower. Among the choices, we can see that only hands and nail have the same relationship. However, the order is reversed. In hands and nail, the relationship is now whole to part. Remember, order is important. If the question is part is to whole, the answer should also be part to whole.

Below are some of the common relationships used in word analogy questions.

Here, the relationship is part to whole. Water is part of an

Cause and effect 
rain : flood
virus : flu

Association:
addition : addend
chef : toque

Degree:
hut : mansion
glance : stare

Sequence:
preschool : grade school
engagment : marriage

Function:
net : fishing
scissors : cutting

Characteristics:
cheetah : fast
snow : cold

Synonym:
benevolent : kind
courage : bravery

Antonym:
hot : cold
loose : tight

In the next post, we are going to discuss more tips and tricks, so keep posted.

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