Analogies
About 5 min · General Intelligence and Reasoning · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 300 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
An analogy tests your ability to identify the logical relationship between a given pair and apply the same relationship to find or complete another pair. The format is usually: A is to B as C is to D, where you must find the missing element.
Key ideas
- Relationship identification: The first pair establishes a rule (synonyms, antonyms, part-to-whole, cause-effect, mathematical operation, alphabet position). Your task is to identify this rule precisely before attempting to solve.
- Domain consistency: Word analogies stay within semantic relationships; number analogies involve arithmetic/algebraic operations; letter analogies use alphabet positions (A=1, B=2...Z=26). Never mix domains when solving.
- Bidirectional checking: Always verify your answer by checking if the relationship works in reverse. If A:B :: C:D, then the A→B transformation must exactly match the C→D transformation.
- Common word relationships: Synonyms (happy:joyful), antonyms (hot:cold), part-to-whole (wheel:car), worker-to-tool (painter:brush), animal-to-young (cow:calf), category-to-example (furniture:chair), intensity levels (drizzle:downpour).
- Number patterns: Operations (+, −, ×, ÷), squares and cubes, prime relationships, digit sums, place value manipulations, ratio patterns. Most number analogies involve one or two-step operations.
Quick reference
- Alphabet formula: A=1 to Z=26; opposite of n = 27−n.
- Top 5 word relationships: Synonym, antonym, part-whole, worker-tool, animal-young.
- Number analogy first checks: Difference, ratio, square, cube, digit sum.
- Time allocation: 30–45 seconds per question; if stuck beyond 45 seconds, mark for review and move on.
- Letter shifts: Most common are ±1, ±2, ±3; write out positions explicitly to avoid errors.
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. Select the option that is related to the third term in the same way as the second term is related to the first term: BOOK : READ :: MUSIC : ?
2. Choose the correct pair that completes the analogy: Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?
3. Complete the analogy: 16 : 256 :: 12 : ?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 18 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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