- Look at this word pattern: Day : Night :: Up : ?
Answer: Down
When you see a pattern like "Day : Night :: Up : ?", you're looking at an analogy that shows relationships between word pairs. The key is figuring out how the first two words relate to each other, then finding a word that has the same relationship with the third word.
Let's examine the relationship between "Day" and "Night." These words are opposites - day is when it's light outside, and night is when it's dark. They represent contrasting times that are completely different from each other.
Now you need to find what has the same opposite relationship with "Up." The word that means the complete opposite of "Up" is "Down." Just like day and night are opposites, up and down are opposites that show contrasting directions.
Let's look at why the other choices don't work. Choice A) "High" is similar to "up" rather than opposite - both suggest elevation or being above something. Choice B) "Top" also means a high position, making it similar to "up," not opposite. Choice C) "Sky" relates to something above us, but it's not the direct opposite of "up" - it's more of a location than a direction.
The correct answer is D) Down because it creates the same opposite relationship that exists between day and night.
Remember this strategy: in analogy questions, always identify the specific relationship in the first pair (opposites, similarities, cause and effect, etc.), then look for the same type of relationship in the second pair.
- Branch is to tree as button is to ___
Answer: shirt
A branch is a part of a tree, just as a button is a part of a shirt. The most tempting wrong answer is thread because buttons are sewn on with thread, but thread is a tool for attaching, not the larger object the button belongs to.
- Pilot is to airplane as captain is to...
Answer: ship
The relationship is 'the person in charge to their vehicle.' A pilot is in charge of an airplane. A captain is in charge of a ship.
- Which word goes with tripod and tricycle?
Answer: triangle
The pattern is things related to the number three. A tripod has three legs, and a tricycle has three wheels. A triangle has three sides. A camera goes on a tripod, a bicycle has two wheels, and a car has four wheels.
- Pig is to piglet as chicken is to ___
Answer: chick
A piglet is a baby pig, so the relationship is adult animal to its young. A baby chicken is called a chick, so chick is the answer. The tempting wrong choice is egg, since eggs come from chickens, but an egg is not a baby chicken.
- Study this pattern: Happy : Sad :: Hot : ?
Which word best completes this pattern?
Answer: Cold
This pattern shows opposite relationships. Happy is the opposite of sad, so hot is the opposite of cold. Warm is similar to hot (not opposite), fire causes heat, and summer is a hot season but not the direct opposite of hot.
- Page is to book as leaf is to...
Answer: tree
The relationship is 'a single unit that makes up a larger whole.' Many pages make up a book. Many leaves make up a tree. A branch holds leaves but is not the whole, green is the color, and paper is what a page is made of, which is a different relationship.
- Which one belongs with a window, a drinking glass, and eyeglasses?
Answer: jar
The unifying characteristic is that all the items are made of glass. A jar is also made of glass. A curtain goes with a window, a frame is a part of a window or eyeglasses, and see is what eyeglasses help you do.
- Look at this pattern: Big elephant, small mouse :: Loud thunder, quiet ?
Answer: Whisper
This question tests your ability to recognize analogy patterns, which show how two pairs of things relate to each other in the same way. When you see the pattern "A is to B as C is to D," you need to figure out what relationship connects the first pair, then find what completes the second pair with that same relationship.
Let's examine the pattern: "Big elephant, small mouse :: Loud thunder, quiet ?" The relationship in the first pair is about opposites - a big animal paired with a small animal. So the second pair should also show opposites: something loud paired with something quiet.
The correct answer is D) Whisper. Thunder is loud, and a whisper is quiet - this creates the same opposite relationship as big elephant and small mouse. Both pairs contrast something large/loud with something small/quiet.
Here's why the other choices don't work: A) Lightning doesn't represent something quiet - lightning is actually bright and can be associated with loud thunder. B) Sound is too general and doesn't specifically represent something quiet. C) Storm is also loud and powerful, not quiet, so it doesn't create the opposite relationship needed.
When tackling analogy questions, always identify the specific relationship in the first pair before looking at the answer choices. Ask yourself: "How do these two things relate to each other?" Then find the choice that creates that same relationship with the third term. Look for patterns like opposites, size relationships, or things that go together naturally.
- Refer to the diagram. Mixing red paint and yellow paint gives orange. Using the same idea, what color comes from mixing blue and yellow?
Answer: Green color circle
Red + yellow → orange, so blue + yellow → green. Purple, pink, and brown are not produced by that mix.
- Find the pattern: Bird : Nest :: Bee : ?
Answer: Hive
The pattern shows where each animal lives. A bird lives in a nest, so a bee lives in a hive. Honey is what bees make, flower is where bees get nectar, and yellow is a bee's color, but none of these are homes.
- Bird is to wing as fish is to...
Answer: fin
The relationship is 'animal to the body part it uses for movement.' A bird uses its wings to move (fly). A fish uses its fin to move (swim). Gills are for breathing, scales are for covering, and water is the environment.
- Itch is to scratch as hunger is to...
Answer: eat
The relationship is 'a feeling or sensation to the action that relieves it.' You scratch an itch. You eat to relieve hunger. Food is what you eat, the stomach is where you feel hunger, and thirst is a different sensation.
- Look at the pattern below. Which word completes the pattern in the same way?
Cat : Meow :: Dog : ?
Answer: Bark
The pattern shows the relationship between an animal and the sound it makes. Cat makes a 'meow' sound, so Dog makes a 'bark' sound. Puppy is a young dog (not a sound), bone is something dogs like, and tail is a body part.
- Which of these belongs with a camel, a cactus, and a scorpion?
Answer: sand
The items in the group are all things typically found in a desert. Sand is also found in a desert. A hump is part of a camel, a jungle is a different environment, and water is scarce in a desert.
- Complete the pattern: Fish : Water :: Bird : ?
Answer: Air
This pattern shows where each animal moves or lives naturally. Fish move through water, and birds move through air (fly). Wings help birds fly but aren't the medium they move through, tree is where some birds perch, and nest is where birds live but not where they move.
- Red light is to stop as green light is to...
Answer: go
The relationship is 'a signal to its meaning or instruction.' A red light means stop. A green light means go. Wait is the meaning of a yellow light.
- Find what completes this pattern: Foot : Shoe :: Hand : ?
Answer: Glove
This pattern shows body parts and what covers or protects them. A foot goes in a shoe, so a hand goes in a glove. Finger is part of a hand, arm connects to the hand, and ring is jewelry but doesn't cover the whole hand like a shoe covers a foot.
- Which of these belongs with a pillow, a feather, and a cloud?
Answer: kitten
The items in the group (pillow, feather, cloud) are all known for being soft and light. A kitten is also soft and light. A rock is hard, a bed is associated with a pillow but isn't necessarily soft all over, and rain comes from clouds but is wet, not soft.
- Mouse is to small as elephant is to ___
Answer: large
A mouse is typically described as small, so an elephant is typically described as large. The analogy is about size, so "heavy" is tempting but wrong because it focuses on weight instead of size.
