Logical Reasoning · Series & Analogies
Analogies — Questions & Answers
Analogy questions give a pair of related words or numbers and ask for another pair linked in the same way. Name the relationship in the first pair precisely, then test each option against it.
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Say the link between the first pair as a short sentence ("a thermometer measures temperature"), then put the third word into the same sentence. The option that makes the sentence true is the answer.
Decide which kind of link the first pair shows: a member and its category, a part and its whole, a container and what it holds, or a group and its members. Then keep the same order for the second pair.
First decide whether the pair are synonyms, antonyms, or the same idea at a stronger degree. The answer must have the same link with the third word.
Name the link exactly: maker and product, adult and young, animal and its sound, or thing and the place it is kept. A vague link ("they are connected") will fit several options.
5 solved Analogies questions
Complete the analogy — thermometer : temperature :: barometer : ?
Solution — answer B
A thermometer measures temperature; a barometer measures air pressure. It helps forecast weather, but pressure is what it measures.
4 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Analyze First Pair
Look at the first part of the analogy: thermometer : temperature. A thermometer is a scientific instrument used to measure temperature. This establishes the relationship between a tool and what it measures.
Step 2: Find the Relationship
The analogy follows the pattern 'tool : what it measures'. We need to apply this same relationship to the second part of the analogy. We are looking for what a barometer measures.
Step 3: What Barometers Measure
A barometer is an instrument used to measure air pressure. While changes in air pressure are often used to forecast weather, the direct measurement taken by a barometer is pressure itself.
Step 4: The answer
So the answer is (B) pressure. Just as a thermometer measures temperature, a barometer measures pressure.
Which pair shows the same relationship as doctor : hospital?
Solution — answer B
A doctor works in a hospital; a teacher works in a school. A farmer grows a crop, which is a product, not a workplace.
4 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Analyze the Pair
Look at the first pair: doctor : hospital. Think about how these two words are related. What is the connection between a doctor and a hospital?
Step 2: Find the Rule
A doctor is a professional who works in a hospital. So, the relationship is 'person : place of work'. We need to find an option that follows this same rule.
Step 3: Check the Options
Let's apply this rule to the choices. A farmer grows a crop, which is a product, not a workplace. A patient receives medicine, not a workplace. A judge works with a lawyer, but a lawyer isn't the judge's workplace.
Step 4: The answer
So the answer is (B) teacher : school. A teacher works in a school, which perfectly matches the 'person : place of work' relationship.
Fill the blank to complete the analogy: ___ : calf :: hen : chick
Solution — answer B
A chick is the young of a hen, and a calf is the young of a cow. A goat's young is a kid, a horse's a foal, and a sheep's a lamb.
4 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Analyze the known pair
Look at the second part of the analogy: hen : chick. A chick is the young of a hen. This tells us the relationship is "adult animal : young animal".
Step 2: Apply the relationship
Now apply this same relationship to the first part of the analogy: ___ : calf. We need to find the adult animal whose young is a calf.
Step 3: Identify the adult
Think about which adult animal gives birth to a calf. A calf is the young of a cow.
Step 4: The answer
So the answer is (B) cow. The completed analogy is cow : calf :: hen : chick, where the first animal is the adult and the second is its young.
What is the relationship between the words in the pair jar : pickle?
Solution — answer C
A jar holds pickle, so the pair is a container and its contents.
3 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Analyze the pair
Look at the words "jar" and "pickle". Think about how they relate to each other. A jar is an object, and a pickle is something that is typically stored inside a jar.
Step 2: Identify the relationship
The relationship between a jar and a pickle is that the jar holds the pickle. This means the jar serves as a container, and the pickle is what is contained within it.
Step 3: The answer
So the answer is (C) Container and contents. A jar is a container, and a pickle is its contents.
Three of these pairs share the same relationship. Which pair does not?
Solution — answer A
Calf, puppy and kitten are the young of cow, dog and cat. An egg is not a young hen (a chick is), so hen : egg is the odd pair.
3 steps · reveal one at a timeStep 1: Find the relationship
Let's look at the relationships in most of the given pairs. A calf is the young of a cow, a puppy is the young of a dog, and a kitten is the young of a cat. The common relationship is parent : young.
Step 2: Check the odd one
Now, let's apply this understanding to the remaining pair. Is an egg the young of a hen? No, an egg is laid by a hen, and a chick hatches from an egg. A chick is the young of a hen.
Step 3: The answer
So the answer is (A) hen : egg. While cow : calf, dog : puppy, and cat : kitten all represent a parent and its young, an egg is not the young of a hen.
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