Analogies: find the link
Strategy card
Analogies test whether you can name a relationship precisely.
- Step 1: Build a precise bridge sentence for the first pair.
- Step 2: Decide the relationship type (degree, function, part-whole, cause-effect, category).
- Step 3: Apply it to the third word; predict before reading options.
- Step 4: Eliminate options that only share a topic, not the relationship.
Tip: Watch for direction: "puppy : dog" is not the same as "dog : puppy".
Worked example
cool is to freezing as warm is to ___?
cool→freezingwarm→?
- A: laugh
- B: gale
- C: hive
- D: hot (the answer)
- E: hand
Why: Freezing is a much stronger cool. In the same way, hot is a much stronger warm.
Your turn
Your turn 1 of 3
big is to huge as tired is to ___?
big→hugetired→?
Your turn 2 of 3
librarian is to library as sailor is to ___?
librarian→librarysailor→?
Your turn 3 of 3
ant is to colony as rabbit is to ___?
ant→colonyrabbit→?
Keep practicing
Grown-ups: Discuss how two different things can share the same structure. Parent guide
Next lesson: Sorting and odd one out