In this section you will become familiar with the several types of verbal reasoning tests which are usually asked at competitive examinations. These tests use words, letters and digits and require logical, common-sense reasoning and a reasonable knowledge of the English language.
VERBAL ANALOGY
These questions have a form similar to the following example.
Example You are given a pair of words in capital letters, followed by 5 lettered pairs of words. Choose the pair which best expresses a relationship similar
to that expressed by the original pair (given in capital letters here),
DARK: LIGHT: :_________:________
(a) Thin: slim (b) Stout: strong (c) Germs: disease (d) Tree: forest (e) Hot: cold
The first step is to study the pair of words, DARK: LIGHT
The colon, ':", signifies that they are related in some way. What is the relationship?
It is clear that they are opposites (antonyms). Now look for a pair from among the answer choices that has the same relationship between the two words.
The answer is (e) Hot: Cold
DARK: LIGHT: : HOT: COLD
'DARK' is related to 'LIGHT' in the same way as 'HOT' is related to 'COLD'.
Hints For Answering Verbal Analogy Questions
1.Establish the relationship between the given pair
Example WRITER: BOOK ::--------------:--------------.
(a) Building: architect
(b) Poem: poet
(c) Gold ring: goldsmith
(d) Chair: carpenter
(e) Composer: song
Before looking at the answer choices, look for the primary relationship between the given pair of items, 'WRITER: BOOK'. The relationship clearly is that the 'WRITER' creates a 'BOOK'. After determining the relationship between the given pair, look for the pair of items with a similar relationship from among the answer choices. Make your final decision after going through all the answer choices.
2. The sequence of items in the question pair is important
In the above example, all the answer choices contain a person and the article he creates or produces. In the question pair, 'WRITER: BOOK', the person comes first, followed by the article he creates. Therefore, in the correct answer, the person must come first. The only answer that satisfies this condition is (e) Composer: Song. It is, therefore, often necessary to examine the sequence of items to choose from answers that all match the primary relationship.
3. The grammatical relationship is important
Examine the following examples,
A. Example FRIEND: GOOD::----------------: -----------------
(a) Dictatorship: evil (b) Ally: strength (c) Foe: dangerously (d) Satan: sin (e) Enemy: bad
The question pair is a noun (person) and a descriptive adjective. The parts of speech of the correct answer pair must also be the same as that of the question pair. Hence, the correct answer is (e). Enemy : Bad
(noun) : (adjective)
Word Analogies
Word analogies test your ability to see the relationships between words, distinguish between types of relationships and recognise which relationships are similar. These questions are asked in different forms.
Form 1 Directions: From the pairs of words (a-e) you are to select the pair which is related in the same way as the words of the first pair.
SCISSORS: CLOTH:: ----------------- : ......................
(a) Axe: wood (b) Stone: grinder (c) Knife: stone (d) Roller: flatten
(e) Gun: hunt
Answer (a) A pair of scissors cuts cloth as an axe cuts wood.
Form 2 FOOD is to HUNGER as SLEEP is to_____________ ?
(a) Rest (b) Night
(c) Dream (d) Bed
(e) Weariness
Answer (e) Food relieves hunger as sleep relieves weariness.
Form 3 KITE: BIRD as _________: FISH
(a) Thread (b) Boy
(c) Submarine (d) Crow
(e) Snake
Answer (c) A kite and a bird both move through air as a submarine and a fish both move through water.
The relationships in word analogies fall into several categories. For example, in 'ARCHITECT: BUILDING', the relationship is that of 'PRODUCER: PRODUCT'. Most word analogies fit into a small number of such categories. If you know these categories and learn to recognise them rapidly, you will be able to solve word analogy questions accurately and rapidly. Several possible types of relationships have been identified and covered below. You do not need to remember the names of these types. You must only understand the relationship and be able to solve the few practice tests given at the end.
Antonym (opposite) relationship
Example : EXEMPT: OBLIGED ::_________:______________
(a) Affluent: fluen t (b) Immune: susceptible
(c) V iliant : mighty (d) Steadfast: reputed
(e) Cavalier: presumption
Answer (b) 'Exempt' means free from obligation or liability. 'Oblige' means the opposite. The relationship is opposite. 'Immune' means protected from and 'susceptible' means the opposite.
Exercise
1. DESULTORY: METHODICAL::___________:_____________
(a) Integral: unified (b) Verbose : loquaciours (c): actuated : Attenuated (d) Dissipated: concentrated (e) Plaintive: contemplative
2.ALLEVIATE : AGGRAVATE ::_______:_______
(a) Joke: worry (b) Elevate: agree (c) Alluvial: gravelly (d) Level: grade (e) Elastic: rigid
3.FORTUITOUS: INHERENT ::______:______
(a) Rugged: endurable (b) Legible: indelible (c) Envious: desire (d) Gregarious: introverted
(e) Knowledgeable: incoherent
4. OPAQUE: TRANSPARENT :: ________ :_________
(a) Turbid: swollen (b) Tepid: seething
(c) Imprisoned: incarcerated (d) Forlorn: despondent
(e) Concentrated: dissipated
Answers .1.(d) 2.(e) 3.(d) 4.(e)
Synonym relationship
Example ENCUMBER: BURDEN ::_______:________
(a) Workload: weariness (b) Behead: sum up (c) Recapitulate: synopsize (d) Reconcile: alienate (e) Reptile: poisonous
Answer (c) 'Encumber' and 'Burden' are synonyms. Similarly 'Recapitulate' is a synonym for 'Synopsize'.
Exercise
1.MOUNTEBANK: QUACKERY:: _______:_______
(a) Fiery: acquiver (b) Water: sailing (c) Embezzler: fraud (d) Politician: nonfeance ( e) Huckster: thievery
2.PUBLICATION: LIBEL::_______:______
(a) Newspaper: editorial (b) Radio: television
(c) Information: liability (d) Journalism: attack'
(e) Speech: slander
3.KIND: BENEVOLENT ::______:______
(a) Requital: reverberate (b) Reverentral: imprudent
(c) Incautious: sagacity (d) Circumspect: short-sighted
(e) Muddy: unclear
4.ESCAPE : ABSCOND ::_______:_______
(a) Endless: eternal (b) Escalate: weaken
(c) Flee: surrender (d) Confront: submit (e) Exult: jubilate
5.ALWAYS: NEVER ::________:________
(a) Often: rarely (b) Frequently: normally (c) Constantly: frequently (d) Intermittently: casually
Answers 1. (c), 2. (e), 3. (e), 4. (a), 5. (a)
Explanations
1.Mountebank engages in quackery and embezzler engages in fraud.
2.Libel is written defamation, slander is oral defamation.
3.Kind and benevolent are synonyms as muddy and unclear.
4.Escape and abscond are nearly similar in meaning as endless and eternal.
Cause and effect relationship
Example : EMBROIL: STRIFE ::__________ :_________
(a) Counteract: performance (b) Infiltrate: cull (c) Indemnify: reduction
(d) Arbitrate: settlement (e) Predicate: conclusion
Answer (d) As embroil results in strife, similarly arbitration results in settlement.
Exercise
1.IRRITANT: ANNOYANCE::_________:________
(a) Stimulus: incitement (b) Soporific: sanctification
(c) Caustic: invigorate (d) Repercussion: inhibition
(e) Coagulant: glut
2.RACE: FATIGUE ::__________:_________
(a) Fast: hunger (b) Track: athlete (c) Ant: bug (d) Air: sleep (e) Walking: running
3.INSULT: HUMILIATE::_______:_______
(a) Shoot: kill (b) Abuse: disrespect
(c) Dog: bark (d) Injury: pungent
(e) Proscribe: banishment
4.MOSQUITO: MALARIA ::_______:_________
(a) Diabetes: mellitus (b) Digastric: dysgenic
(c) AIDS: virus (d) Dysenteric: diatase
(e) Infection: disease
Answers 1. (a) 2. (a) 3. (a) 4. (e)
Explanation
l. Irritant causes annoyance and a stimulus causes incitement.
2.Race causes fatigue and fast results in hunger.
3.Insult results in humiliation as shooting kills.
4.Mosquito causes malaria and infection is the cause of every disease.
