Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking: Grades 6-9 - Gruber Gary R. 2019

Analogies
Verbal strategies

Before beginning to work on the verbal strategies presented in this part of the book, review the four-step learning method described in the “Introduction to Parents,” on page 16.

Analogies

Analogies are used on many standardized tests, and many educators feel that analogies are the best indicators of “intelligence” and “aptitude.” Analogies require students to think abstractly and analytically as opposed to working out problems in a rote fashion.

Here is a simple example of an analogy:

EXAMPLE 1

CHILD: ADULT::

(A)man : boy

(B)servant: master

(C)kitten : cat

(D)actor: director

The question asks the following: CHILD is related to ADULT in which way? The same way that (A) man is related to boy, (B) sertant is related to master, etc.

Analogy strategy—always put analogies in sentence form

It is advisable to show your child the best way of attacking analogy questions before he or she learns the wrong method. It is very easy to be lured into a wrong but good-sounding answer to an analogy question. For instance, in the example just given, one might at first glance think that CHILD is comparable to boy, and ADULT to man, and so select Choice A, which is incorrect. Or, one might choose B, because the relation of a CHILD to an ADULT seems like that of a servant to a master. But Choice B is also wrong. And so on.

But there’s a fail-safe way to answer analogies without being lured into the wrong choices: You put the analogy in the form of a sentence and then find the words in the choice that fit the same sentence form.

In solving Example 1, you would say, A CHILD grows up into an ADULT. Now try each of the choices using the same sentence form:

(A)A man grows up into a boy. The truth is just the opposite. So go on to B.

(B)A servant grows up into a master. This isn’t true either. Go on to C.

(C)A kitten grows up into a cat. This is true. But go to D to make sure.

(D)An actor grows up into a director. This could be, but is not necessarily true.

So the only answer that fits is Choice C, which is the correct answer.

This sentence method is very powerful, and if your child uses it, he or she will never have trouble with analogies. The method will last him or her an academic lifetime, from grade school through graduate school.

Here’s a more difficult example:

EXAMPLE 2

HELMET : HEAD ::

(A)glove : hand

(B)tie : shirt

(C)stocking : shoe

(D)thimble : finger

Note that if you do not use the sentence method just shown, you can easily be lured into any of the choices, since they all sound like they’re associated with the analogy HELMET : HEAD. Therefore, the most exact sentence possible must be used, and then all the choices tried with the same sentence.

Here’s a good sentence: A HELMET is worn over the HEAD. Now try the choices.

(A)A glove is worn over the hand. This sounds good.

(B)A tie is worn over the shirt. This too sounds good.

(C)A stocking is worn over the shoe. No.

(D)A thimble is worn over the finger. Yes.

So which is the right choice? Since there is more than one choice that sounds good, we must modify the sentence to make it more exact. What does a HELMET really do? It is not just worn over the head, it is used primarily to protect the head from a solid and perhaps sharp object. So we can say, A HELMET is worn over the HEAD to protect it from objects. Try the choices now.

(A)A glove is worn on the hand to protect the hand from objects. No.

(B)A tie is worn on the shirt to protect the shirt from objects. No.

(D)A thimble is worn on the finger to protect the finger from objects. Yes!

So Choice D is correct.

If your child understands the above analogy, he or she can understand practically any analogy, whether it’s on a sixth grade test or a graduate school test!

Let’s look at one more analogy example:

EXAMPLE 3

ROBBERY : THIEF ::

(A)diamonds : burglar

(B)hostage : kidnapper

(C)crime : jail

(D)forgery : counterfeiter

All of the choices look as if they bear some relation to the capitalized words in the question. For example, you might associate diamonds with ROBBERY and burglar with THIEF (Choice A). Let’s get a good sentence: A ROBBERY is committed by a THIEF. Now look at the choices.

(A)Diamonds are committed by a burglar. Ridiculous.

(B)Hostage is committed by a kidnapper. This doesn’t make sense.

(C)Crime is committed by a jail. This too is ridiculous.

(D)Forgery is committed by a counterfeiter. Yes.

Choice D is correct.

There is something very interesting about the sentence method. Even if you didn’t know the meaning of counterfeiter or forgery, you could still have got the right answer by eliminating the first three choices.

Most Common Types of Analogies

Here is a list of the most common types of analogies found on standardized tests. It is not important for your child to memorize this list, but it would be a good idea for your child to be aware of these types. Thus when he or she attempts to answer an analogy question, somewhere in your child’s mind he or she should realize the type of analogy that will lead to the correct relationship in the analogy.

Remember, these examples just given are only for the purpose of making your child familiar with the different and most common types of analogies. Normally when your child attacks an analogy question, he or she will not verbalize that the type of analogy is, for example, purpose. However, after being exposed to these types, your child will have a better sense of the analogy he or she is dealing with.

Practice Exercises and Explanatory Answers

Have your child try the following analogies (live at a time). Then check his or her answers, which follow the sets of five questions. Go over the answers with your child, making sure that he or she puts the analogy in sentence form, as in the examples just shown.

QUESTIONS

1SCISSORS : CUT

(A)spoon : fork

(B)hammer : nail

(C)broom : sweep

(D)knife : sharpen

2SAFE : DANGEROUS ::

(A)wild : frightened

(B)strong : weak

(C)long : thin

(D)angry : sad

3WATCH : TELEVISION ::

(A)see: concert

(B)swim : mile

(C)hear : head

(D)listen : radio

4CAPTURE : LOSE ::

(A)buy : steal (B) push : shove

(C)develop : destroy

(D)come : remain

5BASEBALL : BAT ::

(A)chess : chessboard

(B)racetrack : horses

(C)football : yardline

(D)tennis : racket

ANSWERS

1(C)SCISSORS are used to cut as broom is to sweep

2(B)SAFE is the opposite of DANGEROUS as strong is the opposite of weak

3(D)You WATCH TELEVISION as you listen to a radio.

Note: In Choice A, see : concert, you don’t really go to a concert to see it, you go to hear it. Thus Choice D is a better choice.

4(C)CAPTURE is the opposite of LOSE as develop is the opposite of destroy.

5(D)BASEBALL is played with a BAT as tennis is played with a racket.

In Choice A, chess : chessboard, chess is played with chess pieces, not with a chessboard. In Choice B, racetrack : horses, racetrack is not played with horses.

QUESTIONS

6RAIN : DRIZZLE ::

(A)weather : forecast

(B)gale : breeze

(C)storm : hurricane

(D)cloud : sky

7PICTURE : SEE ::

(A)television : dial

(B)play : act

(C)music : hear

(D)flower : touch

8SALMON : FISH ::

(A)cow : meat

(B)spider : web

(C)sparrow : bird

(D)monkey : cage

9SCALE : WEIGHT ::

(A)speedometer : car

(B)clock : time

(C)oven : temperature

(D)telephone : distance

10GIRAFFE : ZOO ::

(A)buffalo : Indian

(B)tropical fish : aquarium

(C)elephant: jungle

(D)dinosaur : museum

ANSWERS

6(B)RAIN is much stronger (degree) than a DRIZZLE. Gale (a heavy wind) is much stronger than a breeze.

7(C)A PICTURE is for SEEING. Music is for hearing.

8(C)SALMON is a type of FISH (part of the whole class of fish). A sparrow is a type of bird.

9(B)The purpose of a SCALE is to measure WEIGHT. The purpose of a clock is to measure time.

10(B)This is a tricky analogy. A GIRAFFE can be found in the ZOO. Tropical fish can be found in an aquarium.

But what about Choice C and Choice D:

An elephant can be found in a jungle and a dinosaur can be found in a museum!

So you have to modify your sentence to eliminate the incorrect choices:

A GIRAFFE (a live animal) can be found in the ZOO, which is not the giraffe’s natural habitat.

Now look at Choice B:

A tropical fish (which is live) can be found in an aquarium, which is not the fish’s natural habitat.

Look at Choice C:

An elephant (a live animal) can be found in the jungle, which is not the elephant’s natural habitat. That’s false— the jungle is the elephant’s natural habitat. So Choice C is ruled out.

Look at Choice D:

A dinosaur (which is not live—the dinosaurs haven’t existed for years!) ... so that’s false. Choice D is ruled out! Thus only Choice B remains.

QUESTIONS

11HAT . HEAD :.

(A)glove : hand

(B)tie : shirt

(C)dress : lady

(D)cigarette : mouth

12TENT : CAMPING ::

(A)house : running

(B)job : working

(C)car: picknicking

(D)rod and reel: fishing

13ORANGE : FRUIT ::

(A)puddle : water

(B)apple : vegetable

(C)fly : insect

(D)meat : dinner

14POOL . SWIMMING ::

(A)gymnasium : basketball

(B)lake : flying

(C)home plate : baseball

(D)sword : fencing

15DOCTOR : PATIENT ::

(A)lawyer : court

(B)plumber : toilet

(C)comedian : joke

(D)veterinarian : anin

ANSWERS

11(A)A HAT is worn on the HEAD. A glove is worn on the hand.

12(D)When you see a TENT, you usually think of CAMPING. When you see a rod and reel, you usually think of fishing. This is an analogy of association.

13(C)ORANGE is a type of FRUIT. Fly is a type of insect.

14(A)A POOL is where you go SWIMMING. A gymnasium is where you play basketball.

15(D)A DOCTOR treats and tries to cure PATIENTS. A veterinar ian treats and tries to cure animals.

You may have thought that B is also a good choice. But in Choice B, plumber : toilet, toilet is not a living thing, while PATIENT and animal are living things. So Choice D is the best choice.

QUESTIONS

16CARPENTER : WOOD ::

(A)electrician : light

(B)plumber : water

(C)sculptor : clay

(D)artist: picture

17BOW : VIOLIN ::

(A)compose : piano

(B)sing : guitar

(C)strum : banjo

(D)vibrate : cello

18LAUGH : SMILE :: 19

(A)shout: whistle

(B)pull: stretch

(C)hit : tap

(D)touch : snap

19GENERAL : ARMY ::

(A)pilot: airport

(B)passenger : car

(C)captain : ship

(D)singer : orchestra

20EAT : RESTAURANT ::

(A)drink: water

(B)walk : road

(C)cook : kitchen

(D)chair : table

ANSWERS

16(C)A CARPENTER works with WOOD. A sculptor works with clay.

You may have thought Choice D is good, saying that an artist works with a picture. However, an artist paints a finished picture; he or she works with paints, not pictures.

17(C)You BOW a VIOLIN as you strum on a banjo.

18(C)To LAUGH is a much stronger thing to do than to SMILE. To hit is a much stronger thing to do than to tap.

19(C)A GENERAL is the leader (commander) of an ARMY. A captain is the leader (commander) of a ship.

20(C)You primarily EAT in a RESTAURANT as you primarily cook in a kitchen. Suppose you used the sentence, You EAT in a RESTAURANT.

Then you’d see that both Choices B and C work with the sentence. Choice B: You walk on a road. Choice C: You cook in a kitchen. So you would have to modify your sentence to make it more exact so that you can zero in on the one correct choice. You would then use the sentence: You primarily EAT in a RESTAURANT. Try Choice B: You primarily walk on a road. No! You primarily drive on a road. Choice C: You primarily cook in a kitchen. Yes.

QUESTIONS

21BUILDING : CITY ::

(A)office : desk

(B)tree : country

(C)house : lake

(D)restaurant: movie

22THIEF : STEAL ::

(A)actor : sing

(B)criminal: stop

(C)customer : buy

(D)policeman : wai

23RECTANGLE : FOUR ::

(A)half: two

(B)cent: hundred

(C)triangle : three

(D)score : twenty

24MOON : EVENING ::

(A)cloud : sky

(B)butter : toast

(C)earth: planet

(D)sun : morning

25CAT : MEOW ::

(A)bee : sting

(B)horse : cat

(C)cow : milk

(D)frog : croak

ANSWER

21(B)BUILDINGS are usually found in CITIES as trees are usually found in the country.

22(C)A THIEF STEALS. A customer buys.

23(C)A RECTANGLE has FOUR sides. A triangle has three sides.

24(D)The MOON comes up in the EVENING. The sun comes up in the morning.

You may have thought a cloud comes up in the sky (Choice A). But a cloud doesn’t come up in the sky—it is in the sky.

25(D)This can be a tricky one—you have to find the best sentence, so that you won’t have more than one choice that works.

Here’s a first attempt:

A CAT MEOWS.

Choice A: A bee stings.

Choice D: A frog croaks.

Now modify your sentence to make it more exact:

A CAT makes a sound of MEOWING.

Choice A: A bee makes a sound of stinging. No!

Choice D: A frog makes a sound of croaking. Yes!