The Verbal section of the GRE contains approximately 7 analogy questions, which present two words that are related in some way. You must:

a) discover the relationship
b) find another pair of words that is related in the same way

Example:

WAGGISH : LAUGHS ::

(A) risible: yawns
(B) bilious : smiles
(C) lachrymose : tears
(D) ribald : moans
(E) frown grin


The correct answer is C. A remark that is waggish is designed to produce laughs. Likewise, something that is lachrymose (sad) will produce tears.


What the colons mean:

Single colon ( : ) means "is related to"
Double colon ( :: ) means "in the same way that"

To answer analogy questions, use the following strategy:


1) Before looking at the answer choices, think of a short sentence that describes the relationship between the two words.

Example: RACKET: TENNIS

A racket is used to play tennis


2) Find the pair of words in the answers that can be substituted for the original pair.

Example:

RACKET: TENNIS

(A) type : book
(B) ball : soccer
(C) glove : baseball
(D) club : golf
(E) board : chess

In this case, our sentence "A racket is used to play tennis" eliminates only one answer choice, (A) .


3) If more than one answer choice fits your paraphrase, make your statement more specific.

We must write a more specific sentence that demonstrates the relationship between the words Racket and Tennis:

A racket is used to strike a ball in the game of tennis.

This more specific sentence allows us to eliminate all the answer choices except D. Just as a club is used to strike a golf ball, a racket is used to strike a tennis ball.


4) Eliminate answer choices that do not have a clear and obvious relationship. Always consider the meaning of the word being used. In difficult analogy problems, rare or esoteric meanings of words are commonly used.


5) If one of the given words has more than one part of speech, determine how it is being used in the analogy. The parts of speech will be consistent in analogy problems. If the given pair of words is an adjective and a noun, then each answer pair will be an adjective and a noun, in that order.


6) Carefully scrutinize answers pairs that remind you of the original pair, but have a different relationship. The correct answer pair will have the same relationship as the original pair, but the words in the answer will usually be in an entirely different category.

Example:

EXCERPT : NOVEL ::

(A) critique : play
(B) review : manuscript
(C) swatch : cloth
(D) foreward : preface
(E) recital : performance

The correct answer to this problem is C. An excerpt is part of a novel, just as a swatch is part of a cloth. However, many testakers are distracted by choices B and D, which contain words that ALSO relate to novels.


7) Be aware of the most common types of analogies that appear on the test:

a) Synonyms
provisions : supplies
potent : omen
diligent : assiduous

b) Antonyms

assist : hinder
enthrall : bore
incomparable : equal


c) Member and class

aria : song
robin : bird
slipper : shoe

d) Degree of Intensity
walk : run
drizzle : rain
grow : burgeon

e) Part to a whole

professors : faculty
page : book
limb : tree

f) Definition (one word defines the other)

shark : scavenger
lion : carnivore
refuge : sanctuary

g) Lack of / Absence of

amoral : ethics
anonymous : name
destitute : wealth

h) Manner or style

promenade: walk
prattle : speak
sashay : walk

i) Function or purpose

pencil: writing
tractor : plowing
hyphen : join

j) Action and significance
smile : happiness
frown : disappointment
bow : reverence


k) Pertaining to

didactic : teach
forensic : debate
ontology : being

l) Symbol and representation

period : stop
Trojan horse : deception
brackets : enclose

m) Different Connotations of words

interrogate : question
conspire : collaborate
bias : inspire


n) Cause and effect

sun : sunburn
overeating : indigestion
debt : overspending

o) Product and source

curtains : cloth
window : glass
fireplace : brick

p) Spatial order

epilogue : story
postscript : epistle
intermission : play

q) Time order

outline : essay
blueprint : house
crawling : walking


r) Worker and tool

welder : torch
musician : piano
artist : paintbrush

s) Worker and workplace

chef : kitchen
judge: courtroom
farmer : meadow

t) Worker and creation

artist : sketch
architecht : blueprint
composer : etude

u) Action to object

play : clarinet
incise : knife
drain : colander



8) Boost your vocabulary.


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