HFCC LEARNING LAB Comprehension B4.1 Analogies (Identifying) When you identify an analogy you look for something which two very different things have in common. The following sets of pictures make up analogy. (Set 1) (Set 2) The key to identifying an analogy is finding the relationship between the things in each set. Example: Prince: princess : : wizard (witch) Analogies have to do with relationship between words or ideas. In order to make the best use of analogies or to supply the missing term in analogy proportion, you must know not only the meanings of the words but also the relationships of the words or ideas to one another. For example, doctor is to hospital as minister is to. Yes, the answer church. The relationship has to do with specialized persons and the places with which they are associated. Another example would be: beautiful is to pretty as is to decimate. Although you know the meaning of beautiful and pretty and you can figure out that beautiful means to be more intense then pretty, you will not be able to arrive at the correct word to complete the analogy if you do not know the meaning of decimate. Decimate means to reduce be one tenth or to destroy considerable part of. Because the word that completes the analogy must express the relationship of more or greater than, the answer could be eradicate or annihilate. These words mean to destroy completely. Some relationships between words may be similar meanings, opposite meanings, classification, specific to general, general to specific, degree of intensity, specialized labels, characteristics, cause-effect, effect-cause, function, part of a whole, connotation and many more. B4.1 1
SEVERAL EXAMPLES ARE: 1. BIG is to HUGH as Clear is to OBVIOUS. The relationship between each pair of words in one of synonyms. Both words have the same or similar meanings. Big is a synonym of Hugh as clear is a synonym of obvious. 2. HOT is to COLD as BLACK is to WHITE The relationship between each pair of words is one of antonyms. The words have opposite meanings. Hot is the opposite of cold and black is the opposite of white. 3. HEAT is to EVAPORATION as DIETING is to WEIGHT LOSS. The relationship between each pair of words is a cause and effect relationship. One word in each pair causes or is caused by the other word. Heat causes evaporation as dieting causes weight loss. 4. PEN is to WRITE as BOOK is to READ. The relationship between each pair is a purpose relationship. One word in each pair is an item used for the purpose of the other word. A pen is used to write as a book is used to read. 5. KNEE is to LEG as WRIST is to ARM The relationship between each pair of words is a part to whole relationship. One word in each pair is a part of the other word. A knee is part of a leg as a wrist is part of an arm. 6. WHEEL is to FENDER as TIRE is to RIM. The relationship between each pair of words are both parts of a whole. Both a wheel and a fender are parts of an automobile just as both a tire and a rim are of a bicycle. B4.1 2
7. DRIVE is to CAR as RUN is to RACE. The relationship between each pair is an action to an object relationship. One can drive a car just as one can run a race. 8. LIKE is a ADORE as DISLIKE is to HATE. The relationship between each pair of words is a degree relationship. One word in each pair is a lesser or greater degree than the other word. To like someone express a lesser degree of emotion than to adore someone just as to dislike someone expresses a lesser degree of emotion than to hate someone. 9. BIBLE is to CHRISTIAN as KORAN is to MUSLIM. The relationship between each pair of words is one of association. One word from each pair is often associated with what is represented be the other word. The Bible is a symbol of Christian as the Koran is a symbol of Muslim. 10. COLD is to ICE as HOT is to FIRE The relationship between each pair is a characteristic relationship. One word in each pair is a trait or characteristic of what is represented by the other word. Cold is a characteristic of ice as hot is a characteristic of a fire. 11. CARPENTER is to HAMMER as WRITER is a PEN The relationship between each pair is a worker and device or tool he/she uses. A carpenter uses a hammer as a writer uses a pen. 12. POLAR BEAR is to ALASKA as ALLIGATOR is to FLORIDA. The relationship between each pair is a creature and it habitat. A polar bear lives in Alaska as an alligator lives in Florida. Remember Keep the pairs parallel in meaning. This means that the first word in each pair has the same relationship to the second word in each pair. B4.1 3
(Example: child is to mother as calf is to cow. Notice that the first word in each pair refers to young; the second word in each pair refers to the mother. You would not say child is to mother as cow is to calf. These pairs are not parallel.) The symbol : means is to and the symbol :: means as. Here are a few examples to try: Choose one: (power, lucid, wealth, excellent) 1. Light : heavy :: confusing : (relationship is opposite) 2. Spike : nail :: superior : (relationship is similar in meanings) 3. Accident : damage :: battery : (relationship is cause/effect) 4. Kiss : affection :: luxury : (relationship is connotation) The first answer is lucid because it means easily understood. Light is the opposite of heavy, and confusing is the opposite of lucid. The Second answer is excellent because it is similar in meaning to superior. A spike is similar to a nail, and superior is similar to excellent. The third answer is power because it is produced by the battery. An accident causes damage, and a battery produce power. And fourth answer is wealth because possessing a luxury is a sign of wealth. A kiss is a symbol of affection, and a luxury is a symbol of affection. EXERCISE A. Choose from this list: (nestles, fine, transport, farm, objective, cryptic, humble, prune, doe.) 1. costume : disguise :: truck : 2. thin : fat :: sparse : 3. grape : raisin :: plum : 4. sturdy : weak :: coarse : 5. whisper : shout :: garden: 6. lukewarm: tepid :: meek: 7. significant : important :: goal : 8. sheep : ewe :: deer: 9. concept : idea :: snuggles : 10. toxic : poisonous :: secretive: B4.1 4
EXERCISE B - True or False Directions: Decide if each of the following statements represents a correct, complete analogy. 1. Mobile is to movable as field is to area 2. Frown is to expression as worry is to emotion 3. Hand is to grasp as bite is to punch 4. Way is to weigh as to is to toe 5. Relaxing is to studying as liabilities is to assets 6. Truck is to transport as whistle is to signal 7. Polluted is to clean as content is to satisfied 8. Reader is to infer as writer is to imply 9. Father is to parent as brother is to sister 10. Sheer is to opaque as antonym is to synonym EXERCISE C - Determining Analogous Relationships Directions: Look at each row of words. Think how the first two words go together. Find a word from the Word Box that is related to the underlined word in the same way. Word Box: Land Throne Frog Helicopter Harbor Attic Thirst Dye Criticism Studio Missile Ship Brief Ocean Heart Wring 1. loyal : faithful :: short: 2. infant : crib :: emperor: 3. mosquito: swamp:: dolphin: 4. barge: craft:: bullet: 5. root: plant :: anchor: B4.1 5
6. water: pump :: blood: 7. food: hunger:: drink: 8. hull: ship :: rotor: 9. sigh: moan :: tint: 10. whimper: weep :: twist: 11. mansion: shack :: compliment: 12. athlete: gymnasium :: artist: 13. entrance: exit :: basement: 14. caterpillar: butterfly :: tadpole: 15. sailor: water:: soldier: Exercise D - Constructing Analogous Relationships Directions: Complete the following analogies by using the underlined words shown beneath each section. Place the appropriate words(s) in the blank (s). Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 1. early late ahead 2. fast slow run 3. front back street 4. light dark day 5. past future before Column 4 after, alley, behind, crawl, night Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 6. honey bee 7. go in go out 8. day night 9. bottom top 10. food body Column 3 fuel, enter, below, book, dawn Column 4 above, writer, twilight, leave, engine B4.1 6
Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 11. ink 12. play 13. iron 14. knife 15. sand Column 2 desert, pen, toy, cut, steel Column 3 gun, sand, paint, work, wax Column 4 brush, tool, candle, shoot, glass Exercise E - Directions: Read each of the following passages. Then for each write the analogy and identify the relationship which the two sets of elements have in common. 21. The fundamental reason why certain individuals are prone to become alcoholics is simply that, in these hapless individuals, the poisoning effect of alcohol shown up prominently in the form of a strong urge to drink some more of the same. Alcohol to one of these people is the same as heroin is to a potential drug addict. The poisoning effect becomes worse and worse as more alcohol is consumed and after perhaps several years of heavy drinking, the pre-alcoholic becomes a real one. Analogy : :: : Relationship in Common B4.1 7
ANSWER KEY EXERCISE A EXERCISE B 1. transport 1. True 2. dense 2. True 3. prune 3. False 4. fine 4. False 5. farm 5. True 6. humble 6. True 7. objective 7. False 8. doe 8. True 9. nestles 9. False 10. cryptic 10. True EXERCISE C EXERCISE D 1. brief 1. behind 2. throne 2. crawl 3. ocean 3. alley 4. missile 4. night 5. ship 5. after 6. heart 6. book : writer 7. thirst 7. enter : leave 8. helicopter 8. dawn : twilight 9. dye 9. below : above 10. wring 10. fuel :: engine 11. criticism 11. pen :: paint : brush 12. studio 12. toy :: work : tool 13. attic 13. steel :: sand : glass 14. frog 14. cut :: gun : shoot 15. land 15. desert :: wax : candle EXERCISE E (21) Analogy Relationship in Common alcohol : alcoholics :: heroin : drug addicts drug & the user For additional practice use Analogies 2 and 3 found in the Learning Lab under the Critical Thinking Section. B4.1 8