Verbal Reasoning Study Guide for the CLT

Analogies

The difference between typical analogy questions on a test and those on the CLT is that these are not presented in isolation but refer to the passage’s content. You must think logically about an idea presented in the text and determine which word best fits that analogy.

What Is an Analogy?

Analogies are comparisons of two seemingly unlike things to help explain to the reader how they are, in fact, similar in some way. Understanding one in terms of the other brings the reader a greater understanding of the message the author is trying to convey. While similar to metaphors and similes because a comparison is being made, analogies usually go a step further to explain the connection. Similes and metaphors can be used to create analogies. In analogy questions, the goal is to identify the relationship between the two entities.

Approaching Analogy Questions

Analogy questions require applying logical thinking skills to determine the relationship between word pairs. Usually, a pair of words is provided so that you can determine the type of relationship between them before determining which of the word pairs in the answer choices has the same type of relationship. Note that one word pair may have nothing to do with the second word pair; you are just looking for word pairs with the same kind of relationship between the two words.

The best way to approach analogy questions is to ask yourself, ____ is to ____ as ____ is to ____. Once you identify the type of relationship between the first pair of words, you look to find a word pair with the same relationship. In analogy format, these questions often look like this: A : B :: C : D. The single colons say “is to” and the double colons say “as.”

For example, in this analogy, one pair does not seem like the other, but the relationship in each pair is the same:

knife : cut :: hose : wash

A knife is used to cut and a hose can be used to wash.

Types of Analogies

There are many different types of analogies. Below are some of the most common ones. On the CLT, the analogies are all based on ideas that are presented in the accompanying text, so consider what the text is saying as you work to figure out the relationship between the given words to determine the correct answer option for the second pair of words.

Opposites (Antonyms)

In an analogy that uses antonyms, you are trying to find the opposite of the given word. For example, if the first pair of words is wealthy : poor, then you know you are looking for a pair of words that are antonyms because wealthy and poor are opposites. Consider this example:

wealthy : poor :: ____ : ____

If the first two words are opposites, then you are looking for another opposite pair. The correct answer could be light : dark or light : heavy.

wealthy : poor :: light : dark
wealthy : poor :: light : heavy

Cause and Effect

If the relationship between the first two words is cause and effect, then that relationship will need to exist between the second set of words. For example:

studying : good grades :: ____ : ____

The effect of studying is good grades, so you are looking for a word pair in which the second word is a result of the first. Here’s one that would fit:.

studying : good grades :: rain : bountiful harvest

Classification and Object

In a classification and object analogy, the relationship between the word pairs is that one is an object that can be classified in a particular category. For example:

finch : bird :: ____ : ____

Here, since a finch is a type of bird, you are looking for a word that is in another category. A daisy is a type of flower, so the analogy might read as:

finch : bird :: daisy : flower

Object and Purpose

In an object and purpose analogy, one of the words is an object, while the other word describes its purpose or what it does. The order may be switched in the analogy (the purpose listed first, then the object that would serve that purpose), but the relationship is the same.

knife : cut :: pencil : write

A knife is used to cut, just as a pencil is used to write.

magnification : microscope :: bake : oven

A microscope is used to magnify tiny objects in the same way that an oven is used to bake things.

Simile

A simile compares using the words like or as, such as “fierce as a lion” and “ran like the wind.” So, an analogy made up of similes generally pairs some entity with a common trait and asks you to give a similarly matched pair. Here is an example of an “as” simile in analogy form:

lion : fierce :: ____ : ____

You can determine this by wording the given pair as a simile: “fierce as a lion.” Then, determine a good word pair to fill the blanks to indicate the same kind of relationship. Peaceful as a dove would be a comparable simile. Just be careful that the stated relationship is in the same order as it was in the first pair. It could look like this:

lion : fierce :: dove : peaceful

Here is a “like” simile in an analogy question:

ran : wind :: ____ : ____

The first pair shows the simile, “ran like the wind,” so you must find a simile to fill the blanks. A good choice would be “sang like a bird,” or:

ran : wind :: sang : bird

Action and Result

Word relationships that show an action and a result are similar to cause and effect. An action is presented, followed by a direct effect or result of that action. For example:

sleep : rested :: ____ : ____

If you sleep, you become rested, so if you feed something, it will grow:

sleep : rested :: feed : grow

Degrees of a Quality

In these analogies, the relationship shows an increase or decrease in intensity or amount. For example:

smile : laugh :: puddle : pond

A smile could intensify into a laugh, just as a pond is a larger version of a puddle.

warm : hot :: cold : freezing

The degree of something could change from being warm to being hot, just as something cold could change to freezing.

Characteristic and Item or Person

In a characteristic and item or person analogy, the characteristic describes a particular item or person. For example:

white coat : doctor :: white hat : chef

A doctor wears a white coat; a chef wears a white hat.

quarter : round :: knife : sharp

A quarter has the quality or characteristic of being round, while a knife has the quality or characteristic of being sharp.

Comparing Two Passages

The historical/founding documents portion of this test contains two passages. One is from an American founding document, and the other was written by an author who was important in American history. Some questions will be about one of the passages and other questions will require you to compare information or presentation in both passages.

Tables and Graphs

The science passage will include some sort of chart, table, or graph, and you must be able to extract meaning from it, as well as from the text.

Analyzing the Graphic

Graphics generally accompany texts to provide visual representation or data about a particular subject. When analyzing graphics included with a text, first determine what kind of graphic it is and consider why it was included to accompany this particular text. It should complement the text somehow, adding information, providing a visual image, or serving some other intentional purpose.

Then look at the details of the graphic. Where is it located on the page in relation to the text? Does it have a title that would help to explain its purpose? What details does it provide on the topic? Who created it? What information or data does it include? What information or data does it leave out? By analyzing the information, source, and reliability of the graphic, you can determine its overall message or significance with regard to the text.

Using the Text and the Graphic

Combining information from both the text and graphic can help enhance the author’s message and help you answer questions about the text. It may be that the graphic clarifies an idea or claim made in the text. Considering a subject through different lenses—reading a text and looking at a graphic—gives the reader a greater understanding of the main idea of a text.