Verbal ability questions form an integral part of competitive exams. They are used to gauge the logical reasoning skills of the candidates. There are various types of verbal ability questions. This article will discuss about one such type of verbal ability questions- Verbal analogy. To crack a verbal analogy test, one must have a good knowledge about words and their relationship with one another.
What is a Verbal Analogy Test?
A verbal analogy test is used to check whether the candidate has the ability to understand and identify the relationship between different words. The most popular format of a verbal analogy test is:
WordA : WordB :: Word1 :
A. Word2
B. Word3
C. Word4
D. Word5
Types of word associations in verbal analogy tests
There are different types of word associations that are used in verbal analogy tests. The most popular types are:
1. Synonym or Antonym
As the name suggests, in synonyms, you are asked to identify a similar meaning word as per the given word.
Example:
accurate : precise :: sad :
A. happy
B. disappointed
C. content
D. good
In case of antonyms, identification of a opposite meaning word is required.
Example:
open : close:: give :
A. send
B. change
C. take
D. arrange
2. Group
Here, you are asked to identify a word that is a part of the other word.
Example:
pack: cards :: bunch:
A. flowers
B. car
C. game
D. man
3. Function
In case of function type, one word describes the function or properties of the other word.
Example:
decoration : beautify :: movie :
A. cook
B. entertain
C. drive
D. read
4. Degree
This type of word association requires you to identify the shade or variation of meaning in degree between the pair of words.
Example:
cool : cold :: pretty :
A. heavy
B. gentle
C. beautiful
D. happy
5. Item to Category
Here, one word is a type of the other word.
Example:
bread : food :: blue :
A. tea
B. colour
C. wood
D. tree
6. Cause and effect
As the name suggests, one word leads to the other word.
Example:
sad : cry :: cloudy :
A. sun
B. happy
C. dance
D. rain
Rules or Tricks to master verbal analogy tests
Follow these rules to crack the verbal analogy test:
1. The first step is to identify the meaning of the words.
2. Once the meanings are known, you have to decode the type of word association that is being used.
3. After knowing the meaning and the word association type, see the options and find the word that fits both the categories.
Practice Questions on Verbal Analogy Tests
Q 1. human : lips :: bird : ?
A. nest
B. feet
C. beak
D. grass
Answer: C. beak
Explanation: Humans drink with the help of their lips, birds use beaks to feed themselves.
Q 2. professor : teaching :: judge :
A. court
B. judgement
C. law
D. police
Answer: B. judgement
Explanation: A professor’s job is to teach, and a judge’s job is to deliver judgement.
Q 3. marathon : fatigue :: fasting :
A. hunger
B. slowing
C. racing
D. food
Answer: A. hunger
Explanation: Running a marathon can lead to fatigue while fasting leads to hunger.
Q 4. botanist : plants :: paleontologist :
A. animals
B. fossils
C. birds
D. biology
Answer: B. fossils
Explanation: A botanist studies plants; a paleontologist studies fossils.
Q 5. lion : jungle :: whale :
A. forest
B. sky
C. ground
D. ocean
Answer: D. ocean
Explanation: A lion resides in the jungle whereas a whale lives in the ocean.
Q 6. weight : kilogram :: distance :
A. liter
B. kilometer
C. pressure
D. gram
Answer: B. kilometer
Explanation: Kilogram is a unit of measurement of weight. Similarly, kilometer is a unit of measurement of distance.
Q 7. dogs : bark :: cats :
A. roar
B. growl
C. meow
D. chirp
Answer: C. meow
Explanation: Dogs bark and cats meow.
Q 8. vital : important :: correct :
A. right
B. wrong
C. crucial
D. improve
Answer: A. right
Explanation: Vital and important are similar meaning words. Correct and right also mean the same.
Q 9. cold : hot :: active :
A. activity
B. excited
C. lazy
D. eager
Answer C. lazy
Explanation: Cold is the opposite of hot; similarly, active is the opposite of lazy
Q 10. innocent : guilty :: intentional :
A. intent
B. accidental
C. dangerous
D. tension
Answer: B. accidental
Explanation: guilty and innocent are antonyms; intentional and accidental are also antonyms
Q 11. hot : warm :: happy :
A. sad
B. cold
C. ecstatic
D. content
Answer: C. ecstatic
Explanation: Hot and warm are variations of a similar term- heat. Similarly, happy and ecstatic are variations of being happy.
Q 12. city : Paris :: country :
A. Amsterdam
B. India
C. Delhi
D. continent
Answer: B. India
Explanation: Paris is the name of a city; India is the name of a country.
Q 13. acrophobia : height :: nyctophobia :
A. water
B. weight
C. spider
D. darkness
Answer: D. darkness
Explanation: Fear of height is knows as acrophobia whereas nyctophobia is the fear of darkness
Q 14. huge : tiny :: bitter :
A. sweet
B. sour
C. spicy
D. tangy
Answer : A. sweet
Explanation: huge and tiny are opposite meaning words: similarly, sweet and bitter are antonyms
Q 15. different : similar :: hope :
A. hopeful
B. despair
C. happy
D. seek
Answer: B. despair
Explanation: similar and different are opposite meaning words; hope and despair also mean the opposite of each other.
Q 16. river : bridge :: mountain :
A. highway
B. tunnel
C. valley
D. subway
Answer: B. tunnel
Explanation: A bridge is created to cross a river; tunnels are built to cross mountains.
Q 17. cool : cold :: old :
A. hold
B. young
C. gold
D. ancient
Answer: D. ancient
Explanation: Cool and cold are variations of a similar term- coldness. Similarly, old and ancient are variations of being old.
Q 18. student : examination :: employee :
A. job
B. promotion
C. appraisal
D. salary
Answer: C. appraisal
Explanation: A student has to pass an examination to get promoted to a higher class; similarly, an employee has to undergo an appraisal to be eligible for increment or promotion.
Q 19. tennis : racket :: cricket :
A. racket
B. net
C. stick
D. bat
Answer: D. bat
Explanation: You need a racket to play tennis whereas you need a bat to play cricket.
Q 20. yeast : fermentation :: bacteria :
A. decomposition
B. sedimentation
C. decantation
D. distillation
Answer: A. decomposition
Explanation: Yeast causes fermentation and bacteria causes decomposition.
Q 21. similar : alike :: famous :
A. like
B. dislike
C. popular
D. populate
Answer: C. popular.
Explanation: Similar and alike are synonyms; famous and popular are also synonyms.
Q 22. breeze : cyclone :: drizzle :
A. rain
B. downpour
C. sun
D. hurricane
Answer: B. downpour
Explanation: Breeze refers to gentle winds while cyclone indicates strong winds. Similarly, drizzle represents light rain whereas downpour represents heavy rain.
Q 23. writer : novel :: sculptor :
A. book
B. poem
C. building
D. statue
Answer: D. statue
Explanation: A writer writes novels and a sculptor creates statues.
Q 24. textile : fabric :: pharma :
A. road
B. medicine
C. pharmacy
D. cement
Answer: B. medicine
Explanation: Textile units produce fabrics; pharmaceutical units produce medicines
Q 25. letter : word :: page :
A. story
B. book
C. library
D. history
Answer: B. book
Explanation: Letters combine to form a word. Pages combine to form a book.
Q 26. laugh : cry :: victory :
A. win
B. excited
C. defeat
D. draw
Answer: C. defeat
Explanation: laugh is the opposite of cry, similarly defeat and victory are antonyms.
Q 27. geography : earth :: biology :
A. life
B. death
C. moon
D. plants
Answer: A. life
Explanation: geography is the study of earth whereas biology is the study of life
Q 28. fantastic : terrific :: scary :
A. terrible
B. great
C. terrifying
D. excellent
Answer: C. terrifying
Explanation: fantastic and terrific are similar meaning words; scary and terrifying are also synonyms.
Q 29. pork : pig :: mutton :
A. cow
B. sheep
C. chicken
D. fish
Answer: B. goat
Explanation: pork is the food name for pig meat; similarly, mutton is the food name for sheep meat
Q 30. happy : elated :: sleepy :
A. awake
B. sad
C. yawn
D. excited
Answer: C. yawn
Explanation: happy and elated are similar meaning words; sleepy and yawn are also synonyms.
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