This is a 35-minute Verbal Reasoning depth practice on vocabulary and word skills, styled on GL Assessment 11+ multiple-choice papers. There are 40 questions across six sections: Word Analogies, Closest / Opposite Meaning, Odd One Out, Compound Words, Hidden Words and Complete the Word. Every question is worth 1 mark, for 40 marks in total. Difficulty increases through each section and across the pack as a whole, finishing with scholarship-level stretch questions. For each question, choose the ONE best answer from the options A to E. No calculator is allowed. Read every word, sentence and clue carefully; some questions ask for the closest meaning and others for the opposite, so check which is being asked each time.
Worked example. Worked example (Word Analogies): NIGHT is to DAY as BLACK is to ? Answer: White. First work out the relationship between the first pair of words: NIGHT and DAY are opposites. Then apply the same relationship to the second pair: the opposite of BLACK is WHITE. Apply this same careful approach throughout the pack, even as the sections move on to closest and opposite meaning, odd one out, compound words, hidden words and complete-the-word puzzles, always working out the exact rule or connection being tested before choosing an option.
1
SECTION 1: WORD ANALOGIES (6 minutes, 7 questions)
Work out the relationship between the first pair of words, then choose the option that completes the second pair in the same way.
Q1. PUPPY is to DOG as KITTEN is to ?
A) Mouse
B) Cat
C) Rabbit
D) Bird
E) Fish
(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)
2
(WORD ANALOGIES) Q2. BAKER is to BREAD as CARPENTER is to ?
A) Hammer
B) Wood
C) Nail
D) Furniture
E) Saw
(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)
3
(WORD ANALOGIES) Q3. PAGE is to BOOK as BRICK is to ?
A) Wall
B) Cement
C) House
D) Builder
E) Clay
(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)
4
(WORD ANALOGIES) Q4. SHEPHERD is to SHEEP as TEACHER is to ?
A) School
B) Lesson
C) Pupils
D) Chalk
E) Classroom
(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)
5
(WORD ANALOGIES) Q5. WHISPER is to SHOUT as STROLL is to ?
A) Walk
B) Crawl
C) Rest
D) Pause
E) Sprint
(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)
6
(WORD ANALOGIES) Q6. MISER is to GENEROUS as COWARD is to ?
A) Brave
B) Fearful
C) Timid
D) Cautious
E) Nervous
(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)
7
(WORD ANALOGIES) Q7. CANDLE is to WAX as STATUE is to ?
A) Museum
B) Sculptor
C) Stone
D) Pedestal
E) Paint
(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)
8
SECTION 2: CLOSEST / OPPOSITE MEANING (6 minutes, 7 questions)
Read each question carefully: some ask for the word closest in meaning and others for the word most nearly opposite in meaning.
Q1. Choose the word closest in meaning to HAPPY.
A) angry
B) tired
C) worried
D) joyful
E) quiet
(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)
9
(CLOSEST / OPPOSITE MEANING) Q2. Choose the word closest in meaning to ABANDON.
A) desert
B) decorate
C) defend
D) delay
E) decide
(Total for Question 9 is 1 mark)
10
(CLOSEST / OPPOSITE MEANING) Q3. Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to GENEROUS.
A) kind
B) wealthy
C) mean
D) polite
E) honest
(Total for Question 10 is 1 mark)
11
(CLOSEST / OPPOSITE MEANING) Q4. Choose the word closest in meaning to RELUCTANT.
A) eager
B) confused
C) exhausted
D) confident
E) unwilling
(Total for Question 11 is 1 mark)
12
(CLOSEST / OPPOSITE MEANING) Q5. Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to TRANSPARENT.
A) clear
B) opaque
C) fragile
D) flexible
E) colourful
(Total for Question 12 is 1 mark)
13
(CLOSEST / OPPOSITE MEANING) Q6. Choose the word closest in meaning to METICULOUS.
A) careless
B) hasty
C) precise
D) generous
E) cheerful
(Total for Question 13 is 1 mark)
14
(CLOSEST / OPPOSITE MEANING) Q7. Choose the word most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to BENEVOLENT.
A) generous
B) charitable
C) friendly
D) polite
E) malicious
(Total for Question 14 is 1 mark)
15
SECTION 3: ODD ONE OUT (6 minutes, 7 questions)
Four of the five options share something in common. Choose the ONE option that does NOT belong with the other four.
Q1. Which word does NOT belong with the other four?
A) Carrot
B) Apple
C) Banana
D) Orange
E) Grape
(Total for Question 15 is 1 mark)
16
(ODD ONE OUT) Q2. Which word does NOT belong with the other four?
A) Trumpet
B) Flute
C) Violin
D) Clarinet
E) Saxophone
(Total for Question 16 is 1 mark)
17
(ODD ONE OUT) Q3. Which word does NOT belong with the other four?
A) Seventh
B) Tension
C) Nineteen
D) Oneness
E) Garden
(Total for Question 17 is 1 mark)
18
(ODD ONE OUT) Q4. Which word does NOT belong with the other four?
A) Novel
B) Melody
C) Magazine
D) Letter
E) Newspaper
(Total for Question 18 is 1 mark)
19
(ODD ONE OUT) Q5. Which word does NOT belong with the other four?
A) Flake
B) Man
C) Ball
D) Sun
E) Storm
(Total for Question 19 is 1 mark)
20
(ODD ONE OUT) Q6. Which word does NOT belong with the other four?
A) Thames
B) Snowdon
C) Severn
D) Mersey
E) Trent
(Total for Question 20 is 1 mark)
21
(ODD ONE OUT) Q7. Which word does NOT belong with the other four?
A) Glance
B) Peek
C) Scan
D) Glimpse
E) Stare
(Total for Question 21 is 1 mark)
22
SECTION 4: COMPOUND WORDS (5 minutes, 6 questions)
Find the ONE word that completes a real compound word with the word before the brackets, AND a different real compound word with the word after the brackets.
Q1. CUP ( ) WALK
A) Holder
B) Shelf
C) Board
D) House
E) Towel
(Total for Question 22 is 1 mark)
23
(COMPOUND WORDS) Q2. CROSS ( ) WAY
A) Over
B) Word
C) Fire
D) Bow
E) Road
(Total for Question 23 is 1 mark)
24
(COMPOUND WORDS) Q3. WATER ( ) OUT
A) Works
B) Fall
C) Melon
D) Proof
E) Side
(Total for Question 24 is 1 mark)
25
(COMPOUND WORDS) Q4. SCHOOL ( ) WORK
A) Bag
B) Mate
C) Boy
D) House
E) Teacher
(Total for Question 25 is 1 mark)
26
(COMPOUND WORDS) Q5. HORSE ( ) ACHE
A) Back
B) Shoe
C) Play
D) Power
E) Mane
(Total for Question 26 is 1 mark)
27
(COMPOUND WORDS) Q6. SUIT ( ) LOAD
A) Work
B) Case
C) Down
D) Up
E) Mate
(Total for Question 27 is 1 mark)
28
SECTION 5: HIDDEN WORDS (6 minutes, 6 questions)
Read the letters straight through in order, without skipping or rearranging any, to find the hidden word.
Q1. A word is hidden inside the word SCARF, reading the letters in order. Which word is hidden?
A) Arm
B) Farm
C) Care
D) Raft
E) Car
(Total for Question 28 is 1 mark)
29
(HIDDEN WORDS) Q2. A word is hidden across the join between two words that are next to each other in this sentence. Which word is hidden? "Amira loved the vet's kind manner."
A) Vet
B) Eve
C) Owl
D) Ant
E) Arm
(Total for Question 29 is 1 mark)
30
(HIDDEN WORDS) Q3. A word is hidden inside the word CHATTER, reading the letters in order. Which word is hidden?
A) Ear
B) Run
C) Sun
D) Hat
E) Cap
(Total for Question 30 is 1 mark)
31
(HIDDEN WORDS) Q4. A word is hidden across the join between two words that are next to each other in this sentence. Which word is hidden? "Raj stood just below Langley Woods at dusk."
A) Owl
B) Fox
C) Bat
D) Cow
E) Pig
(Total for Question 31 is 1 mark)
32
(HIDDEN WORDS) Q5. A word is hidden inside the word GRANDMOTHER, reading the letters in order. Which word is hidden?
A) Bee
B) Ant
C) Moth
D) Fly
E) Bug
(Total for Question 32 is 1 mark)
33
(HIDDEN WORDS) Q6. A word is hidden inside the word UNDERSTAND, reading the letters in order. Which word is hidden?
A) Ears
B) Rust
C) Dust
D) Tan
E) Sand
(Total for Question 33 is 1 mark)
34
SECTION 6: COMPLETE THE WORD (6 minutes, 7 questions)
Insert the missing letters shown by the gaps to complete a real word that matches the clue given.
Q1. _ARDEN Clue: a place where flowers and vegetables grow
A) Harden
B) Garden
C) Warden
D) Marden
E) Larden
(Total for Question 34 is 1 mark)
35
(COMPLETE THE WORD) Q2. FR__DOM Clue: the state of being free
A) Friedom
B) Fruidom
C) Fraidom
D) Freedom
E) Froodom
(Total for Question 35 is 1 mark)
36
(COMPLETE THE WORD) Q3. P_AE Clue: an aircraft that flies in the sky
A) Plane
B) Place
C) Peace
D) Piane
E) Prage
(Total for Question 36 is 1 mark)
37
(COMPLETE THE WORD) Q4. S_AE Clue: the outline or form of an object
A) Shame
B) Spade
C) Shape
D) Scare
E) Stare
(Total for Question 37 is 1 mark)
38
(COMPLETE THE WORD) Q5. TR__N Clue: to teach someone a skill through practice
A) Trown
B) Trawn
C) Truen
D) Traun
E) Train
(Total for Question 38 is 1 mark)
39
(COMPLETE THE WORD) Q6. C_MPTE Clue: to take part in a race or contest against others
A) Compute
B) Compote
C) Compate
D) Compete
E) Campite
(Total for Question 39 is 1 mark)
40
(COMPLETE THE WORD) Q7. PR_NCPLE Clue: a fundamental truth or rule that guides behaviour or reasoning
A) Principle
B) Principal
C) Princeple
D) Principul
E) Principel
(Total for Question 40 is 1 mark)
Mark scheme · EP.V25 Verbal Reasoning: Word Skills and Analogies Depth
Question 1
B1 B) Cat - a puppy grows into a dog; a kitten grows into a cat (baby animal to adult animal)
Answer: B) Cat
Question 2
B1 D) Furniture - a baker's product is bread; a carpenter's product is furniture (worker to product made)
Answer: D) Furniture
Question 3
B1 A) Wall - a page is one unit that makes up a book; a brick is one unit that makes up a wall (single unit to whole made of units)
Answer: A) Wall
Question 4
B1 C) Pupils - a shepherd looks after and guides sheep; a teacher looks after and guides pupils (person in charge to the group they guide)
Answer: C) Pupils
Question 5
B1 E) Sprint - a shout is a much louder, more intense version of a whisper; a sprint is a much faster, more intense version of a stroll (mild version to intense version of the same action)
Answer: E) Sprint
Question 6
B1 A) Brave - generous is the opposite trait to a miser; brave is the opposite trait to a coward (person defined by a trait to the opposite trait)
Answer: A) Brave
Question 7
B1 C) Stone - wax is the material a candle is made from; stone is the material a statue is typically made from (object to the material it is made from)
Answer: C) Stone
Question 8
B1 D) joyful - means feeling or showing great happiness, the same core meaning as 'happy'
Answer: D) joyful
Question 9
B1 A) desert - means to leave something or someone behind completely, the same core meaning as 'abandon'
Answer: A) desert
Question 10
B1 C) mean - describes someone unwilling to share, the direct opposite of 'generous'
Answer: C) mean
Question 11
B1 E) unwilling - means not wanting to do something, the same core meaning as 'reluctant'
Answer: E) unwilling
Question 12
B1 B) opaque - describes a material that cannot be seen through, the direct opposite of 'transparent'
Answer: B) opaque
Question 13
B1 C) precise - means very careful and exact about small details, the same core meaning as 'meticulous'
Answer: C) precise
Question 14
B1 E) malicious - describes someone who intends harm, the direct opposite of 'benevolent' (kind and well-meaning)
Answer: E) malicious
Question 15
B1 A) Carrot - the only vegetable; the other four are all fruits
Answer: A) Carrot
Question 16
B1 C) Violin - the only string instrument played with a bow; the other four are all wind instruments played by blowing
Answer: C) Violin
Question 17
B1 E) Garden - the only word with no number hidden inside it; the other four all contain a hidden number word
Answer: E) Garden
Question 18
B1 B) Melody - the only thing that is heard rather than read; the other four are all written texts that can be read
Answer: B) Melody
Question 19
B1 D) Sun - SNOWSUN is not a real word; the other four all combine with SNOW to make a real compound word
Answer: D) Sun
Question 20
B1 B) Snowdon - a mountain, not a river; the other four are all rivers in the United Kingdom
Answer: B) Snowdon
Question 21
B1 E) Stare - means to look for a long, fixed time; the other four all mean to look briefly or quickly
Answer: E) Stare
Question 22
B1 C) Board - completes CUP to make CUPBOARD and begins WALK to make BOARDWALK
Answer: C) Board
Question 23
B1 E) Road - completes CROSS to make CROSSROAD and begins WAY to make ROADWAY
Answer: E) Road
Question 24
B1 B) Fall - completes WATER to make WATERFALL and begins OUT to make FALLOUT
Answer: B) Fall
Question 25
B1 D) House - completes SCHOOL to make SCHOOLHOUSE and begins WORK to make HOUSEWORK
Answer: D) House
Question 26
B1 A) Back - completes HORSE to make HORSEBACK and begins ACHE to make BACKACHE
Answer: A) Back
Question 27
B1 B) Case - completes SUIT to make SUITCASE and begins LOAD to make CASELOAD
Answer: B) Case
Question 28
B1 E) Car - the letters C-A-R appear in order inside sCARf
Answer: E) Car
Question 29
B1 B) Eve - THE ends ...E and VET begins V..., so the join thE-VEt contains E-V-E, spelling EVE
Answer: B) Eve
Question 30
B1 D) Hat - the letters H-A-T appear in order inside cHATter
Answer: D) Hat
Question 31
B1 A) Owl - BELOW ends ...OW and LANGLEY begins L..., so the join belOW-Langley contains O-W-L, spelling OWL
Answer: A) Owl
Question 32
B1 C) Moth - the letters M-O-T-H appear in order inside grandMOTHer
Answer: C) Moth
Question 33
B1 D) Tan - the letters T-A-N appear in order inside undersTANd
Answer: D) Tan
Question 34
B1 B) Garden - GARDEN is a real word matching the clue exactly
Answer: B) Garden
Question 35
B1 D) Freedom - FREEDOM is a real word matching the clue exactly
Answer: D) Freedom
Question 36
B1 A) Plane - PLANE is a real word matching the clue exactly
Answer: A) Plane
Question 37
B1 C) Shape - SHAPE is a real word matching the clue exactly
Answer: C) Shape
Question 38
B1 E) Train - TRAIN is a real word matching the clue exactly
Answer: E) Train
Question 39
B1 D) Compete - COMPETE is a real word matching the clue exactly
Answer: D) Compete
Question 40
B1 A) Principle - PRINCIPLE is a real word matching the clue exactly