Word Analogies: Practice Set 2
Word Analogies: Practice Set 2 is a second practice round on the A is to B as C is to ? analogy format used throughout 11+ verbal reasoning papers, moving beyond simple part-to-whole and job-and-tool links into more abstract relationships such as cause and effect, degree of intensity, and words related only through a shared underlying process.
Method
- Read the first pair and write their relationship as a short, precise sentence, checking it holds in the exact order the words are given.
- Be ready for a more abstract link than a simple category or opposite, such as one word describing the process that produces the other, or one word being a more extreme version of the other.
- Apply the relationship sentence to the third word to predict what kind of word the answer should be before reading any options.
- Test your prediction against every option, rejecting any that share only a surface topic with the third word rather than the precise relationship.
- Where two options both seem loosely connected, choose whichever fits the relationship sentence most exactly and in the same direction as the first pair.
- Re-read all three pairs with your chosen answer in place to confirm the same relationship holds for all three.
Worked example
CATERPILLAR is to BUTTERFLY as TADPOLE is to ? A) Pond B) Frog C) Egg D) Water E) Swim.
- A caterpillar develops into a butterfly through a complete change in form, so the relationship is 'the young stage develops into this adult stage'.
- Applying the same relationship, a tadpole develops into a frog.
- Pond and Water are places a tadpole lives, not the adult stage it becomes, so they do not fit the relationship.
- Egg is an earlier stage than a tadpole, not a later one, and Swim is an action, not a life stage, so neither fits either.
- Final answer: B) Frog.
Practice questions
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Q1SPARK is to FIRE as SEED is to ?Show answer
Answer: Plant (the small beginning that grows into the larger thing)
Q2WHISPER is to SHOUT as DRIZZLE is to ?Show answer
Answer: Downpour (each pair moves from a mild version of an action to an intense version of it)
Q3THERMOMETER is to TEMPERATURE as SCALES is to ?Show answer
Answer: Weight (the instrument and the quantity it measures)
Q4AUTHOR is to NOVEL as COMPOSER is to ?Show answer
Answer: Symphony (the creator and the work they create)
Q5DROUGHT is to RAIN as FAMINE is to ?Show answer
Answer: Food (each disaster is caused by a severe shortage of this)
Q6APPRENTICE is to EXPERT as SAPLING is to ?Show answer
Answer: Tree (each pair moves from an early, undeveloped stage to a fully developed one)
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Work out the relationship in each pair, then choose the option that completes the second pair the same way. a) SCULPTOR is to CHISEL as CARPENTER is to ? - A) Saw B) Wood C) Table D) Nail E) Bench. b) HIBERNATION is to WINTER as MIGRATION is to ? - A) Birds B) Autumn C) Flying D) Nest E) South. c) VACCINE is to DISEASE as UMBRELLA is to ? - A) Rain B) Handle C) Weather D) Shelter E) Coat.
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Work out the relationship in each pair, then choose the option that completes the second pair the same way. d) ERODE is to CLIFF as RUST is to ? - A) Metal B) Water C) Paint D) Iron E) Age. e) BEEKEEPER is to HIVE as SHEPHERD is to ? - A) Wool B) Dog C) Flock D) Field E) Fence. f) PARCHED is to THIRSTY as EXHAUSTED is to ? - A) Sleepy B) Tired C) Weak D) Ill E) Lazy. g) SEED is to FLOWER as EGG is to ? - A) Nest B) Bird C) Feather D) Shell E) Wing.
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Work out the relationship in each pair, then choose the option that completes the second pair the same way. h) FRUGAL is to STINGY as CAUTIOUS is to ? - A) Brave B) Fearful C) Careless D) Bold E) Calm. i) OASIS is to DESERT as ISLAND is to ? - A) Beach B) Sea C) Sand D) Boat E) Coast.
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the word analogies: practice set 2 worksheet pack - 9 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 11 of 11+ Verbal Reasoning Workbook 3, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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