Complete the Third Pair: Practice Set 2
Complete the Third Pair: Practice Set 2 is a second practice round on the (WORD, WORD) (WORD, WORD) (WORD, ?) format used in 11+ verbal reasoning, extending beyond straightforward opposites and simple spelling changes into pairs linked by a less common spelling transformation or a more abstract shared idea.
Method
- Compare the two words in each of the first two pairs and decide whether the link is built from meaning, such as a category or an intensity difference, or from spelling, such as letters removed, added or rearranged.
- State the rule precisely in your own words and check it explains both given pairs exactly before testing it on the third.
- Watch for rules that are easy to state too loosely, such as 'similar meaning', when the true rule is more exact, such as 'an extreme version of'.
- Apply the confirmed rule to the first word of the third pair to predict the missing word before reading the options.
- Test each option against your prediction, rejecting any that only loosely fits the idea rather than the exact rule.
- Re-check all three pairs together with your chosen answer in place, to confirm the same precise rule holds throughout.
Worked example
(WHISPER, SCREAM) (TRICKLE, FLOOD) (SPARK, ?) A) Flame B) Blaze C) Heat D) Smoke E) Light.
- A whisper is a very quiet, small version of speaking, and a scream is an extremely loud, intense version of it, so the rule links a mild version of something to an extreme version of the same thing.
- Trickle, a small mild flow of water, to flood, an extreme, overwhelming flow, fits the same rule.
- Applying the same rule, a spark, a tiny mild version of fire, should link to an extreme, intense version of fire.
- A blaze is specifically a large, intense fire, matching the pattern exactly, whereas flame, heat, smoke and light are all just features of fire rather than an extreme version of it.
- Final answer: B) Blaze.
Practice questions
Type your answer and press Check to be marked straight away, or reveal the answer and mark yourself.
Q1(HEART, HART) (BOARD, BARD) (BLEAT, ?)Show answer
Answer: Beat (each pair removes the second letter of the first word)
Q2(STUDY, KNOWLEDGE) (EXERCISE, FITNESS) (PRACTICE, ?)Show answer
Answer: Skill (each pair is an activity and the beneficial result of doing it regularly)
Q3(STAND, TAN) (CRIMP, RIM) (STOMP, ?)Show answer
Answer: Tom (each pair removes the first and last letter of the first word, leaving the middle three letters)
Q4(CROWN, MONARCHY) (SCALES, JUSTICE) (DOVE, ?)Show answer
Answer: Peace (each pair is a symbol and the abstract idea it represents)
Q5(ACCURATE, INACCURATE) (SECURE, INSECURE) (VISIBLE, ?)Show answer
Answer: Invisible (each pair adds the prefix in- to make the opposite)
Q6(BEE, HONEY) (COW, MILK) (SHEEP, ?)Show answer
Answer: Wool (each pair is an animal and the product people get from it)
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Work out the rule linking each pair of pairs, then choose the option that completes the third pair. a) (DENTIST, SURGERY) (PILOT, COCKPIT) (LIFEGUARD, ?) - A) Pool B) Beach C) Tower D) Whistle E) Water. b) (SPIDER, WEB) (BEAVER, ?) - A) Fur B) Dam C) River D) Wood E) Tail. c) (THIMBLE, FINGER) (HELMET, ?) - A) Head B) Bike C) Safety D) Protect E) Hard hat.
Show mark scheme
Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
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Work out the rule linking each pair of pairs, then choose the option that completes the third pair. d) (FROWN, DISAPPROVAL) (SMIRK, ?) - A) Happiness B) Smugness C) Smile D) Laughter E) Joy. e) (ICEBERG, TIP) (ARGUMENT, ?) - A) Fight B) Point C) Words D) Debate E) Anger. f) (CHRYSALIS, MOTH) (BULB, ?) - A) Light B) Flower C) Root D) Soil E) Seed. g) (GLACIER, ICE) (AVALANCHE, ?) - A) Mountain B) Snow C) Cold D) Rock E) Speed.
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
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Work out the rule linking each pair of pairs, then choose the option that completes the third pair. h) (STALE, FRESH) (STAGNANT, ?) - A) Flowing B) Old C) Clean D) Dirty E) Wet. i) (PROLOGUE, EPILOGUE) (SUNRISE, ?) - A) Morning B) Sunset C) Dawn D) Day E) Light.
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Tick each line you got. Your score builds from the marks on the scheme.
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the complete the third pair: 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 13 of 11+ Verbal Reasoning Workbook 3, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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