Verbal Ability: Analogies and Reverse Analogies Questions for CAT

Analogies

Analogy is a topic which is not only asked in CAT but also in other entrance examinations like Bank PO. Apart from testing vocabulary, problems based on analogies test the student’s ability to spot different kinds and degrees of relationships between the pair of words which form the problem stem and then to arrive at the answer, from given choices, based on this type/ degree of relationship.

Words or word pairs may have various types of relationships. Some of the commonly assessed in CAT are listed below:

a. Cause and Effect Relationships
Heat : Evaporation
Heating causes evaporation of water

b. Purpose or Usage
Cork : Bottle
Cork is used to close a bottle

c. Part—Whole Relationships
Chapter : Book
A chapter is a part of a book

d. Part—Part Relationships
Toe : Foot
A toe is part of the foot which in turn is part of a larger body part leg

e. Object to Action Relationships
Arrow : Shoot
One  shoots an arrow

f. Action to Object Relationship
Drink : Water
You drink water

g. Synonyms
Bumpkin : Lout
Both refer to a rustic person and are synonyms

h. Antonyms
Slim : Fat
Both are opposite in meaning to each other

i. Defining Characteristics
Comedian : Witty
A comedian has the characteristics of being witty

j. Class and Member
Shark : Fish
A shark falls under the class of fishes

k. Manner or Type
Tango : Dance
A Tango is a particular type of dance

l. Significance of Action
Blush : Embarrassment
A blush denotes embarrassment
m. Worker-Article-Creation Relationships
Composer : Music
A composer creates a piece of music

n. Worker and Workplace Relationships
Doctor : Hospital
The main workplace of a doctor is in a hospital

o. Spatial Relationships
North pole: South pole
These are the North-South extreme points of the world

p. Symbol Quality Relationships
Red : Danger
Red symbolizes danger

q. Degree
Warm : Hot
Hot is of a higher degree than warm
 
Now, let us look at the type of instruction and problem that comes under this category.

Instruction: The question consists of two capitalized words which have a certain relationship to each other, followed by four pairs of words. Choose the pair that is related to each other in the same way as the capitalized word.

Chill : Freeze         
[1] Slice : Cut
[2] Simmer : Boil
[3] Roast : Stew
[4] Cook : Fry

Answer Explanation:
In this problem, the student is expected to spot the relationship that Chill is a lower degree than Freeze and Simmer and Boil are similarly related as Simmer is a lower degree than Boil. The answer thus is option [2].