Analogy
🔒 Log in to trackWord analogy
🔒 Log in to trackBoth pairs are meaningful English word pairs; you must find the option whose pair shares the same relation, word-for-word. CGL draws from a fixed relation bank — memorise the bank, not individual questions:
| Relation | Example pair |
|---|---|
| worker : workplace | Chef : Kitchen |
| worker : tool | Surgeon : Scalpel |
| adult : young one | Sheep : Lamb |
| male : female | Colt : Filly |
| animal : home | Horse : Stable |
| animal : sound | Owl : Hoot |
| country : currency | Japan : Yen |
| instrument : quantity | Barometer : Pressure |
| part : whole | Chapter : Book |
| product : source | Flour : Wheat |
| study : subject | Zoology : Animals |
| verb : noun of act | See : Sight |
When two options look right, add precision: Foal is any young horse, Colt only a young male horse — relation strength decides.
Detailed notes
What is a word analogy?
You get a pair of meaningful words, like Chef : Kitchen, and a third word. You must find the word that has the same link with the third word. The exam uses a small, fixed bank of links again and again. If you learn the bank, most questions become quick.
The two-question test
For every option ask:
- What is the link? Say it as a sentence: "a chef works in a kitchen".
- Does the option make the same sentence with the third word? "A pilot works in a cockpit" ✓. "A pilot flies an aeroplane" ✗ (different link).
The relation bank
| Link | Examples |
|---|---|
| Worker : tool | Surgeon : Scalpel, Mason : Trowel, Woodcutter : Axe, Tailor : Needle |
| Worker : place of work | Chef : Kitchen, Judge : Court, Scientist : Laboratory |
| Worker : product | Poet : Poem, Cobbler : Shoes, Weaver : Cloth, Composer : Symphony |
| Adult : young one | Cow : Calf, Horse : Foal, Goat : Kid, Deer : Fawn, Frog : Tadpole |
| Animal : sound | Lion : Roar, Donkey : Bray, Frog : Croak, Horse : Neigh, Owl : Hoot |
| Animal : home | Lion : Den, Bee : Hive, Horse : Stable, Dog : Kennel, Pig : Sty |
| Male : female | Lion : Lioness, Peacock : Peahen, Drake : Duck, Ram : Ewe |
| Individual : group | Fish : Shoal, Wolf : Pack, Lion : Pride, Cattle : Herd, Ship : Fleet |
| Country : currency | India : Rupee, Japan : Yen, Thailand : Baht, Bangladesh : Taka |
| Country : capital | Nepal : Kathmandu, Bhutan : Thimphu, Egypt : Cairo, Canada : Ottawa |
| Instrument : quantity measured | Barometer : Pressure, Hygrometer : Humidity, Anemometer : Wind speed |
| Unit : quantity | Newton : Force, Pascal : Pressure, Joule : Energy, Ampere : Current |
| Study : subject | Ornithology : Birds, Ichthyology : Fishes, Entomology : Insects |
| Product : raw material | Glass : Sand, Paper : Wood, Butter : Milk, Jaggery : Sugarcane |
| Part : whole | Petal : Flower, Page : Book, Player : Team |
| Tool : action | Needle : Sew, Spade : Dig, Knife : Cut, Pen : Write |
| Cause : effect | Rain : Flood, Drought : Famine, Virus : Disease |
| Same meaning (synonym) | Begin : Commence, Abandon : Desert |
| Opposite meaning (antonym) | Ancient : Modern, Scarce : Abundant |
| Degree (mild : strong) | Warm : Hot, Breeze : Gale, Smile : Laugh |
Precision rules
- Unit vs quantity vs instrument. Pascal is a unit, pressure is a quantity, barometer is an instrument. Keep the same type on both sides.
- Tool vs product vs raw material. For a weaver: loom is the tool, thread is the raw material, cloth is the product.
- Young vs female. Foal is a young horse; mare is a female horse. Do not mix them.
- Degree direction. Warm : Hot goes mild → strong, so Breeze : Gale, not Breeze : Air.
- Synonym vs antonym. If the model pair has the same meaning, the answer must have the same meaning, not the opposite.
Worked example
Cobbler : Shoes :: Weaver : ? (Loom / Cloth / Thread / Tailor). Link: a cobbler makes shoes — worker : product. A weaver makes cloth. Loom is the tool and thread is the raw material, both traps.
Quick revision
- Say the link as a sentence; test every option with the same sentence.
- Learn the bank: worker (tool / place / product), animal (young / sound / home / group / female), country (currency / capital), instrument or unit : quantity, study : subject, product : material, part : whole, tool : action, cause : effect, synonym, antonym, degree.
- Same field is not enough — the link type must match exactly.
- Keep direction: if the model goes whole → part, the answer must go whole → part.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: Worker : tool / workplace / productvery common2 practice Q
The first word is a person with a job (mason, cobbler, author, pilot).
- Decide which of the three links it is: tool used, place of work, or thing produced.
- Find the same link for the new worker.
- Reject options that are one of the other two links (a tool when the model needs a product).
Why it works: every worker has a tool, a place and a product — the setter uses the other two as traps.
Example: Cobbler : Shoes :: Weaver : ? (Loom / Cloth / Thread / Tailor)
A cobbler makes shoes (worker : product). A weaver makes cloth. Loom = tool, thread = raw material. Answer: Cloth.
Type 2: Animal : young one / sound / home / groupvery common2 practice Q
One word is an animal or bird and the other is its baby, its cry, its shelter or its group name.
- Identify which animal fact is being used.
- Recall the same fact for the new animal.
- Make sure the option is not a different fact about the same animal (sound instead of home).
Why it works: each animal has one standard word for each fact, learnt in school.
Example: Lion : Den :: Bee : ? (Honey / Hive / Swarm / Buzz)
A den is the lion's home. A bee's home is a hive. Honey is its product, swarm its group, buzz its sound. Answer: Hive.
Type 3: Country : currency / capitalcommon2 practice Q
A country is paired with its money or its capital city.
- See whether the model pair is currency or capital.
- Recall the same for the new country.
- The other options are real currencies/capitals of other countries — be exact.
Why it works: only one option belongs to the given country.
Example: India : Rupee :: Thailand : ? (Yuan / Baht / Ringgit / Dong)
Rupee is India's currency. Thailand's currency is the baht. Yuan = China, ringgit = Malaysia, dong = Vietnam. Answer: Baht.
Type 4: Instrument or unit : quantitycommon2 practice Q
A measuring instrument (barometer, hygrometer) or an SI unit (newton, pascal) is paired with what it measures.
- Note the type of each word: instrument, unit or quantity.
- Keep the same type pattern for the answer.
- Recall the fact (anemometer → wind speed, pascal → pressure).
Why it works: the traps are usually a unit when a quantity is needed, or a nearby quantity.
Example: Newton : Force :: Pascal : ? (Power / Pressure / Energy / Current)
The newton is the unit of force. The pascal is the unit of pressure. (Power = watt, energy = joule, current = ampere.) Answer: Pressure.
Type 5: Study : subject, product : raw material, part : wholecommon2 practice Q
Words like '-logy' sciences, or a finished product and what it is made from, or a small part and the whole thing.
- Name the link: 'is the study of', 'is made from', 'is a part of'.
- Apply it to the third word.
- Watch the direction: product → material, not material → product.
Why it works: these links have one clear answer each once the direction is fixed.
Example: Butter : Milk :: Jaggery : ? (Sugar / Sugarcane / Sweet / Tea)
Butter is made from milk (product : raw material). Jaggery is made from sugarcane juice. Sugar is another product, not the material. Answer: Sugarcane.
Type 6: Synonym, antonym and degree pairscommon2 practice Q
Two ordinary words that mean the same, the opposite, or a milder and stronger form of the same idea.
- Decide: same meaning, opposite meaning, or mild → strong.
- Find the option with that link to the third word.
- Reject the option that has the other type (an antonym when a synonym is needed).
Why it works: the setter usually places one synonym and one antonym among the options.
Example: Warm : Hot :: Breeze : ? (Air / Gale / Calm / Rain)
Hot is a stronger degree of warm. A stronger degree of a breeze is a gale. Calm is the opposite; air is just the general word. Answer: Gale.
Type 7: Tool : action and cause : effectcommon2 practice Q
An object and what it is used to do (needle : sew), or an event and what it leads to (rain : flood).
- Say 'X is used to ...' or 'X leads to ...'.
- Complete the same sentence for the third word.
- Reject places, users and materials connected to the object.
Why it works: the answer must be an action or a result, which removes noun traps quickly.
Example: Needle : Sew :: Spade : ? (Garden / Dig / Soil / Farmer)
A needle is used to sew. A spade is used to dig. Garden = place, soil = what is dug, farmer = user. Answer: Dig.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Two-question test on every option
Ask (1) is the option pair the same type of relation? (2) is it the same specific relation in the same direction? An option surviving question 1 usually dies at question 2 — that is where the exam separates candidates.
Example: Q. 'Author : Novel' :: ? — (a) Poet : Poem (b) Editor : Newspaper (c) Reader : Library (d) Book : Print
Sol. Type: creator-to-creation. Editor : Newspaper is editor-to-periodical (edits, doesn't author it); Reader : Library is user-to-place; Book : Print is thing-to-process. Only Poet : Poem is creator-to-literary-creation.
Write the two-question answers as ticks/crosses; the option with two ticks is the answer.
⚡ Gender/age precision check
For animal pairs, decide whether the model pair is (a) adult:young, (b) male:female or (c) male-young:female-young. Options often mix a young-one with a female — only one matches the model exactly.
Example: Q. 'Drake : Duck' :: ? — (a) Horse : Mare (b) Bull : Ox (c) Ram : Ewe (d) Dog : Pup
Sol. Model = male : female of one species. Horse : Mare is species:female; Bull : Ox is not male:female; Dog : Pup is adult:young. Ram : Ewe is male:female of sheep.
Name the relation with its gender/age tag before reading options.
Where students lose marks
Choosing an option from the same topic (both medical) instead of the same relation — topics are decoys; relations decide.
Missing the direction: 'Hunger : Food' (cause:remedy) is not 'Food : Hunger'.
Over-reading: adding a condition the pair does not state ('Judge : Court — but a judge also works in chambers'). Take the primary, standard relation.
Practice sets — 19 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 6 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.