Understanding the Analogy Question

This question is a classic example of a verbal analogy. Verbal analogies test your ability to see the relationship between two words and apply that relationship to a different pair of words. The format "A : B ∷ C : D" means "A is to B as C is to D". You need to find the relationship between A and B, and then find a word D that has the same relationship with C.

Analyzing the First Pair: Road and Car

The first pair given is Road : Car.

Let's think about the connection between a road and a car. A car is a vehicle that travels on a road. The relationship is that the road is the surface or path on which the car moves.

Applying the Relationship to the Second Pair: Sea and the Missing Word

The second part of the analogy is Sea : ?. We need to find something that has the same relationship with the Sea as a Car has with a Road.

So, we are looking for something that travels on the Sea.

Evaluating the Options

Let's look at the given options:

• Fish: Fish live in the sea, they don't travel on the surface of the sea like a car on a road. So, this relationship doesn't match.
• Water: The sea is made of water. Water doesn't travel on the sea; it is the sea itself. This relationship doesn't match.
• River: A river is a body of water, but it is distinct from the sea, although they may connect. A river does not travel on the sea. This relationship doesn't match.
• Ship: A ship is a large vehicle designed to travel on the surface of the sea. This relationship is directly analogous to how a car travels on a road.

Identifying the Missing Word

Based on the analysis, the relationship "travels on" fits the pair Sea : Ship, just as it fits Road : Car.

Therefore, the missing word is Ship.

Summary of the Analogy

The analogy is:

Road : Car ∷ Sea : Ship

This means "A Road is where a Car travels, just as the Sea is where a Ship travels."

Revision Table: Key Concepts

Additional Information: Solving Verbal Analogies

Here are some tips for solving verbal analogy questions:

• Carefully identify the relationship between the first pair of words. Is it a part-to-whole relationship? An object-to-its-use relationship? A place-to-what-is-there relationship?
• Think of different possible relationships and try to phrase them clearly.
• Apply the exact same relationship to the first word of the second pair.
• Look through the options to see which one fits the relationship you identified.
• If none of the options perfectly fit the first relationship, re-examine the first pair and consider alternative relationships. Sometimes, there might be a slightly different way to interpret the connection.
• Eliminate options that clearly do not fit any plausible relationship.

Common types of relationships in analogies include:

• Part to Whole (e.g., Finger : Hand)
• Object and its User (e.g., Computer : Programmer)
• Cause and Effect (e.g., Sun : Heat)
• Antonyms (e.g., Hot : Cold)
• Synonyms (e.g., Happy : Joyful)
• Object and its Location (e.g., Bird : Nest)
• Action and Object (e.g., Read : Book)
• Degree (e.g., Warm : Hot)

In this question, the relationship is a "Location/Surface : Vehicle that travels on it" relationship.