Understanding Word Analogies: Acquired and Received

The question asks us to find a word pair that shares the exact same relationship as the given pair: Acquired : Received.

To solve word analogy problems, we first need to understand the relationship between the words in the given pair.

Analyzing the Relationship in 'Acquired : Received'

Let's examine the words 'Acquired' and 'Received':

• Acquired: This means to obtain something, to gain possession of something.
• Received: This means to take into one's possession something offered or delivered.

Comparing these meanings, we can see that 'Acquired' and 'Received' have very similar meanings. They are essentially synonyms. The relationship is one of synonymy.

Evaluating the Options

Now, let's look at the relationship between the words in each option pair:

Option 1: Bitter : Sweet

• Bitter: Having a sharp, pungent taste or smell; feeling or showing anger, hurt, or resentment.
• Sweet: Having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar; pleasing and delightful.

The words 'Bitter' and 'Sweet' have opposite meanings. The relationship is one of antonymy.

Option 2: Collected : Distributed

• Collected: Gathered together.
• Distributed: Given out to a number of recipients.

'Collected' is the act of gathering, while 'Distributed' is the act of giving out from a collection. These words have opposite meanings. The relationship is one of antonymy.

Option 3: Arrival : Departure

• Arrival: The act of arriving.
• Departure: The act of leaving.

'Arrival' and 'Departure' have opposite meanings. The relationship is one of antonymy.

Option 4: Short : Small

• Short: Measuring a small distance from end to end; not long.
• Small: Of limited size, quantity, or extent; not large.

The words 'Short' and 'Small' have very similar meanings. They are synonyms or nearly synonyms, often used interchangeably depending on context. The relationship is one of synonymy.

Finding the Matching Relationship

We determined that the relationship between 'Acquired' and 'Received' is synonymy.

Comparing this to the relationships in the options:

• Bitter : Sweet — Antonyms
• Collected : Distributed — Antonyms
• Arrival : Departure — Antonyms
• Short : Small — Synonyms

Only the pair 'Short : Small' exhibits a relationship of synonymy, which is the same as the relationship between 'Acquired' and 'Received'.

Conclusion

The word-pair 'Short : Small' represents exactly the same relationship (synonymy) as the given word-pair 'Acquired : Received'.

Revision Table: Common Analogy Types

Additional Information: Strategies for Solving Word Analogies

Solving word analogy questions effectively requires a systematic approach:

• Identify the exact relationship between the words in the given pair. Don't stop at the first relationship you see; sometimes there's a more specific connection.
• Express the relationship as a sentence. For "Acquired : Received", you could say "Acquired means essentially the same as Received."
• Apply the same sentence structure to each option pair. For "Bitter : Sweet", you would say "Bitter means essentially the same as Sweet." (This sentence is false, indicating they are not synonyms). For "Short : Small", you would say "Short means essentially the same as Small." (This sentence is true, indicating they are synonyms).
• Eliminate options that do not fit the relationship.
• Be aware of different degrees of meaning. Sometimes words are close synonyms rather than perfect synonyms.

Practicing with various types of word analogies helps improve vocabulary and logical reasoning skills.