Understanding analogies

Hey thanks for your replies, it feels good to help you all out! Well analogies are the most versatile things of the GRE test.

Look the above pic carefully...is that the same on both ends? 

It is! i bet you! it's only the angle and point of vision of yours. Now it's not something related to physics, its a general perception on how you understand two things with one in common is given. See the below figure

Does it make any sense as if what am i gonna teaching? well it has to, or else i must be mad :). The point i wanted to say was check the things carefully. Everyone can do if it's as simple as it's here

But you can't expect every damn thing to be the same! check down:

It's not that easy, so are the analogies! 

It's more or less than spotting the difference between a pair of words that are chosen with extreme care, and it must be the same difference between the options given.

Here we term it as a Relationship or a bridge. Okay pals, nothing to worry it's not that you gotta go deeper, you just need to concentrate on the words. 

Don't focus on who's eye is it :). Well let's start it off!

If i give you two names

Salman: aishwarya. I know what's gonna be on your mind....hmmm pretty good! so the option would be?

1->salman:katrina

2->deepika: ranbir

3->shahid: kareena

4->amitabh:jaya

{apology to the fans}

So what is a bridge in this analogy?  first of all lemme explain what bridge means

In case of GRE what we do is.....let the first word (here salman) be X and the second word (here aishwarya) be Y {of the question given}

what comes to your mind? write it in form of X and Y: 

first bridge:

X and Y are a broken couple

 or X is the ex-partner of Y. Right? 

 Check the options by putting 'em in the coarse bridge we tried to form.

so options 2 & 3 are the only right one's as far as our bridge is considered.

note: you can eliminate the other two options.

  Now let's refine the bridge so that you can get only one option, two aren't allowed in GRE.

second bridge:

X is ex-boyfriend of Y. (ex-bf forms our relationship and the bridge)

Oh wow, we've done it. This is what is termed as bridge building so the answer is

Obviously shahid-kareena:) Congo!

 I couldn't figure what this bridge term exactly meant for a few hours, hopefully you ain't in that soup. Let's play this bridging game on the words:

ELABORATE : SIMPLE ::
 
      1.  complex : difficult
      2.  convoluted : involuted
      3.  complicated : ordinary
      4.  ornate : plain
      5.  decent : drab

It's a pretty good Question, is it? Well let's talk on X and Y in the Question

X= ELABORATE 

Y=  SIMPLE . 

Now that you know the things, you must be ready to write the bridge.

X is opposite of Y. right? any Q? check back buddy....its correct.

Now let's try to fix the bridge in between the options we've got:

1. A complex is opposite of difficult? EEK sounds weird

2.convoluted is opposite of involuted? sounds okay....but is that true?

Convoluted means twisted and complex while involuted implies intricate, curling inwards. Both the words are associated with complexity and are not antonymous. Fine with it?

3.Complicated is opposite of ordinary......noo noo don't fall for this trap.

Complicated is opp of Simple not ordinary.get the diff? complicated is something which is not simple.....(but not ordinary) 

4. Ornate is opposite of plain! got it? Ornate is elaborately adorned and is antonymous in sense with plain. This is the same relationship as the given one. We are done with it....this is what bridging means 
eg2: i found an simple analogy with an excellent explanation: 
agent : outcome ::
 
      1.  activity : result
      2.  reaction : residue
      3.  center : circumference
      4.  spy : secret
      5.  soporific: sleep
 
Explanation :

An agent is someone or something that provokes an outcome:                              
     X                                                                     Y
 A.  activities don't provoke results so the analogy is not apt.

B. All reactions do not leave a residue. some do, but not all.
C. A centre does not produce or induce a circumference. 
D. A spy does not produce a secret - he uncovers secrets. 
E. A soporific is any substance that induces sleep and so this is the correct analogy.        




The below are a few tips for Analogies:

-> Use the X and Y strategy, but try to make the bridges precise and accurate. as we have seen in the first eg, the order of the words given and the order of the options arranged are to be taken care of

->Do least to least 25 analogies a day, learn to write bridges, learn where you are doing mistakes and don't get fumed if you ain't doing it perfectly

-> Remember that if you are left out with two options, then either GRE guy should be mad or bridge you made must be a bit flexible. The first one is totally ridiculous as of now :) so re-write your bridge

-> Never go by answers that don't have any logic in any forum. The bridge has to be perfect and hence the option. 


You can practice a few here gre online

Thank you for reading and do comment if you like it! For further assistance or material mail me @skarthikc@gmail.com