An analogy asks: A is to B as C is to ? Your job is to find the answer pair whose relationship matches the first pair exactly. The tool that never fails is the bridge sentence.
What is a bridge sentence?
A bridge is a short, precise sentence that states how the two words relate:
- GLOVE : HAND "A glove covers a hand."
- THERMOMETER : TEMPERATURE "A thermometer measures temperature."
The more specific your bridge, the faster the wrong pairs fall.
The four steps
- Build a tight bridge for the given pair.
- Test each choice by reading it into the same bridge.
- Keep only pairs that fit the sentence.
- If two still fit, make the bridge stricter and test again.
Strong bridge vs. weak bridge
| Pair | Weak bridge ❌ | Strong bridge ✅ |
|---|---|---|
| AUTHOR : NOVEL | "They go together" | "An author creates a novel" |
| KNIFE : CUT | "Related to cooking" | "A knife is a tool used to cut" |
A weak bridge ("they're related") lets every choice pass. A strong, verb-driven bridge eliminates three options at once.
Make the bridge a sentence with a verb. "Goes with" is not a relationship; "is used to" or "is a type of" is.