FUNCTIONS & JOBS
Another sort of relationship found in analogies makes use of things and their FUNCTIONS or things they do. The analogy creator will name an object, such as a knife, followed by something the object does, such as slice. Or they might name a thing, such as a duck, followed by something a duck does, such as quack. Here's a typical example of an analogy using objects and their FUNCTIONS or things they do:
K N I F E : S L I C E : : B A L L : B O U N C E
To read this analogy, you would say "knife is to slice as ball is to bounce". You should think, "A knife slices and a ball bounces."
Sometimes analogy creators will focus on people and their JOBS. A kind of job will be paired with something that tells you about the job or something used in the job. For example, an ornithologist studies birds and an entomologist studies insects, so you might see an analogy that looks like this:
O R N I T H O L O G I S T : B I R D S : : E N T O M O L O G I S T : I N S E C T S
If you feel ready to give these a try, there are twelve analogies below that make use of FUNCTIONS and JOBS. Have fun! The answers are at the bottom of the page, so you can easily check your work!
K N I F E : S L I C E : : B A L L : B O U N C E
To read this analogy, you would say "knife is to slice as ball is to bounce". You should think, "A knife slices and a ball bounces."
Sometimes analogy creators will focus on people and their JOBS. A kind of job will be paired with something that tells you about the job or something used in the job. For example, an ornithologist studies birds and an entomologist studies insects, so you might see an analogy that looks like this:
O R N I T H O L O G I S T : B I R D S : : E N T O M O L O G I S T : I N S E C T S
If you feel ready to give these a try, there are twelve analogies below that make use of FUNCTIONS and JOBS. Have fun! The answers are at the bottom of the page, so you can easily check your work!
1. chef : recipe : : cashier : ______
a. key b. cash register c. store d. cook 2. key : lock : : spoon : _____ a. door b. cook c. fork d. stir 3. ruler : measure : : calculator : _____ a. numbers b. math c. problem d. multiply 4. cook : stove : : cut : _____ a. paper b. finger c. bandage d. knife |
5. hammer : pound : : wrench : _____
a. pinch b. tool c. bolt d. turn 6. car : drive : : scissors : _____ a. ribbon b. cut c. tape d. auto 7. author : write : : detective : _____ a. investigate b. magnifying glass c. typewriter d. police officer 8. razor : shave : : pen : _____ a. ink b. pencil c. write d. story |
9. fireman : hose : : chemist : _____
a. laboratory b. flames c. test tube d. scientist 10. doctor : heal : : mechanic : _____ a. nurse b. wrench c. car d. fix 11. scissors : barber : : net : _____ a. catch b. fisherman c. string d. butterfly 12. baker : bread : : sculptor : _____ a. statue b. clay c. carve d. oven |
answers1. (b) cash register
2. (d) stir 3. (d) multiply 4. (d) knife |
5. (d) turn 6. (b) cut 7. (a) investigate 8. (c) write |
9. (c) test tube 10. (d) fix 11. (b) fisherman 12. (a) statue |