HSPT: Part-to-whole analogies: which piece of what
Learn the four kinds of part-to-whole links, how to tell them apart, and how to reject reversed pairs, two-parts pairs and location pairs.
How do you solve an analogy when one word is a piece of the other?
Short answer
Name the kind of part, then say A ___ is one part of a ___. The answer pair has the same kind of part, with the part first if the question puts the part first.
Know first: The bridge-sentence method for analogies, Which word in a pair comes first
Step 1 of 5
Name the kind of part
In a part-to-whole analogy, one word is a piece of the other. That sounds simple, but a question may offer two or three choices that each have a part and a whole. The best answer has the same kind of part.
A key is a working piece of a keyboard. A player is one member of a team. Those are both parts, but they are different kinds.
| Kind | Bridge sentence | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Working piece of an object | A ___ is a piece of a ___. | KEY : KEYBOARD |
| Member of a group | A ___ is one member of a ___. | PLAYER : TEAM |
| Portion of a substance | A ___ is cut or taken from a ___. | SLICE : LOAF |
| Section of an event or a work | A ___ is one section of a ___. | INNING : GAME |
If two choices both show a part and a whole, the kind of part breaks the tie.
Step 2 of 5
Match the kind and the order
Worked example: KEY : KEYBOARD
Which pair has the same relationship as KEY : KEYBOARD?
- Aguitar : string
- Bguitar : stage
- Cdrum : guitar
- Dstring : guitar
- 1
Build the bridge
A key is a working piece of a keyboard. Part first, whole second.
- 2
Test each pair
A guitar is a piece of a string. No, reversed.
A guitar is a piece of a stage. No, a stage is where a guitar is played.
A drum is a piece of a guitar. No, they're two separate instruments.
A string is a working piece of a guitar. Yes. - 3
Name the traps
The first choice is the reversed pair. The second is the location trap. The third puts two instruments together because they belong to the same topic.
Answer
string : guitar. A string is a working piece of a guitar, just as a key is a piece of a keyboard.
Find the wrong step
A student answers this question: Which pair has the same relationship as INNING : GAME? (A) lap : race (B) game : inning (C) stadium : game (D) coach : team
- 1
Builds the bridge An inning is one section of a game.
- 2
Sees that (B) uses the same two words and picks it.
What went wrong
Same words don't mean same order. A game is one section of an inning is false.
- 3
Moves on without testing (A).
The fix
Test every choice in the bridge. A lap is one section of a race is true, so the answer is (A) lap : race.
Step 3 of 5
Try it yourself
Check yourself · Question 1
Which pair has the same relationship as WOLF : PACK?
Answer: A
Bridge: A wolf is one member of a pack. A fish is one member of a school, a group of fish swimming together.
Check yourself · Question 2
Which pair has the same relationship as BEAD : NECKLACE?
Answer: B
Bridge: A bead is one of the pieces strung together to make a necklace. A link is one of the pieces joined together to make a chain.
Trap answer: ring : finger
Right topic, wrong link
- Why it looks right
- Rings and necklaces are both jewelry, so this pair feels closest to the question.
- Why it's wrong
- A ring sits on a finger. It isn't one of the pieces that makes up a finger.
- The right answer
- link : chain, because a chain is made of links the way a necklace is made of beads.
Check yourself · Question 3
Which pair has the same relationship as SCENE : PLAY?
Answer: D
Bridge: A scene is one section of a play. An episode is one section of a series. Both are sections of a longer work, part first.
Common mistake
Stopping at the first choice that has a part and a whole.
- Why it's tempting
- Once a pair passes the bridge, it's natural to stop checking.
- Do this instead
- Name the kind of part, then check that the order matches. If two choices pass, the one with the same kind of part wins.
Step 4 of 5
What to remember
Remember
- Name the kind of part: a working piece, a member, a portion or a section.
- Say A ___ is one part of a ___ and keep the part in the same position in both pairs.
- Reject reversed pairs, two-parts pairs and location pairs.
Step 5 of 5
Practice on a real question
Use what you just learned on this question, then check the explanation.
In your own words
Which kind of part did the practice question use? Which choice would someone pick if they only checked that the words were related?