Analogy Example

ANGLE : DEGREE

1. area : square inch
2. milk : quart
3. society : classes
4. letter : alphabet
5. time : minutes

Ans : A

GRE Analogy

GRE analogy test questions, especially the verbal reasoning and that too particularly, analogies are very interesting:

Try this:

LURK:WAIT

A) prattle:talk

B) abscond:depart

C) brisk:walk

D) skimp:read

E) eloquence:speak

The answer is abscond:depart.

How words work?

Many words are made up of a root (or base word) and a prefix. Some words also have a suffix. For example, the root word port means to carry or to bear. Attach the prefix ex, meaning out or out of, and you have the word export, to carry out. Attach the prefix im, meaning in or into and you have import, to carry in. Attach the prefix trans, meaning across, and you have transport, meaning to carry across. Now let's attach the suffix able, meaning able to be, and you have importable, exportable, and transportable.

The very words prefix and suffix are good examples, too. Pre means before and fix means to fasten or attach, so quite literally, a prefix is something attached to the beginning of something else. Suf is a variant of sub, below or under, so a suffix is something fastened underneath something else (in this case, behind the root).

By learning the common roots and prefixes (and a few suffixes) you will be able to discern the meaning of many new words almost immediately. (But do look them up for confirmation.) Take the word abject, for example. If you know that ab means away or down and ject means to throw, you can easily figure out that abject doesn't mean something happy. Rather abject's root meaning of thrown down is quite close to the dictionary defintion of cast down in spirit or sunk into depression.

- http://aptuse.com.

Learn root words

To master vocabulary, you should be able to subconsciously pick up the root words. There are plenty of them. For example, "edu" meaning "to take" and bibe to "take in". Such root words lead to sevaral words such as "education", imbibe, etc. There are lots of websites out there on the net that list and explain these words. Do make it your hobby to read them at your leisure and add some more punch to your vocabulary. In most occasions this should give you the power to atleast guess the meaning when you encounter a new word.

Improving Vocabulary is not a One-Time activity!

Many think that cramming up a huge book like barrons or some long wordlists from the internet is the way to improve vocabulary. I beg to differ. Vocabulary improvement is the ability to use new words such that the intention and expression match each other much better. Usually people think in their native language but try to speak it out in English! That's when even most serious statement sounds funny. In some cases, the funniest statement does not make sense at all. Take any good proverb from your native language and try to literally rephrase it in English. You will agree with me that the essence is lost. Vocabulary is beyond just words. Its about grammer, roots, phrases, idioms, contextual meanings of words, etc.

Expressing yourself in the best way even means to understand the other person's culture. If you are in the United States, you may want to start your conversation by shaking hands. If you are in deep southern India, shaking hands is considered bad! Now, to translate "shaking hands" without knowing the cultural significance, is very difficult.

The crux of the story is that words are important and learning them has to be a more continuous activity. Keep studying; keep using. As you meet more, read more, you are more likely to learn more and increase your vocabulary automatically.

- http://aptuse.com - Test your vocabulary.

Why is vocabulary, so important?

People are regarded for their words. It is important to be concise and precise. At every stage of our career, we have to express ourselves. Communication is becoming increasingly important. In order to strive socially, having excellent communication skills has become pretty much mandatory. Having an extensive, dictionary-like vocabulary isn’t necessary, but it is good to have an expanded vocabulary. This will not only improve your speech, but your writing as well.The majority of people aren’t out to impress you with their language skills, they just enjoy having a good grasp on speech and using better words to convey or clarify a message.A large vocabulary increases your ability to communicate more effectively. The more words you know and understand the better able you will be able to use the exact word to describe your situation. An example might be rather than being cold outside you might want to explain that it is frigid. A great vocab also strengthens your writing skills.

"We are judged not just on the external cues, such as appearance, age, gender and race, but also by other categories, including education, social position and what we do for a living. The ability to move fluidly between social strata and turn situations to our advantage has a great deal to do with context, and how we speak, because this is one of the crucial ways in which we present ourselves. Just as you wouldn’t choose to wear a wedding gown to a job interview, or a bathing suit to the beach, you would be wise not to speak to your boss in the same ways and language that you use with your four-year-old child. Each situation demands different language choices, and the greater your vocabulary the more choices you have. Just as we want our doctor or our automobile mechanic to answer our questions in “layman’s terms”, there are times when it is necessary to skew ones word choices to the situation at hand." states http://www.womans-connection.com/al_vocabulary.htm.

Vocabulary - Practice is the key

"One of the most important things you can do to help your children improve their vocabulary, and learn to love to read, is to read to them every day. Children learn by imitating the people around them, and if you show them that you enjoy words, and stories, and learning new vocabulary, then they’ll follow your lead. Your local library may have “story time” sessions that are free and open to the public, and children of all ages enjoy going to the library to pick out their own books. An early start in reading will help children once they’re in school, and contribute to their success throughout life." - says a website... how true!