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Reinforcing Vocabulary:
Writing Analogies |
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A good way to reinforce vocabulary is to create
analogies in the form A is to B as C is to D. For example: |
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A ruler A is to length B
as a thermometer C is to _______.D |
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(anticipated
answer:temperature) |
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The student must fill in the blank and explain
his or her answer. For the analogy above, a student might say something like
"Temperature, because a ruler measures length, but a thermometer measures
temperature." In this way measure as well as ruler , length , thermometer
, and temperature are all associated in the learner's mental lexicon. |
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The first step in creating analogies is to have
a word or category in mind. The above analogy could be included in the category of
measuring devices, as could the following: |
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A thermometer is to temperature as
a ______ is to atmospheric pressure . |
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(anticipated
answer: barometer) |
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Other devices that measure things and can fit
into this pattern are the altimeter, speedometer, micrometer, sextant, compass,
protractor, and seismograph, to name a few. |
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The student will not always give the anticipated
answer. Many analogies are subject to interpretation, and any answer is all right as long
as the student can justify it. |
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Thinking about numbers and fractions leads to
analogies like the following: |
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Five is to ten as _____ is to fifty
. |
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(anticipated
answer:twenty-five) |
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Twenty-five is to one hundred as
______ is to one . |
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(anticipated
answer:one-fourth/a quarter) |
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Parts of the body and their associated clothing
is a very productive category: |
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A hat is to the head as gloves
are to the ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:hands) |
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A belt is to the waist as a tie
is to the ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:neck) |
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Thinking about tools results in the following
analogies: |
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A screwdriver is to a screw as a hammer
is to a ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:nail) |
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A pair of scissors is to paper as
a ______ is to wood . |
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Words that express a category or that form part
of a set of words can inspire analogies like the following: |
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X is to a letter as 6 is to
a ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:number) |
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Thursday is to a day as January
is to a ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:month) |
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It is easy to think of analogies for the senses,
such as the following: |
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The nose is to smell as the mouth
is to ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:taste) |
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Thereafter, any vocabulary item that is strongly
associated with a sense can fit the following pattern: |
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Food is to taste as perfume
is to ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:smell) |
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Teachers often teach words associated with
transportation and can write analogies like the following: |
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The road is to a car as the ______
are to a train . |
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(anticipated
answer:tracks) |
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An airport is to planes as a port
is to ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:ships/boats) |
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Things derived from other things lead to
analogies like the following: |
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Trees are to lumber as oil
is to ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:gasoline/petrol) |
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Beef is to cows as ______ is to sheep
. |
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(anticipated
answer:mutton) |
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Buildings and places is a category that provides
almost ready-made analogies. |
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A factory is to cars as a ______
is to textiles/cloth . |
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(anticipated
answer:mill) |
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A gym is to the body as a school
is to the ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:mind) |
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A student giving the anticipated answer to the
analogy above would be expected to explain by saying something like "A gym develops
the body, but a school develops the mind." |
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A teacher can create analogies to reinforce
almost any element of the language that he or she feels is important. The following
analogy focuses on subject - noun + verb collocation: |
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Shout (verb) is to a man as ______
(verb) is to a lion . |
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(anticipated
answer:roar) |
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A teacher can elicit the answer to an analogy
like the one above by saying "A man shouts . But we don't say a lion shouts.
What's the word for when a lion makes a loud noise?" After a few examples students
will recognize this kind of analogy as a type and need no further prompting. |
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Another example of subjectnoun + verb
collocation follows: |
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Lightning is to flash (verb) as thunder
is to ______ (verb) |
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(anticipated
answer:rumble) |
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The following two analogies focus on verb +
object - noun collocation: |
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Deny (verb) is to a request as
______ (verb) is to an invitation . |
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(anticipated
answer:decline) |
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Give (verb) is to advice as ______
(verb) is to a suggestion . |
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(anticipated
answer:make) |
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The following two analogies focus on adjective +
noun collocation: |
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Large (adjective) is to a crowd as
______ (adjective) is to traffic . |
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(anticipated
answer:heavy) |
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Heavy is to snow/rain as ______ is
to wind . |
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(anticipated
answer:strong) |
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Language functions can be reinforced in the
following manner: |
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" Would you help me ?" is to a request
as " Would you like some tea ?" is to an ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:offer) |
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" Let's drink some tea " is to
a suggestion as " You shouldn't drink so much tea " is to ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:advice) |
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The clipping or removal of syllables to make
long words short is a feature of English that can be reinforced by analogies such as the
following: |
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Influenza is to flu as advertisement
is to ______. |
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Photograph is to a photo as submarine
is to a ______. |
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Almost any mass (uncountable) noun can be
subdivided by a unit (countable) noun. This feature of English can be kept before the
students with analogies like the following: |
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A bar [C] is to chocolate [U] as a
______ [C] is to butter [U]. |
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(anticipated
answer:stick) |
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A blade [C] is to grass [U] as a
______ [C] is to sand . |
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(anticipated
answer:grain/particle) |
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The following two analogies set a pattern for
group nouns: |
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A herd is to cattle as a ______ is
to sheep . |
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(anticipated
answer:flock) |
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A team is to athletes as a ______
is to sailors . |
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(anticipated
answer:crew) |
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Sometimes a curriculum combines British and
American English. If that is the case, countless analogies like the following can be made:
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A flat (BE) is to an apartment
(AE) as petrol (BE) is to ______ (AE). |
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(anticipated
answer:gasoline/gas) |
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Vocabulary differences in style between formal
and informal usage can result in analogies like the following: |
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Father is to Dad as Mother
is to ______ |
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" Hello " is to " Hi
" as " Goodbye " is to "______." |
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(anticipated
answer:Bye/See you later) |
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The different parts of speech can be tested by
analogies like these: |
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Succeed (verb) is to a success
(noun) as fail (verb) is to a ______. (noun) |
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(anticipated
answer:failure) |
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Loud (adjective) is to loudly
(adverb) as good (adjective) is to _____. (adverb) |
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(anticipated
answer:well) |
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The best analogies are often metaphorical and
link words in vivid, memorable ways. For example: |
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Speaking is to silver as listening
is to ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:gold) |
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A good apple is to a rotten apple
as a good man is to a ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:bad example or influence/thief/robber) |
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Blood is to the body as ______ is
to a machine . |
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(anticipated
answer:oil/lubrication) |
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Why is oil like blood? A group of students will
point out that people need blood to live; machines need oil to operate. Blood circulates
through the body; oil circulates through the machine. Oil often circulates through hoses;
blood circulates through veins and arteries. Sometimes machines leak oil; injured people
bleed. When the oil is dirty or low, it must be replaced; if a person needs blood, he or
she can get a transfusion, etc. |
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The following analogy is based on a riddle: |
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A dancing girl in a green dress is to
______ |
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as an angry old man with a white beard is
to ______ |
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as a lazy boy with yellow hair is to
______ |
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as a sad, crying woman with brown hair is
to ______. |
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(anticipated
answers:spring, winter, summer, fall!) |
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A discussion of the answers should result in
much talk about the seasons, our attitudes towards them, and how they can be symbolized
and personified. |
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Students will often give unanticipated answers
to analogies. The following analogy caused me to learn about an animal I hadn't known of: |
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A brave man is to a lion as a coward
is to a ______. |
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(anticipated
answer:mouse/rabbit) |
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A student from a rural background volunteered
"jerboa" as the answer, and then became the teacher as he described that
particular animal to me. |
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After thinking of an analogy, I write it on the
board, minus the answer, of course, which is often the subject of a discussion. After
that, I review the analogy orally as a test of listening comprehension. Before major
tests, I try to provide each student with a xeroxed compilation (again without the
answers, which the student must write in) to assist him or her in reviewing the
vocabulary. |
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Joseph
Stockdale taught until recently at the Air Defense Institute in the UAE. Before that,
he taught in Saudi Arabia and Greece. He is interested in all aspects of textbook
development. |
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