Why it matters
Your chance to show your words
Private and independent schools use this exam to learn more about you. It is your chance to show off your reading skills, your vocabulary, and how well you solve puzzles.
ISEE LOWER PREP MASTERCLASS · Topic 9
Verbal Basics: Synonyms & Analogies
Verbal questions are word puzzles with a hidden rule inside them. Learn the rule and the right answer stops being a guess.
Lesson summary
Welcome, future word wizards! In this exciting lesson we will explore the verbal side of your school entrance exam. You will learn how our course is set up and discover the best study secrets for success. Most importantly, we will dive into your first verbal topics: synonyms, which are words that mean the same thing, and analogies, which are fun word puzzles. Let us unlock the power of your vocabulary!
Direct instruction
Welcome to the course!
Hello and welcome! If you are reading this, you are gearing up for a big adventure: the ISEE Lower Level exam. It might sound like a big challenge right now, but you are exactly in the right place. By the time you finish this course you will have all the tools and confidence you need to conquer the verbal sections of your test.
What is this exam?
The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) Lower Level is a special test designed for amazing students just like you, in the 4th or 5th grade.
Why it matters
Who takes it
Students exactly your age
Usually students 9 to 11 years old who are applying to enter a private school for 5th or 6th grade. You are in great company.
What is on the verbal section?
The exam has a few different parts, including math and reading comprehension. In this section of the course we are going to focus entirely on Verbal Reasoning. Verbal is just a fancy way of saying words, and this lesson covers two kinds of word puzzle.
Puzzle type 1
Synonyms
Words that have the exact same meaning, or almost the same meaning. For example, happy and glad are synonyms.
Puzzle type 2
Analogies
Relationship puzzles. You work out how two words are connected, then find another pair that shares the exact same connection.
How this course works
To help you become an expert word detective, we have organized this course into easy, manageable steps.
Step 1
Learn the strategy
First we teach you a special trick for solving one specific type of word puzzle.
Step 2
Practice together
We walk through realistic examples step by step, as a team.
Step 3
Try it yourself
You test your new skills in fun quizzes.
Step 4
Review and grow
We explain the correct answers so you can learn from any mistakes. Mistakes are proof that your brain is growing.
Study tips for success
- Read every choice. Even if you think option A is correct, always read B, C, and D. Sometimes there is a better answer waiting.
- Use the cross out trick. If you do not know the right answer, cross out the ones you know are definitely wrong. This is called the process of elimination.
- Make a sentence. For analogies, build a short sentence that connects the first two words.
- Read every day. The single best way to practice for the verbal section is to read books you love.
Before you start
You are going to do incredibly well. Take a deep breath, believe in yourself, and let us jump into our first examples.
Worked examples
Worked example 1: The substitute strategy
Scenario. You are looking at a synonym question. The goal is to find the word that means the same thing as the capitalized word. Find the synonym for GIGANTIC: A) tiny, B) heavy, C) enormous, D) loud.
- Define the target word first. Ask yourself what gigantic means. It means something very, very big, like a dinosaur or a skyscraper.
- Substitute each option and see which one really means very big.
| Option | What it actually means | Keep or cross out |
|---|---|---|
| A) Tiny | Small, the opposite of big | Cross it out |
| B) Heavy | Weighs a lot, which is not the same as being big in size | Cross it out |
| C) Enormous | Huge, very big | Keep it |
| D) Loud | About sound, not size | Cross it out |
Takeaway
The answer is C, enormous.
Gigantic and enormous both describe something of a very large size. Defining the word first and then testing every option is what keeps you from getting tricked by a close but wrong word like heavy.
Worked example 2: Building a bridge
Scenario. You come across an analogy puzzle and you need to work out how the first two words are connected. Puppy is to dog as kitten is to what? A) cat, B) mouse, C) meow, D) tiger.
- Look at the first pair. Puppy and dog. How are they related?
- Build a bridge sentence. Make a simple sentence that connects them: a puppy is a baby dog.
- Use the same bridge for the second pair. Take that exact sentence and plug in the third word: a kitten is a baby something.
- Test the options. Is a kitten a baby mouse? No. A baby meow? No, that is a sound. A baby tiger? No, a baby tiger is a cub. A baby cat? Yes.
Takeaway
The answer is A, cat.
Analogies are all about matching relationships. The bridge sentence, “a blank is a baby blank,” matched the puppy and dog relationship to the kitten and cat relationship perfectly.
Worked example 3: The process of elimination
Scenario. Sometimes you see a synonym question where you are not completely sure what the main word means, but you do know what it does not mean. Find the synonym for ASSIST: A) hurt, B) help, C) watch, D) play.
- Look for clues in your memory. Have you heard someone say, “I need some assistance,” or seen an assist in a basketball game? It usually means doing something good for someone else.
- Eliminate the bad answers. If you assist someone you are not hurting them, so hurt goes. Watching someone is not doing anything for them, so watch goes. Playing is fun, but it does not mean the same thing, so play goes.
- Look at what is left. Only help remains, and when you give an assist in basketball you help your teammate score.
Takeaway
The answer is B, help.
Assist and help mean the same thing. Even when you start out unsure, crossing out the words you know are wrong can leave the correct answer as the only one standing.
Short review
Key points covered
Fantastic job completing your first verbal lesson! You are officially on your way to becoming a word wizard. Here are the key takeaways.
- The test is your time to shine. It is an opportunity to show schools your vocabulary and how you solve word puzzles.
- Synonyms mean the same thing. Always test every answer choice to find the closest match.
- Analogies are relationship puzzles. Use a bridge sentence to work out how the first two words connect, then use that same sentence on the next pair.
Important reminder
Study smart: use the process of elimination to cross out bad answers, and read every option before you pick one.
Keep up the great work
You now understand the core ideas behind synonyms and analogies. Grab your scratch paper, give your brain a quick stretch, and click the “Mark Complete” button below to try some puzzles on your own in the next lesson.