Onzely Resources
Verbal Reasoning tests how well your child can understand and work with words and language. There are around 21 recognised question types in total. Here are the most common ones, with an example and a tip for each.
Your child is asked to find a word that means the same as (synonym) or the opposite of (antonym) a given word.
Find a word that means the same as BRAVE. Options: cowardly / fearless / tired / clever
Tip: Wide reading is genuinely the best preparation for these. Words learned in context stick far better than word lists.
Your child needs to spot the relationship between a pair of words, then apply the same logic to a second pair.
Cat is to kitten as dog is to ___? Answer: puppy
Tip: Encourage your child to say the relationship out loud first: "a kitten is a baby cat, so I need a baby dog." That simple habit catches a lot of careless mistakes.
Four or five words are given and your child needs to spot the one that doesn't belong to the same category.
Which word is the odd one out? Sparrow / Robin / Eagle / Salmon / Crow. Answer: Salmon (not a bird)
Tip: Watch out for questions where a word could fit two categories. It's usually better to eliminate the obvious ones than to jump straight to an answer.
A word is hidden across the boundary between two words in a sentence. Your child has to find it.
"She left her map in the car." Hidden word: PINE (maP IN thE)
Tip: Slow down and check every two-word boundary in the sentence. The hidden word always spans exactly two words, so there's a method to it.
One letter is moved from the first word to the second, creating two new valid words.
Move one letter: PLANT SING becomes PLAN STING (move the T)
Tip: Work through each letter of the first word one at a time. There's always exactly one answer, so if you're systematic you'll find it.
A sequence of letters follows a pattern and your child needs to work out what comes next.
AZ, BY, CX, DW, ___ Answer: EV
Tip: Writing out the alphabet and numbering each letter really helps. Most sequences use a consistent step, so finding the gap between each pair usually unlocks the pattern.
Letters are assigned number values and your child has to decode or encode words using the given pattern.
If CAT = 312, what does BAT equal? Answer: 213
Tip: Always map out which letter equals which digit before trying to answer. Jumping straight to the answer without doing this is where mistakes happen.
Your child finds a word that attaches to two given words to make two new compound words.
Find the missing word: FOOT___ / ___WORK. Answer: WORK (FOOTWORK)
Tip: Try common connectors first: BALL, WORK, HOUSE, SIDE, LINE, BACK. These come up again and again so it's worth knowing them well.
Similar to synonyms, but with context. Your child picks the word closest in meaning from a list of options.
Which word is closest in meaning to ANCIENT? New / Old / Fast / Bright. Answer: Old
Tip: If the right answer isn't obvious, start by crossing out the ones that are clearly wrong. Working by elimination often gets you there faster.
Adaptive practice across all question types. 5-day free trial.
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