11+ Verbal Reasoning
Type 14 – Letter connections AB is to CD as EF is to GH
In these questions you are trying to find a connection between two pairs of letters. There will be a pattern, like a series, to find in the first pair of letters.
This pattern will be repeated in the second pair of letters.
Look at this example and then we can work our way through the question until we get the answer: -
Find the next two letters in this series.
DE is to GH as OP is to ( ? )
(For ease of learning we have marked the important parts of this explanation in RED.)
Printing the alphabet in a way something like this can be very helpful.
Notice that we have added the next five letters to the start and end of the alphabet; we have added these letters in RED for ease of use. Sometimes the series can go past the start or end of the alphabet and this may be important and is something that you should be aware of from the start of this exercise.
The series is between the first letter of each pair and the second letter of each pair.
(Sometimes you can deal with both letters together.)
DE is to GH as OP is to ( ? )
We have coloured the letters in the question for ease of learning.
Starting with D which is linked to G we have coloured these letters in green.
We can see that G is two letters ahead of D so in our answer the first letter that we need must be two letters ahead of O giving us R. Look at the black arrows above.
So the first letter of our answer is R.
DE is to GH as OP is to ( ? )
Now we can look at the second letter in the first pair of letters, the letter E which is linked to H, we have coloured these letters in black.
We can see that H is two letters ahead of E so in our answer the second letter that we need must be two letters ahead of P giving us S. Look at the black arrows above.
So the second letter of our answer is S.
So the answer is
DE is to GH as OP is to ( RS )
THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR!!!!
Make sure that you use the alphabet that may be provided, if one is not provided it is a good idea to write out the alphabet and add the extra letters at the start and end of the alphabet.
Adding VWXYZ at the start of the alphabet and ABCDE at the end of the alphabet will help you if the series goes past the start or end of the alphabet.
Drawing on the alphabet will help you to spot the series.
Draw above and below the alphabet if necessary.
Check to see if the series is going forwards, backwards or a mixture of both directions.
Check the series and ensure that you have counted properly between letters.
This question type is similar to other types that involve counting letters forwards, backwards or a mixture of both directions. (Type 3 and type 9 require similar skills.)
Make sure that you work systemically.
Avoid guessing the answer.
NB When you are completing a Verbal Reasoning test in Multiple-Choice format the correct answer will always be one of the choices that you are given on your answer sheet. If your answer does not match one of the answers that you are given then your answer is wrong.
These 11+ Verbal Reasoning Books will help to improve your child's standards in a wide variety of Verbal Reasoning questions.
