Introduction / Context:
This verbal analogy asks you to continue a pattern across two related triplets. The first triplet shows increasing intensity or scale within the category of lighting methods. The second triplet mirrors that idea for types of human shelter. Recognizing the shared relationship and extending it consistently is the key skill being tested.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Left triplet: candle → lamp → floodlight (progressively brighter and more powerful artificial lighting).
- Right triplet: hut → cottage → ? (progressively larger or more substantial dwellings are implied).
- Exactly one answer should preserve the same directional growth pattern as on the left.
Concept / Approach:
The mapping is based on scale or capacity. Candle, lamp, and floodlight represent a clear escalation in light output and coverage. To mirror this, the housing sequence should escalate in permanence/size/amenity. A hut is very basic. A cottage is modest but more substantial. The natural next step is a larger, standard home category: a house. This keeps the progression parallel and sensible.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify dimension of change on the left: candle < lamp < floodlight (increasing intensity).Apply the same dimension to the right: hut < cottage < ? (increasing dwelling scale).Evaluate candidates: tent (often less permanent than a hut), city (not a single dwelling), dwelling (a generic label, not a step up), house (a clear escalation from cottage).Choose the specific option that best represents the next tier: house.
Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute and read aloud: candle → lamp → floodlight feels like small → medium → large. Hut → cottage → house mirrors that growth without changing categories.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
tent: Typically more temporary and less substantial than a hut; breaks the upward trend.city: A collection of many structures, not a single dwelling; breaks the one-to-one category mapping.dwelling: Overly generic; not a clear next-larger step.
Common Pitfalls:
Choosing a word that matches the right category but not the direction of increase. The analogy requires both category match and ordered escalation.
Final Answer:
house
Discussion & Comments