Question

Find the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to the original pair: SCALPEL : SURGEON

• A. Pen : Writer
• B. Law : Judge
• C. Car : Driver
• D. Compass : Geographer

Hint:

Break the check into two separate questions for each option: first, is the first word actually a physical instrument, and second, does the second word specific defining task genuinely depend on that exact instrument, and not just use it occasionally like many other people might.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the relationship.
A scalpel is a tool used by a surgeon. Similarly, the correct pair would relate a tool to the person who uses it.
Step 2: Analyzing the options.
- (1) Pen : Writer: A pen is a tool used by a writer, making this a correct analogy.
- (2) Law : Judge: A judge uses the law, but law itself is not a specific tool.
- (3) Car : Driver: A car is not a tool used by the driver; it’s a vehicle.
- (4) Compass : Geographer: A compass is used by many people, not necessarily just geographers.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The pair that best expresses a similar relationship is (1) Pen : Writer.

Answer 2

Concept:

• An instrument-to-user analogy can be checked with two separate tests instead of one loose "tool used by" check: first, is the first word a physical instrument at all, and second, is the second word the person whose defining professional action requires exactly that instrument.
• An option can fail the analogy even if the first word is some kind of tool, if the second word does not depend on that specific tool to perform their defining task.

Step 1: Apply the two tests to the original pair.
SCALPEL is a physical cutting instrument, and the defining task of a SURGEON, performing surgery, requires exactly that instrument. Both tests pass.

Step 2: Apply the two tests to each option, starting with the instrument test.
PEN passes the instrument test, as does COMPASS. LAW is not a physical instrument at all, so Law : Judge fails the first test immediately. CAR is a vehicle, not an instrument used to perform a task, so it also fails the first test.

Step 3: Apply the second test, the defining-task dependency, to the two options that passed the instrument test.
The defining task of a WRITER, writing, directly depends on a PEN. The defining task of a GEOGRAPHER is studying geography broadly, which does not depend specifically on a COMPASS the way writing depends on a pen, since many other professions also use a compass for direction.

Step 4: Select the option that passes both tests cleanly.
Only Pen : Writer passes both the instrument test and the defining-task dependency test without any ambiguity.

Final Answer: Pen : Writer.