Analogies 

show the relationships between two pairs of words.

finger is to hand as petal is to flower
A finger is part of a hand. A petal is part of a flower.
Here are some common analogy relationships:
Synonyms: Nice is a synonym of kind.
Antonyms: Awake is an antonym of asleep.
Degree: Cool is like cold, but less extreme.
Cause and effect: A joke tends to cause laughter.
Part and whole: A finger is part of a hand.
Item and category: A cat is a kind of animal.
Item and purpose: The purpose of a pen is to write.
Worker and tool: An artist uses a paintbrush as a tool.
Worker and A writer is a person who creates a book.
product:

An analogy is the comparison through which the ideas or things

are compared to each other. Through Analogy, the things, which
are different from each other, are compared. It aims to explain the
ideas or things by doing a comparison. Metaphors and similes are
used as tools to represent an analogy. Therefore, the analogy is
more elaborate than simile and a metaphor.

For example:
Life is like a train journey and the people we meet are the co-
passengers.
Here. Life is compared to a train journey and hence, it is a simile.
On the other hand, people are compared to the co-passengers.

The Types of Analogies:
Opposite Analogy: Crying and laughing are the example of
opposite analogies as these two words are opposite in terms of
meaning.

Object and Classification Analogy: Objects can be classified

in the group. A same object can be classified in different groups.
For example: knife & weapon, knife & kitchen ware.

Object and Related Object Analogy: Plant & Seed is the

example of Object and Related Object Analogies. Both are related
to each other.

Cause and Effect Analogy: Fire & burn, read & learn are the
examples of Cause and Effect Analogies, where two things are
related with each other in terms of cause and effect. One is the
cause and the other one is the consequences of the cause.

Degrees of a Characteristic Analogy: This analogy, mostly

comprises the adjectives, but not for all cases. For example, tired &
exhausted, cold & freezing.

Object and Group Analogy: Where several objects together

make a group is known as Object and Group Analogy. For
example, tress & forest.
Problem and Solution Analogy: Each problem has a solution.
Here two words related to each other are used in the Problem and
Solution Analogy. For example, tired & sleep.

Effort and Result Analogy: Pain & painting, write & letter are
the example of the Effort and Result Analogy where one word
represents the effort and the other one is the result.

Object and Function Analogy: Keyboard & to type is an

example of Object and Function Analogy, where one word is object
and another one is the related function.

Performer and action Analogy: In this analogy, both the

performer and action are mentioned. For example, painter &
paint.

These are just examples of the types of analogies that kids can
solve.  There are many more, for example: object/action,
animal/baby, cause/effect, sequence, association (two things that
go together), mathematical, and singular/plural.  And there are
even more.  Kids don’t need to practice with every type, but
practicing with a number of types will help them become familiar
with just how analogies work.  After practicing on several specific
types, kids can move on to looking at any analogy and solving it
by first  – deciding what type it is, and second – filling in the
missing word.  Once they’re clear on the pattern, kids will see
analogies as fun puzzles to solve.
To solve analogies, kids need to know two things – the basic
pattern that all analogies follow, and the different ways in which
the pairs of words in the analogy can go together.  Teaching
these different types of analogies gives kids more tools to use
when solving these little word puzzles on their own.

There are many different patterns; here are examples of some of

them that you can use with your class.
 
Synonyms
Synonyms are words that mean the same thing, and synonym
analogies consist of two pairs of synonyms.  The first pair of
words mean the same thing, so the second pair must mean the
same thing too.
Example
delay : stall :: allow : permit
 
Antonyms
Antonyms are words that mean the opposite, and so antonym
analogies consist of two pairs of opposites.
Example
whisper : yell :: tame : wild
 
Object/Purpose
In object/purpose analogies, the first word in each pair names
and the second word in each pair tells what the object is used
for.
Example
book : reading :: guitar : music
 
Source/Product
Source/product analogies name a product and tell where it comes
from.
Example
wheat : field :: cranberries : bog
 
Part/Whole
In part/whole analogies, the first word of each pair names a
specific item, and the second word names a more general item
that includes the first.
Example
home : neighborhood :: ant : colony
 
Animal/Habitat
In this type, the first word names an animal, and the second
word tells where it lives.
Example
dolphin : ocean :: bear : forest
 
Characteristic
The first word in these analogies names a person or thing, and
the second word describes or names a characteristic of that
person or thing.
Example
marshmallow: squishy :: pretzels : crunchy
 
Operator
In these analogies, the first word names a thing, often a machine
or a tool, and the second word is a name for the person who uses
it.
Example
plane : pilot :: train : conductor

The Importance of Analogy

As mentioned, analogies are used to make logical arguments and comparisons.
Here are a few ways writers might use analogies:

a. Make abstract ideas more concrete

There are some people – like teachers, professors, and technical writers – who
explain difficult ideas for a living. It’s a tough job! One way to make it easier is
to draw analogies to things your readers or students are already familiar with.
For example, a biology teacher might explain the immune system by saying,
“What policemen do in a town, white blood cells do inside the body.”

b. Add depth and feeling to an image

Consider this example:

 She felt like a raft floating in the middle of an dark, endless ocean. Like her, the raft was was
floating along, alone, worn out, and unable to reach a steady place in which to settle.
Notice what a powerful image this descriptions brings to mind. Without the
analogy, the author would just be saying “She was lonely and exhausted.” How
boring! The analogy makes her emotions seem dark and overwhelming – just as
the ocean at night.

c. Making a persuasive argument

Obviously, this is rare in poetry and fiction, where making an argument isn’t the
point. But in essays, literary analysis, and many other fields, persuasion is the
name of the game – and analogy can be a powerful tool for that purpose. It’s
especially useful when you want to show the flawed reasoning in another
person’s argument:
 Person A: Lots of history’s dictators started as soldiers; therefore, soldiers should never become
politicians because they’ll end up as dictators.
Person B: But that doesn’t make sense! It’s like saying “lots of alcoholics started out by drinking
milk; therefore no one should ever drink milk.” Just as there are many milk-drinkers who don’t
become alcoholics, there are also many soldiers who don’t become dictators.
Notice how Person B has employed a clever analogy to show that Person A is
making a faulty argument.

Analogy is a comparison between two things. Analogies function to describe

or explain one thing by examining its similarities with another thing. The two
things may be very dissimilar and the analogy forces the reader or listener to
understand the connection between them. On the other hand, the analogy
could provide a comparison between two very similar things, one of which
might be more obscure; the analogy provides a way for a reader or listener to
understand the more obscure thing by picturing the more common thing. 

Many analogies are so useful that they are part of everyday speech. These are often
known as figures of speech or idioms. Each analogy below makes a comparison
between two things:
 Finding a good man is like finding a needle in a haystack: As Dusty
Springfield knows, finding a small needle in a pile of hay takes a long time, so the task
at hand is likely to be hard and tedious.
 That's as useful as rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic: It looks like you're
doing something helpful but really it will make no difference in the end.
 Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. You understand it better but the
frog dies in the process: E.B White's famous analogy shows that sometimes it's better
not to know too much.
 That movie was a roller coaster ride of emotions: While you're not flying
through the air, the twists, turns and surprises of a movie plot can leave you feeling like
you've been through quite an experience.
 Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get: An
often-used analogy from Forrest Gump shows that life has many choices and surprises,
just like a box of chocolates.

Writers use many forms of analogies in their work to make a comparison that is
memorable and helps the reader better understand their point. Consider these
examples of analogies from famous writers and public figures:

 "I am to dancing what Roseanne is to singing and Donald Duck to motivational

speeches. I am as graceful as a refrigerator falling down a flight of stairs." - Leonard
Pitts, "Curse of Rhythm Impairment" Miami Herald, Sep. 28, 2009.
 "If you want my final opinion on the mystery of life and all that, I can give it to you
in a nutshell. The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination. But the
combination is locked up in the safe." Peter De Vries, Let Me Count the Ways.
 "Writing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon
and waiting for the echo." - Don Marquis.
 "They crowded very close about him, with their hands always on him in a careful,
caressing grip, as though all the while feeling him to make sure he was there. It was like
men handling a fish which is still alive and may jump back into the water." - George
Orwell, "A Hanging."
 "Withdrawal of U.S. troops will become like salted peanuts to the American
public; the more U.S. troops come home, the more will be demanded." - Henry
Kissinger in a Memo to President Richard Nixon.
 "... worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubble gum." - Baz Luhrmann, "Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen)."
 "Dumb gorgeous people should not be allowed to use literature when competing
in the pick-up pool. It's like bald people wearing hats." - Matt McGrath from the
movie Broken Hearts Club.