Classification is a process of grouping various objects on the basis of their common properties. Classification, therefore, helps to make a homogeneous group from a heterogeneous groups. Questions on classification may be of two types (A) Classification for Meaningful Words and(B) Classifications for Non-meaningful words.
(A) Classification for Meaningful Words:
Once you mastered the art of establishing the relationship between two words, it would be very easy to classify some given words or to find the odd word out from the given alternatives. The essential trick is to find out the basis of similarity between the words. The dissimilar (odd) word, would, then stand out, itself.
(B) Classification for Non-meaningful Words:
Sometimes we are given a group of letters (non-meaningful words) and we are asked to find the odd letter-group out of them.
Some Models:
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Teacher 2) Engineer 3) Architect 4) Doctor 5) Scientist
Ans: 1.
Hint: All the rest are exclusive professions while a teacher may, be there in any of these categories.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Listen 2) Feel 3) Think 4) Sing 5) Hear
Ans: 4.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is
the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Anxiety 2) Anger 3) Sorrow 4) Joy 5) Feeling
Ans: 5.
Hint: All others are specific feelings.
* Four of the following five words are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Three 2) Four 3) Five 4) Six 5) Nine
Ans: 4.
Hint: All others have two vowels.
* Four of he following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Anxiety 2) Worry 3) Inhibition 4) Curiosity 5) Weariness
Ans: 4.
Hint: All others are negative.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and hence form a group. Find the one which is different from the other four.
1) Rice 2) Wheat 3) Barley 4) Mustard 5) Bajra
Ans: 4.
Hint: Except 'mustard' each belongs to the same category, viz food grains. Mustard is an oil seed.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and hence form a group. Find the one which is different from the other four.
1) Arrow 2) Sword 3) Knife 4) Axe 5) Pistol
Ans: 1.
Hint: All others are held in the hand and not shot out.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to the group?
1) Pear 2) Jackfruit 3) Watermelon 4) Papaya 5) Mango
Ans: 3.
Hint: Except it all others have trees.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Pencil 2) Sharpener 3) Blackboard 4) Chalk 5) Pen
Ans: 2.
Hint: Except it all others are used for writing purpose.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Tortoise 2) Frog 3) Rat 4) Mongoosa 5) Snake
Ans: 5.
Hint: All others have feet.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Swan 2) Crocodile 3) Frog 4) Snake 5) Chicken
Ans: 5.
Hint: Chicken is young one of hen.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Coriander 2) Potato 3) Beetroot 4) Onion 5) Ginger
Ans: 1.
Hint: Except it others are obtained below the ground.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Crow 2) Vulture 3) Bat 4) Ostrich 5) Eagle
Ans: 3.
Hint: Except it others are birds whereas Bat is a mammal.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Volume 2) Size 3) Large 4) Shape 5) Weight
Ans: 3.
Hint: 'Large' is an adjective whereas others are noun.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) August 2) December 3) July 4) January 5) Ma
Ans: 5.
Hint: Except it others are either followed or preceded by a month of 31 days.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Jackal 2) Cheetah 3) Tiger 4) Lion 5) Dog
Ans: 5.
Hint: Others are wild animals.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Cheese 2) Butter 3) Milk 4) Curd 5) Ghee
Ans: 3.
Hint: Others are the products made from milk.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Sultry 2) Hot 3) Humid 4) Warm 5) Cool
Ans: 5.
Hint: Except it others are synonymous to each other.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Now 2) After 3) Then 4) Before 5) Again
Ans: 5.
Hint: Others are related with time.
* Four of the following five are alike in a certain way and so form a group. Which is the one that does not belong to that group?
1) Apple 2) Banana 3) Peach 4) Fig 5) Turnip
Ans: 5.
Hint: Turnip is a root vegetable while others are fruits.
(B) Classification for Non-meaningful Words:
Some Models:
Directions: In each of the following questions, four groups of letters are given. Three of them are alike in a certain way while one is different. Choose the odd one.
*1) RNJ 2) XTP 3) MIE 4) ZWR
Ans: 4.
Hint: In all other groups, the first and second letters are moved 4 steps backward to obtain second and third letter respectively.
* 1) PUT 2) END 3) OWL 4) ARM
Ans: 1.
Hint: All other groups begin with a vowel.
* 1) EBD 2) IFH 3) QNO 4) YVX
Ans: 3.
Hint: In all other groups, the last and first letters are consecutive.
* 1) ALMZ 2) BTUY 3) CPQX 4) DEFY
Ans: 4.
Hint: In all other groups, the first letter occupies the same position from the beginning of the alphabet as the last letter occupies from the end of the alphabet.
* 1) STUA 2) RQPA 3) MLKA 4) HGFA
Ans: 1.
Hint: In all other groups, the first three letters are in a reverse alphabetical order.
* 1) EDKL 2) LMST 3) NMUV 4) QPRS
Ans: 2.
Hint: In all other groups, the first two letters are in a reverse alphabetical order.
* 1) XGEZ 2) PCAQ 3) LKIN 4) DWUF
Ans: 2.
Hint: In all other groups, first and third letters are moved 2 steps forward to obtain fourth and second letters respectively.
* 1) PRVX 2) MQTV 3) DHKM 4) BFIK
Ans: 1.
Hint: In all other groups, the first, second and third letters are respectively moved four, three and two steps forward to obtain second, third and fourth letters respectively.
* 1) BDYW 2) CEXZ 3) DFYW 4) EGXV
Ans: 2.
Hint: In all other groups, the first and second letters are alternate; the third and fourth letters are alternate and written in a reverse alphabetical order.
* 1) XZCG 2) OQTX 3) IMNQ 4) EGJN
Ans: 3.
Hint: In all other groups, there is a gap of 1 letter between first and second letters, 2 letters between second and third and 3 letters between third and fourth.
* 1) UAZF 2) SCXH 3) RDWJ 4) KBPG
Ans: 3.
Hint: In all other groups, first and second letters are each moved 5 steps forward to obtain third and fourth letters respectively
* 1) DFCE 2) HIGJ 3) NPMO 4) XZWY
Ans: 2.
Hint: In all other groups, the third, first, fourth and second letters are the consecutive letters of the alphabet.
* 1) ABCD 2) EGIK 3) ACDF 4) CFIL
Ans: 3.
Hint: The letters in (1) follow the sequence +1; those in (2) follow the sequence +2 and those in (4) follow the sequence +3, while the letters in (3) do not follow any such particular sequence.
* 1) RSXY 2) NOUV 3) MNST 4) DEJK
Ans: 2.
Hint: In all other groups, the first, second and third letters are respectively moved one,
five and one step forward to obtain second, third and fourth letters respectively.
* 1) xXYA 2) IIMP 3) hHIK 4) bBCE
Ans: 2.
Hint: All other groups contain only small letter.