11+ Verbal Reasoning: 15 Worked Examples
· 9 min read
Fifteen worked 11+ verbal reasoning examples across the main GL question types, each with a clear step-by-step method your child can copy and reuse.
Why work through verbal reasoning examples?
Verbal reasoning rewards method, not guesswork. Children who reliably score well are not necessarily the ones with the biggest vocabulary — they are the ones who recognise each question type instantly and apply a fixed, reliable procedure. Working through examples slowly, out loud, is how that recognition is built. The aim is not to memorise these specific questions but to internalise the steps so that when a similar question appears under time pressure, the method runs automatically. This article walks through the main GL Assessment question families with worked examples. Do them untimed first, talking through every step, and only add time pressure once the method is secure. For the broader strategy behind this — vocabulary building, timing and practice frequency — start with our verbal reasoning tips guide, then use the examples below to drill each individual technique.
Word meaning: synonyms, antonyms and odd-one-out
Example 1 — Closest meaning: Find the word closest in meaning to BRITTLE: (a) flexible (b) fragile (c) heavy (d) smooth. Method: define the target word first ('easily broken'), then test each option against that definition. 'Fragile' matches; answer (b). Example 2 — Opposite: Find the opposite of EXPAND: (a) grow (b) stretch (c) shrink (d) widen. Method: note that three options are near-synonyms of expand, so the odd one out is almost certainly the answer; 'shrink' is the opposite, answer (c). Example 3 — Odd one out: rose, tulip, oak, daisy. Method: find the shared category for most words ('flowers') and eliminate the exception; 'oak' is a tree, so it is the odd one out. The general principle across all word-meaning questions: define before you choose, and watch for clusters of synonyms that point to the answer by exclusion. Children who guess from a vague feeling about each word are far slower and less accurate than those who anchor on a clear definition first.
Codes and letter-number substitution
Example 4 — Letter code: If CAT is written as DBU, how is DOG written? Method: each letter has moved forward one place in the alphabet (C+1=D, A+1=B, T+1=U), so apply the same shift to DOG: D+1=E, O+1=P, G+1=H, giving EPH. Example 5 — Number code: If the code for FACE is 6-1-3-5, what is the code for CAGE? Method: the numbers are the position of each letter in the alphabet (F=6, A=1, C=3, E=5). Apply the same rule: C=3, A=1, G=7, E=5, giving 3-1-7-5. Example 6 — Reverse the code: If 4-15-7 spells a word using alphabet positions, what is it? Method: 4=D, 15=O, 7=G, so the word is DOG. The reliable technique for all code questions is to find the rule using the letters you are given, write the alphabet across the top of your rough paper if it helps, and then apply the rule mechanically rather than trying to hold it in your head. Most code errors come from miscounting alphabet positions under time pressure — a written A-Z strip removes that risk.
Letter and number sequences
Example 7 — Letter sequence: What comes next? B, D, F, H, ? Method: the letters jump two places each time (B to D to F to H), so the next is J. Example 8 — Two-step sequence: A, C, F, J, ? Method: check the gaps between terms — +2, +3, +4 — so the next gap is +5, and J+5 = O. Example 9 — Number sequence: 3, 6, 12, 24, ? Method: each term doubles, so the next is 48. Example 10 — Mixed sequence: 2, 5, 11, 23, ? Method: each term is doubled then plus one (2x2+1=5, 5x2+1=11, 11x2+1=23), so 23x2+1 = 47. The universal first move for any sequence is to write the differences (or ratios) between consecutive terms underneath; the pattern in those differences almost always reveals the rule. If a single rule does not work, check whether alternate terms follow their own pattern, which is common in letter sequences. These same number-pattern skills overlap heavily with the 11+ maths topics your child practises elsewhere.
Analogies and logical deduction
Example 11 — Word analogy: Bird is to nest as bee is to ? Method: state the relationship in a full sentence ('a bird lives in a nest'), then complete it for the second pair ('a bee lives in a hive'); answer: hive. Example 12 — Letter analogy: AB is to CD as EF is to ? Method: AB to CD moves each letter forward two places, so apply the same to EF: GH. Example 13 — Shuffled sentence: rearrange 'quickly the ran dog' into a sentence and find the unused word. Method: build the natural sentence ('the dog ran quickly') — every word is used here, but in exam versions one word is left over and that leftover is the answer. Example 14 — Logical deduction: 'All members of the chess club wear a badge. Sam wears a badge.' Does it follow that Sam is in the chess club? Method: no — the rule says members wear badges, not that only members do, so the conclusion does not follow. Example 15 — Positional logic: 'Tom is taller than Ann. Ann is taller than Lee. Who is shortest?' Method: order them — Tom, Ann, Lee — so Lee is shortest. The thread through every analogy and logic question is the same: state the rule or relationship explicitly in words before choosing, because the answer follows almost automatically once the relationship is named.
How many practice examples are enough?
There is no magic number, but the useful target is fluency rather than volume. A child has done enough when they can name the question type and start the correct method within a few seconds, and when their accuracy stays high once timing is introduced. In practice that usually means working through every GL question type several times each across a few weeks, returning to weak types more often. Quality matters more than raw quantity: ten questions reviewed properly — with the method talked through and errors understood — teach more than fifty rushed questions marked only right or wrong. Mix the types within each session, because the real paper mixes them and switching between methods is itself a skill. Non-verbal reasoning rewards the same systematic approach, so once verbal reasoning feels secure, apply the identical 'name it, then method it' habit to the non-verbal reasoning worked examples. And because question formats vary by region, confirm which board your child is sitting using our exam boards comparison before investing heavily in any single format.