Which term means 'the act of breaking a subject down into parts to study it'?

• A. Analysis
• B. Anecdote
• C. Annex
• D. Analogous

Answer: (A)

The concept tested is breaking a subject into parts to study it. Analysis is exactly that: a careful examination of the components and how they fit together to reveal structure, meaning, or function. It’s used in many fields—scientists analyze data by separating variables, readers analyze a poem by looking at imagery and form, and students analyze a problem by breaking it into steps. That makes it the best fit for the definition.

Anecdote refers to a short personal story used to illustrate a point. Annex means to add on or attach something, or a building added to a larger one. Analogous describes something that is similar or comparable in certain respects, not the act of breaking something down.