Presentation on theme: «collocation: word pairs»— Presentation transcript:
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collocation: word pairs
Some pairs of words in English which go together always come in a certain order, for example we always say ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ and ‘right or wrong’ NOT gentlemen and ladies, wrong or right.
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lemon butter knife thunder black breakfast backwards quiet
Take one word from A and match it with another from B. Then decide which one should come first. A B lemon butter knife thunder black breakfast backwards quiet fork white peace bed ice forwards bread lightning
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Do these follow the same order in Italian?
lemon & ice bread & butter fork & knife thunder & lightening black & white bed & breakfast backwards & forwards peace & quiet
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right or ___ sooner or ___ now or ___ all or ___ more or ___
Look at some common word pairs joined with or. What is the second word? right or ___ sooner or ___ now or ___ all or ___ more or ___ once or ___
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right or wrong sooner or later now or never all or nothing
Look at some common word pairs joined with or. What is the second word? right or wrong sooner or later now or never all or nothing more or less once or twice
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I’m sick and tired of hearing you complain.
Replace the word pairs in these sentences with a synonymous expression. I’m sick and tired of hearing you complain. I didn’t buy much, just a few bits and pieces. I’ve been having headaches now and again. He’s unemployed and down and out. Every relationship needs a bit of give and take. We’ve had our ups and downs, but now we got on really well. The army were called in to restore law and order. Despite flying through a storm we arrived safe and sound.
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Replace the word pairs in these sentences with a synonymous expression.
I’m fed up with (sick and tired) hearing you complain. I didn’t buy much, just a few odds and ends / small things (bits and pieces). I’ve been having headaches occasionally (now and again). He’s unemployed and without money or a home (down and out). Every relationship needs a bit of compromise (give and take). We’ve had our problems (ups and downs), but now we got on really well. The army were called in to restore respect for the law (law and order). Despite flying through a storm we arrived without problem or injury (safe and sound).
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Complete the sentences with a word pair.
He visits us ___, perhaps twice a year. It’s your last chance I’m afraid. It’s ___. Please stop making so much noise. I need a bit of ___. After lots of adventures she arrived home ___. ___ he’ll realize that she’s not the woman for him. After the riots the government sent soldiers in to try to establish ___ She’s ___ of he husband. She wants to leave him. It was an amazing storm. There was lots of ___.
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Complete the sentences with a word pair.
He visits us now and again, perhaps twice a year. It’s your last chance I’m afraid. It’s now or never. Please stop making so much noise. I need a bit of peace and quiet. After lots of adventures she arrived home safe and sound. Sooner or later he’ll realize that she’s not the woman for him. After the riots the government sent soldiers in to try to establish law and order She’s sick and tired of he husband. She wants to leave him. It was an amazing storm. There was lots of thunder and lightening.
If you are learning English, it is important to know binomial pairs and the way they are used while speaking in English. A binomial pair is an expression containing two words which are joined by a conjunction (usually ‘and’ or ‘or’). The word order of a binomial pair is usually fixed. In this lesson today you will learn binomial pairs using the conjunction ‘or’
Sooner or later –
This expression means that something will definitely happen, although it is not when it will happen.
Example – We are all going to die sooner or later.
More or less –
Using this expression means speaking imprecisely / approximately.
Example – Just give me another minute – I’ve more or less finished.
Take it or leave it –
When you negotiate using this expression is your last offer: you are not going to negotiation further or allow the other person to negotiate
Example – $300 is my final offer for this gown, you may take it or leave it.
Make or break –
To be the factor which decides whether (something) will succeed or fail.
Example – This football match is a make or break for us. If we lose this we are out of the league.
Win or Lose –
It means whether you succeed or fail/ no matter what
Example – win or lose, the important thing for him is to set a good example to his side.
Now or never –
his expression is used to convey urgency.
Example – It was now or never, I had to move fast and help them to win the game.
Nonreversible word pairs always appear in the same order, e.g., back and forth. It would sound awkward if we read forth and back. For many of us, certain words go together and we will automatically use the correct order. However, nonnative speakers will need to learn nonreversible word pairs.
Common Word Pairs
The following is a list of common word pairs. Collocations are also a good idea to learn if you are a nonnative speaker. These are words commonly used together, e.g., have a headache.
Adam and Eve | life or death |
back and forth | lock and key |
bacon and eggs | lost and found |
bed and breakfast | man and wife |
birds and bees | name and address |
black and white | nice and easy |
body and soul | null and void |
bread and butter | peaches and cream |
bread and water | pen and pencil |
bricks and mortar | pork and beans |
bride and groom | pots and pans |
business and pleasure | prim and proper |
by and large | profit and/or loss |
cause and effect | pros and cons |
cloak and dagger | pure and simple |
coat and tie | rain or shine |
coffee and doughnuts | ranting and raving |
cream and sugar | read and write |
crime and punishment | right and/or wrong |
cup and saucer | rise and fall |
dead or alive | salt and pepper |
down and out | shirt and tie |
first and last | shoes and socks |
fish and chips | short and fat |
flesh and blood | signed and sealed |
forgive and forget | slip and slide |
front and center | soap and water |
fun and games | sooner or later |
give and take | stars and stripes |
ham and eggs | suit and tie |
hammer and nail | supply and demand |
hemmed and hawed | sweet and sour |
high and dry | tall and thin |
high and low | thick and thin |
hot and bothered | tossed and turned |
huffing and puffing | touch and go |
husband and wife | trial and error |
in and out | trials and tribulations |
Jack and Jill | up and/or down |
knife and fork | wait and see |
ladies and gentlemen | war and peace |
law and order | wine and cheese |
If we forgot a word pair, please let us know via our comment form below.
Reader Interactions
In English, there are certain word pairs that always go together. If you try to reverse their order it sounds weird to a native speaker.[1]https://www.sightwordsgame.com/vocabulary-words/word-pairs/
Below are a few popular examples of English word pairs.[2]https://www.thoughtco.com/nonreversible-word-pairs-1209931
Bacon and Eggs
Would you like some bacon
and eggs for breakfast?
Back and Forth
They kept on arguing back
and forth.
Bed and Breakfast
We stayed in a beautiful little bed and breakfast by the beach.
Brick and Mortar
It is an online only store. It doesn’t have any brick and mortar locations.
Bride and Groom
The bride and groom
looked so happy walking down the aisle together.
Business and Pleasure
I try to not mix business
and pleasure.
Cause and Effect
There is a clear cause
and effect to the situation that you find yourself in.
Coffee and Donuts
Would you like to get some coffee and donuts for breakfast?
Cream and Sugar
Do you take cream and
sugar with your coffee?
Dead or Alive
The wanted poster said that they wanted the criminal dead or alive.
Fun and Games
It is all fun and
games until someone gets hurt.
Front and Center
The teacher told me to stand front and center to give my presentation.
Hammer and Nail
This job requires a hammer
and nail to complete.
Knife and Fork
Can you set knives
and forks on the table?
Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen
can I have your attention please?
Law and Order
Law and order is
the rule of the land.
Life or Death
The people in the sinking boat are in a life or death situation.
Lost and Found
Check the lost and
found to see if you can find your lost cellphone.
Pots and Pans
I had to clean all the pots
and pans.
Rain or Shine
We will be there rain
or shine.
Salt and Pepper
Can you pass me the salt
and pepper please?
Sooner or Later
Sooner or later
you will need to study if you want to do well in the class.
Sweet and Sour
I really like sweet
and sour chicken.
Englishbix will help you to learn about some of the non-reversible word pairs. These pair of words will appear in similar order and they go together that can be read in back and forth. These words can be used by English learners to improve their vocabulary.
Below are a few common examples of English word pairs that go together from a to z.
Adam and Eve | life or death |
back and forth | lock and key |
bacon and eggs | lost and found |
bed and breakfast | man and wife |
birds and bees | name and address |
black and white | nice and easy |
body and soul | null and void |
bread and butter | peaches and cream |
bread and water | pen and pencil |
bricks and mortar | pork and beans |
bride and groom | pots and pans |
business and pleasure | prim and proper |
by and large | profit and/or loss |
cause and effect | pros and cons |
cloak and dagger | pure and simple |
coat and tie | rain or shine |
coffee and doughnuts | ranting and raving |
cream and sugar | read and write |
crime and punishment | right and/or wrong |
cup and saucer | rise and fall |
dead or alive | salt and pepper |
down and out | shirt and tie |
first and last | shoes and socks |
fish and chips | short and fat |
flesh and blood | signed and sealed |
forgive and forget | slip and slide |
front and center | soap and water |
fun and games | sooner or later |
give and take | stars and stripes |
ham and eggs | suit and tie |
hammer and nail | supply and demand |
hemmed and hawed | sweet and sour |
high and dry | tall and thin |
high and low | thick and thin |
hot and bothered | tossed and turned |
huffing and puffing | touch and go |
husband and wife | trial and error |
in and out | trials and tribulations |
Jack and Jill | up and/or down |
knife and fork | wait and see |
ladies and gentlemen | war and peace |
law and order | wine and cheese |
Keep exploring Englishbix to learn about minimal pairs used in speech therapy and correlative conjunction pairs.
Quick Links
- Examples of Correlative Conjunctions Pairs
- Final Consonant Deletion Word Pairs