Word pairs sooner or

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.

back and forth word pairNonreversible 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

bride and groom word pairThe 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

  1. Examples of Correlative Conjunctions Pairs
  2. Final Consonant Deletion Word Pairs

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