Binomials (Easy)

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Vocabulary with me Finn…

Alice

And me Alice. And todays show is all binomials.

Finn

Or as some call them, binomials. Yes, those short and sweet phrases English speakers love

to use everyday English. Well look at what binomials are, what they mean and how to

use them.

Alice

Therell be cheap and cheerful quiz…

Finn

And well leave you with a quick and dirty tip for learning vocabulary.

Alice

: to start off, lets listen to Charlie and his mum talking about football practice.

Finn

Heres a question to about while you listen: whats a good treatment for aches and

pains?

Alice

Whats good for aches and pains? find out.

INSERT

Mum

Hello, love. How was practice today?

Charlie

Horrible. I hate football.

Mum

Oh dear. Whys ?

Charlie

Im sick and tired of being in goal. Look at these bruises  � Im black and blue.

Mum

have a lookoh yes love, why don't you jump in the bath? Warm waters very good

for aches and .

Finn

So, thats Charlie and his mum. And we asked you: whats good for aches and pains?

Alice

And mum says the answer is: a warm bath.

Finn

Thats right. And the phrase aches and pains is our binomial.

Alice

Now binomials are short English phrases made of two words that go together  � and the

two are often joined with and. Like aches and pains. Which means: general pains in

the body, that usually arent .

Finn

Ok: now its important to remember that binomials are always fixed: you cant change

anything about them. You say pains and aches. You cant say aches and hurts and you

cant say hurts and pains. So, Alice you suffer from aches and pains?

Alice

Sometimes Finn, when youre around. Anyway, poor Charlie said he was black blue.

Hes talking about the bruises on his body he got from playing football.

Finn

Black and blue? Must been a tough game…?

Alice

Yes, no wonder Charlie said hes sick and tired of football.

Finn

Sick and . It means really fed up and bored with something. And remember, we cant’

say tired and sick.

Alice

We say sick and bored either. What are you sick and tired of at the moment Finn?

Finn

I'm sick tired of commuting: travelling to work. It took me about an hour this morning.

Alice

That's a really long .

Finn

And another binomial: bit by bit - this time, the word in the middle is by instead of .

IDENT

Youre listening to BBC Learning English dot com.

Finn

And were talking about binomials. And if you were carefully at the beginning of the

show you might have noticed that we used a couple of binominals right the start. Short

and sweet was one of them  � it means simple, quick and useful.

Alice

Short and or: quick and dirty. Thats another binomial with a similar meaning: quick

and dirty means simple, short and basic.

And another similar one is: cheap and cheerful.

Alice

So, three binomials there you can use to describe something quick, simple and basic.

Finn

Now lets hear todays expressions again.

Alice

Aches and pains.

Finn

It describes body that arent serious.

Alice

Sick and tired.

Finn

Fed up, bored and angry.

Alice

Bit by bit.

Finn

To slow change. And to say something is simple, short and basic we had three

binomials:

Alice

Short and sweet; and dirty; cheap and cheerful.

Finn

Thank you Alice And now its quiz time. Number 1. Choose the correct : Im’

learning French. Its difficult, but Im getting better a) bit by bit b) bit by little c) bit bit.

Alice

And the answer is: a) bit by bit.

Finn

Number 2. Sarah fell over and hit her yesterday. Today its a) blue and black b) black

and blue c) black and white.

Alice

And the answer : b) black and blue.

Finn

Ouch. And finally, number 3. At only one minute long, the presentation was a) and

short b) cheerful and cheap or c) quick and dirty.

Alice

And the answer is: c) quick and .

Finn

And that brings us almost to the end of the programme.

Alice

But before we go, heres a and cheerful tip for remembering vocabulary: play games.

Making and playing a simple card game where you match up beginning and ends of

binomials will really help you to remember them.

Finn

That's right. And theres more about at BBC Learning English dot com. Join us again for

more 6 Minute Vocabulary.

Both

Bye!