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Adjacency pairs
An adjacency pair is two turns, by different speakers, where the first calls for a particular kind of second. A greeting expects a greeting; a question expects an answer.
What is an adjacency pair?
Conversation analysts Emanuel Schegloff and Harvey Sacks described adjacency pairs as sequences that are adjacent (the second follows the first), produced by different speakers, ordered as a first pair part and a second pair part, and type-related (a question goes with an answer, not a goodbye).
| First pair part | Second pair part |
|---|---|
| Greeting | Greeting |
| Question | Answer |
| Request | Granting / refusal |
| Offer | Acceptance / declination |
| Invitation | Acceptance / declination |
| Summons (“Hey!”) | Answer (“Yes?”) |
The first part creates an expectation. When the second does not arrive, its absence is noticed and people treat it as meaningful. A long silence after an invitation can be heard as a refusal.
Preferred and dispreferred responses
Some second parts are “preferred” (for example, accepting an invitation) and others “dispreferred” (refusing it). This is not about politeness or feelings. It is about how the turns are built. Preferred responses come quickly and simply; dispreferred ones tend to be delayed, softened and explained (Pomerantz, 1984).
01 A: d'you wanna come to lunch tomorrow? 02 (0.7) 03 B: .hh well (.) I'd love to but I've got a- 04 a meeting at twelve.
B’s refusal comes after a pause, with an in-breath, “well”, an appreciation and an account. Hearing these signs, A already knows the answer before B says it. (Symbols are explained in transcribing conversation.)
Other sequence types
- Insertion sequences. A pair is placed inside another: “Can I have a beer?” – “Are you twenty-one?” – “No.” – “No.”
- Pre-sequences. A turn that checks whether a request or invitation would be welcome: “Are you busy tonight?”
- Closings. Ending a conversation is itself a joint job, often done with a pair such as “okay” – “okay” before “bye” (Schegloff & Sacks, 1973).
Why it matters in speech and language therapy
- Timing. Responses typically follow within about a fifth of a second (Stivers et al., 2009). People who need longer to respond, for example after a stroke, can be misheard as refusing or not understanding.
- Partner behaviour counts. Giving extra time, using a clear first pair part and checking understanding can change how successful a conversation is, as discussed in problems with the encode–decode model.
- Assessment. Looking at sequences shows what a person can do in real interaction, such as managing repair or answering questions, which formal tests may miss.
- Culture matters. Timing and preferred responses vary across languages and communities, so avoid applying one standard to everyone.
Key idea. A first turn sets up what should come next. How a speaker handles the second turn, and how long it takes, carries meaning of its own.
Sources and further reading
- Schegloff, E. A., & Sacks, H. (1973). Opening up closings. Semiotica, 8(4), 289–327.
- Schegloff, E. A. (2007). Sequence Organization in Interaction: A Primer in Conversation Analysis, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press.
- Pomerantz, A. (1984). Agreeing and disagreeing with assessments. In J. M. Atkinson & J. Heritage (Eds.), Structures of Social Action. Cambridge University Press.
- Sacks, H., Schegloff, E. A., & Jefferson, G. (1974). A simplest systematics for the organization of turn-taking for conversation. Language, 50(4), 696–735.
- Stivers, T., et al. (2009). Universals and cultural variation in turn-taking in conversation. PNAS, 106(26), 10587–10592.