again
again — adverb
1. If you do something again, you do the same action a second time, or another time
If you do something again, you do the same action a second time, or another time after the first.
Dilnoza read the bedtime story to her son again before turning off the light.
verb + again: repeating an action
Could you say your phone number again? I didn't write it down.
polite request to repeat
Citlali pressed the doorbell again because nobody had answered the first time.
The cake was so good that Una ordered the same one again the next day.
Try the door again; sometimes it sticks the first time you push it.
- once more
interchangeable but slightly more formal
- anew
literary; suggests a fresh start
- another time
stresses the repetition is on a different occasion
文法句型
verb + again
用法筆記
Usually placed at the end of the clause. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense focuses on a repeated action, not on returning to a previous place or state.
常見錯誤
2. Returning to the place, position, or condition that someone or something was in
Returning to the place, position, or condition that someone or something was in before.
After three weeks of fever, Grandma finally feels well again.
be + adjective + again: return to a state
Omar washed the muddy shoes until they looked white again.
The cat ran out the door, but ten minutes later it was back home again.
Please put the books on the shelf again when you finish reading them.
After the long winter, the garden was full of flowers again.
文法句型
be + adjective + again
verb of motion + again
用法筆記
Often pairs with 'back' (back home again, back together again) to emphasise the return. Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is on restoration to a previous state, not on doing an action one more time.
常見錯誤
3. In the phrase 'once again', used to point out that something has now happened on
In the phrase 'once again', used to point out that something has now happened on top of several earlier times it happened.
Once again, the morning train from Taipei arrived twenty minutes late.
once again at clause start: pattern continues
The team lost to their rivals once again, making it four defeats this season.
Mr. Chen had to apologise to the customer once again about the missing parcel.
Once again, heavy rain forced the school sports day to be cancelled.
The mayor promised, once again, that the new bridge would open before summer.
文法句型
once again + clause
用法筆記
Almost always appears as the fixed phrase 'once again' at the start of a clause or after a comma. Carries a slight tone of 'as we have seen before'.
常見錯誤
4. Used after a bad experience in the phrase 'never again' to make clear you have d
Used after a bad experience in the phrase 'never again' to make clear you have decided not to repeat that experience.
Camping in the rain for five days? Never again!
exclamation 'Never again!' after a bad experience
Una swore she would never again lend money to her cousin Daniel.
never again + bare infinitive
After the food poisoning, Citlali said he would never again eat at that night market.
We waited four hours in the heat for the concert. Never again.
The driver promised himself he would never again drive home so tired.
- no more
more literary; less common in speech
- always
opposite intent: continuing rather than stopping
文法句型
never again + clause
exclamation: Never again!
用法筆記
Often stands alone as a short, emphatic exclamation reacting to something just described. When inside a sentence, 'never' goes before the verb and 'again' usually follows it.
常見錯誤
5. In the phrase 'yet again', used to express irritation or surprise that an event
In the phrase 'yet again', used to express irritation or surprise that an event with a long earlier track record is repeating once more.
Yet again, my brother forgot to take out the rubbish on Tuesday morning.
yet again at clause start: speaker shows annoyance
The printer has broken down yet again, and we have a deadline tomorrow.
Yet again, the new manager changed the seating plan without asking the team.
Sara had to explain the password to her grandfather yet again over the phone.
The ferry to Penghu was cancelled yet again because of the strong winds.
- once again
less emotional; doesn't always imply frustration
- for the umpteenth time
informal and even more frustrated
文法句型
yet again + clause
用法筆記
Stronger than 'once again' (sense 3): 'yet again' carries clear emotion — usually frustration. Distinguish from sense 3, which is more neutral.
常見錯誤
6. In phrases such as 'again and again' or 'time and again', used to mean that some
In phrases such as 'again and again' or 'time and again', used to mean that something is done many times in a row.
The toddler watched the same cartoon again and again all afternoon.
phrase: again and again — many repetitions
Coach Wu told the players again and again to keep their eyes on the ball.
Time and again, the old engineer warned that the bridge needed urgent repairs.
Una knocked again and again, but no one came to open the door.
The waves crashed against the rocks again and again throughout the night.
- repeatedly
more formal; single word
- over and over
everyday spoken equivalent
- once
the opposite extreme: only one time
文法句型
again and again
time and again
用法筆記
Almost always part of a fixed pair: 'again and again' or the more literary 'time and again'. A bare 'again' on its own does not carry this 'many repetitions' meaning.
常見錯誤
7. In the phrase 'all over again', meaning that you go back to the very beginning o
In the phrase 'all over again', meaning that you go back to the very beginning of a task and repeat the whole thing from the start.
When the laptop crashed, Sara had to type her whole essay all over again.
all over again: redo a task from scratch
After the sauce burned, the chef started cooking dinner all over again.
If you delete this file, we will have to do the calculations all over again.
The painter wasn't happy with the colour, so he painted the wall all over again.
The teacher made the children line up all over again because the row was crooked.
- from scratch
stresses building or making from nothing
- from the beginning
neutral; less idiomatic
文法句型
all over again
用法筆記
'All over again' stresses that NONE of the previous work counts — every step must be done from the beginning. Distinguish from sense 1 ('again' alone), which only means 'one more time' and does not imply restarting from zero.
常見錯誤
8. Used after expressions like 'as much', 'as many', or 'half as much' to mean an e
Used after expressions like 'as much', 'as many', or 'half as much' to mean an extra amount equal to the one already mentioned.
The new house cost half as much again as the old one — about fifty percent more.
half as much again: 50% extra of the stated amount
Lin invited twenty guests, then as many again from her husband's office.
as many again: an equal extra number
The reservoir was full, and the heavy rain added half as much again overnight.
We made twelve sandwiches, then as much again because more children turned up.
The factory produced a thousand units in May and half as many again in June.
- in addition
more general; works in many contexts where 'again' would not
- on top of that
spoken; less precise about the quantity
文法句型
as much/many again
half as much/many again
用法筆記
Only appears in fixed quantity patterns: 'as much/many again' (= 100% more) and 'half as much/many again' (= 50% more). Subject is usually a measurable amount (money, people, items).