Here and there means in several places, spread out: there are benches here and there along the river. It works for texts too: the editor added a few notes here and there. It usually comes at the end, after the thing that is scattered.
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here and there; ... here and there in / across / around a place
- There are benches here and there along the river.
- The editor added a few notes here and there in the manuscript.
- Small patches of snow remained here and there on the hillside.
What changed
First versionThe floor looked almost new, with just a few scratches somewhere.
RevisionThe floor looked almost new, with just a few scratches here and there.
Somewhere looks like a good word for an unclear location. But somewhere means one unknown place, so the sentence suggests a single scratch you can't locate. Here and there says at once: a few scratches, in different spots.
Everywhere means all over: if there are scratches in only a few spots, everywhere exaggerates. From time to time is the same idea for time, not place: we meet from time to time.
Your turn
Only a few spots in the kitchen were cracked, so we replaced tiles ___.
Show the answer
here and there — Only a few spots were cracked, so the tiles were replaced here and there. Everywhere would mean the whole floor was redone.
Describe a place with small details scattered around it, using here and there.
Wildflowers were growing here and there between the paving stones.
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