Now and then means sometimes, occasionally: I still read the old neighbourhood newspaper now and then. Every now and then and now and again mean the same: every now and then, the lights in the corridor flicker. Every here doesn't turn sometimes into always.
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do something now and then; every now and then; now and again; every now and again
- I still read the old neighbourhood newspaper now and then.
- Every now and then, the lights in the corridor flicker.
- We leave the office for a walking meeting now and again.
What changed
First versionI visit that bookshop now and than.
RevisionI visit that bookshop now and then.
Then and than sound almost the same, and even native speakers mix them up in writing. But then means at that time or after that, while than is for comparing: bigger than. The time phrase needs then.
Then and now compares the past with the present: photos of the city, then and now. From time to time means almost the same as now and then. On and off means with breaks: you start, stop, come back.
Your turn
It happens occasionally, not constantly: Every now and ___, the printer needs cleaning.
Show the answer
then — The phrase about frequency needs then. Than introduces a comparison, and nothing is being compared here.
Describe something you do occasionally, without a fixed schedule, using now and then.
Every now and then, I take the longer route home to walk past the lake.
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