time and again — repeatedly / emphasising frequency
Used to emphasise that something happens many times, often with the sense that it keeps happening despite efforts to change it.
Say it like a native
Textbook On numerous separate occasions, this has been demonstrated to be the case.
Native Time and again, we've seen this happen.
'Time and again' is the natural emphatic phrase for 'repeatedly'; the paraphrase is flat.
Pattern: time and again, [clause] / [subject] [verb] time and again
In use
- Time and again, he forgot to lock the door before leaving the house.daily life
- Time and again, people underestimate how much effort it takes to learn a new language. In my experience, it’s not just about memorising words; you really need to practise regularly to make progress.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I told him time and time.
✓ I told him time and again. / time and time again.
The set phrase is 'time and again' (or 'time and time again') — not 'time and time'.
Common collocations
time and again— told, proven, happens, warned
Don't confuse it
'Time and again' is more emphatic and slightly more formal than 'again and again', and is used to highlight persistence or repetition, often with a sense of frustration or inevitability.