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plCommon errors
又 usually indicates the recurrence of an action or state, typically in the past or present. When introducing a second clause, it can convey a sense of accumulation of a series of actions or states that have already occurred.
1. Incorrect position
The learners may incorrectly place 又 after verbs, modal verbs, or the negative adverb 没/沒.
*她们早上来过，又晚上来了。
她们早上来过，晚上又来了。
*她能又走路了。
她又能走路了。
*昨天他没做作业，今天他没又做作业。
昨天他没做作业，今天他又没做作业。
*她們早上來過，又晚上來了。
她們早上來過，晚上又來了。
*她能又走路了。
她又能走路了。
*昨天他沒做作業，今天他沒又做作業。
*昨天他沒做作業，今天他又沒做作業。
2. Confusion between 又 and 再
Both 又 and 再 have similar meanings and both can indicate the recurrence of an action or state; therefore, they are often confused by learners. However, 又 is mainly used for recurring actions or states that have already occurred in the past or present; while 再 is used exclusively for actions that will occur again in the future.
*我今年九月再去了一次中国。
我今年九月又去了一次中国。
*他刚做完午饭，再去厨房洗碗。
他刚做完午饭，又去厨房洗碗。
*我今年九月再去了一次中國。
我今年九月又去了一次中國。
*他剛做完午飯，再去廚房洗碗。
他剛做完午飯，又去廚房洗碗。
Although 又 is mostly used for the repetition of actions which have already occurred, it may also indicate a future repetition when:
- the situation is predictable or cyclical, beyond the speaker’s control (e.g., natural events);
- the speaker feels the action has happened too often and expresses annoyance, complaint, or disapproval.
This use is also usually taught at the intermediate level and in these cases 再 cannot be used.
*明天再是星期六了。
明天又是星期六了。
*放假快结束了，再要去上课了。
放假快结束了，又要去上课了。
*明天再是星期六了。
明天又是星期六了。
*放假快結束了，再要去上課了。
放假快結束了，又要去上課了。
3. Confusion between 又 and 还/還
Both 又 and 还/還 can mean ‘also’, expressing accumulation of actions or states. In some contexts, they are interchangeable.
妈妈买了面包，还买了一斤苹果。
妈妈买了面包，又买了一斤苹果。
我姐姐给我们介绍了她男朋友，还给我们介绍了他的妈妈。
我姐姐给我们介绍了她男朋友，又给我们介绍了他的妈妈。
媽媽買了麵包，還買了一斤蘋果。
媽媽買了麵包，又買了一斤蘋果。
我姐姐給我們介紹了她男朋友，還給我們介紹了他的媽媽。
我姐姐給我們介紹了她男朋友，又給我們介紹了他的媽媽。
In other context, they cannot be interchanged. Regarding repeated actions or states, 又 often reflects the speaker’s stance, such as annoyance, complaint, or disagreement, while 还/還 is typically used in a more neutral way.
学完中文，还要学习英文。
學完中文，還要學習英文。
学完中文，又要学习英文了。
學完中文，又要學習英文了。
你还要去看她吗？
你還要去看她嗎？
你又要去看她了？
你又要去看她了？
我还没告诉他，他怎么会知道？
我還沒告訴他，他怎麼會知道？
我又没告诉他，他怎么会知道？
我又沒告訴他，他怎麼會知道？
4. Pragmatic errors or inappropriate usage
The learners may overlook that 又 can refer to future actions when the repetition is predictable, inevitable or undesirable.
明天又是星期一了。
今天医生不能看我，明天我又要去看医生了。
明天又是星期一了。
今天醫生不能看我，明天又要去看醫生了。
L1 Interference Errors
Because both 又 and 再 translate as ‘again’, learners may confuse them despite their distinct usages.
Classroom activity : Again yesterday or again tomorrow?
whole class and pairs.
15 minutes.
board or slides.
- The teacher writes two time columns on the board: 昨天 / 今天 and 明天.
- Under 昨天, the teacher writes a model sentence: 我昨天又看书了/我昨天又看書了. Under 明天, the teacher writes: 我明天再看书/我明天再看書.The teacher explains briefly that 又 is used for something that already happened again, and 再 is used for something that will happen again.
- Students work in pairs.
- The teacher says a time word, such as 昨天 or 明天, and a verb, such as 去学校/去學校 or 吃饭/吃飯.
- Each pair creates one sentence using 又 or 再 according to the time word (e.g. 我明天再学习汉语/我明天再學習漢語。 )
- Pairs say their sentences aloud.
- The teacher checks the sentences, confirms correct use of 又 and 再, and gives brief feedback.