transcription, транскрипция: [ naʊ ]
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You use now to refer to the present time, often in contrast to a time in the past or the future.
She’s a widow now...
But we are now a much more fragmented society...
Beef now costs well over 30 roubles a pound...
She should know that by now.
ADV : ADV with cl , oft prep ADV
•
Now is also a pronoun.
Now is the time when we must all live as economically as possible.
PRON
2.
If you do something now , you do it immediately.
I’m sorry, but I must go now...
I fear that if I don’t write now I shall never have another opportunity to do so.
ADV : ADV after v
•
Now is also a pronoun.
Now is your chance to talk to him.
PRON
3.
You use now or now that to indicate that an event has occurred and as a result something else may or will happen.
Now you’re settled, why don’t you take up some serious study?...
Now that she was retired she lived with her sister.
CONJ
4.
You use now to indicate that a particular situation is the result of something that has recently happened.
She told me not to repeat it, but now I don’t suppose it matters...
Diplomats now expect the mission to be much less ambitious.
ADV : ADV with cl , ADV before v
5.
In stories and accounts of past events, now is used to refer to the particular time that is being written or spoken about.
She felt a little better now...
It was too late now for Blake to lock his room door...
By now it was completely dark outside.
ADV : ADV with cl , oft prep ADV
6.
You use now in statements which specify the length of time up to the present that something has lasted.
They’ve been married now for 30 years...
They have been missing for a long time now...
It’s some days now since I heard anything.
ADV : ADV with v , n ADV
7.
You say ‘ Now ’ or ‘ Now then ’ to indicate to the person or people you are with that you want their attention, or that you are about to change the subject. ( SPOKEN )
‘Now then,’ Max said, ‘to get back to the point.’...
Now, can we move on and discuss the vital business of the day, please.
ADV : ADV cl
8.
You use now to give a slight emphasis to a request or command. ( SPOKEN )
Come on now. You know you must be hungry...
Come and sit down here, now...
Now don’t talk so loud and bother him, honey.
ADV : ADV with cl
9.
You can say ‘ Now ’ to introduce information which is relevant to the part of a story or account that you have reached, and which needs to be known before you can continue. ( SPOKEN )
My son went to Almeria in Southern Spain. Now he and his wife are people who love a quiet holiday...
Now, I hadn’t told him these details, so he must have done some research on his own.
ADV : ADV cl
10.
You say ‘ Now ’ to introduce something which contrasts with what you have just said. ( SPOKEN )
Now, if it was me, I’d want to do more than just change the locks...
ADV : ADV cl
11.
If you say that something happens now and then or every now and again , you mean that it happens sometimes but not very often or regularly.
My father has a collection of magazines to which I return every now and then...
Now and again he’d join in when we were playing video games.
PHRASE : PHR with cl
12.
If you say that something will happen any day now , any moment now , or any time now , you mean that it will happen very soon.
Jim expects to be sent to Europe any day now...
Any moment now the silence will be broken.
PHRASE : PHR with cl
13.
People such as television presenters sometimes use now for when they are going to start talking about a different subject or presenting a new activity. ( SPOKEN )
And now for something completely different...
Now for a quick look at some of the other stories in the news.
PHRASE : PHR n
14.
Just now means a very short time ago. ( SPOKEN )
You looked pretty upset just now...
I spoke just now of being in love...
PHRASE : PHR with cl
15.
You use just now when you want to say that a particular situation exists at the time when you are speaking, although it may change in the future. ( SPOKEN )
I’m pretty busy just now...
Mr Goldsworth is not available just now.
PHRASE : cl PHR
16.
If you say ‘ It’s now or never ’, you mean that something must be done immediately, because if it is not done immediately there will not be another chance to do it. ( SPOKEN )
It’s now or never, so make up your mind...
PHRASE : V inflects
17.
You can say ‘ now, now ’ as a friendly way of trying to comfort someone who is upset or distressed. ( SPOKEN )
‘I figure it’s all over.’—‘Now, now. You did just fine.’
= there, there
CONVENTION
18.
You can say ‘ Now, then ’ or ‘ Now, now ’ when you want to give someone you know well a friendly warning not to behave in a particular way. ( SPOKEN )
Now then, no unpleasantness, please...
Now, now Roger, I’m sure you didn’t mean it but that remark was in very poor taste.
CONVENTION