Some + time

Question

... How do you use:

sometimes
sometime
some time
& some times...

Some examples please... I'm so confused. Which one should be use when referring to an incidence that happens repeatedly from time to time?

Jimmy

Noldis · Accepted Answer

In that particular case you should use "sometimes", eg. "sometimes it rains extraordinarily hard."

Here are some examples, I assume you will notice the difference:

- My friends visit me SOMETIMES;
- "Let's have a party SOMETIME", the date is still indefinite;
- when something has happened SOME TIME ago, it has happened recently;
- "It remained untouched for SOME TIMES".

Perhaps someone could specify a bit if necessary.

Rishonly · Answer

Is there any rule on this topic--Some + time(s)--?. Still, I am not clear about the difference between "Sometime" and "Sometimes".

Wwwdotcom · Answer

Well, sometime and sometimes are quite different.

Sometimes, I drink tea in the morning. Other times, I drink coffee or orange juice. (This talks about multiple instances of an action that started in the past, continues through the present, and is a routine you will carry into the future.)

I should try apple juice sometime. (This is an unset event which might happen in the future, but it isn't decided when or how frequent it will happen). It's also not yet started nor is it an established routine.

Some time can mean "for a while". I spent some time golfing the other day.

CalifJim · Answer

sometimes: on occasion, now and then, once in a while, from time to time (multiple occasions); typically used for present or past occasions.
"Sometimes he was energetic; sometimes he was tired."
"Sometimes I am confident about my knowledge of English; sometimes I am discouraged."

sometime: at an indefinite or unstated time, especially in the future.
"Call me sometime."
"Let's get together for lunch sometime."

The two-word forms are for the cases where "some" is an adjective modifying the noun "time" specifying a more particular time.
"Stop by at some time when we are less busy."
"Our wine shop is not always equally busy. Some times, for example Saturdays and Sundays, are busier than others."
CJ

Rishonly · Answer

Thanks WWWdotcom and CalifJim for your examples and explanations. Please verify my understanding on this topic is correct.

(1) We discussed this topic some time back. (Wrong, because 'some time' should be used with a particular time)

(2) We discussed this topic sometime back. (Wrong,because 'sometime' should be used with an indefinite future time)

(3) We will discuss this topic sometime tomorrow.(Correct, because 'sometime' has been used with an indefinite future time)

(4) We will discuss this topic sometime tomorrow at 11:30am?.(Wrong, because 'sometime' shouldn't be combined with a specific time--11.30am)

CalifJim · Answer

(1) is OK. It happened some time ago. (some amount of time ago). "time" here refers to a duration of time, not an instance or occasion. I didn't think of this case earlier. All the examples I gave earlier have to do with "time" meaning "occasion" or "occurrence".
(2) - Your reasoning is correct. But you could also say it is incorrect because "time" means "period", not "instance" here.
(3) - Yes. This is a typical idiomatic use of "sometime".
(4) - As you mention, this whole sentence is anomalous. "sometime" is indefinite; "11:30" is definite. Therefore the sentence is contradictory.

Note that if you want to add some guidelines about the use of "time" as a duration, you should know that neither "sometimes" nor "sometime" is ever followed by "ago" (or "back'").
Therefore, note that "sometimes ago" is not possible, and "sometime ago" is not possible.

CJ

Rishonly · Answer

Thanks for the further explanation, CalifJim.

Chalk aqua 479 · Answer

The book sometime ago

Some + time

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions