sometimes
- 01 A1 Beginner
on some occasions or at certain times, but not always.
occurring on some occasions or in certain circumstances; indicates a frequency between 'rarely' and 'often'.
Simple“I sometimes walk to work when the weather is nice.”
In context“Although the commute is usually reliable, the trains are sometimes delayed due to maintenance work on the main line.”
UsageAs an adverb of frequency, it can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence for different from 'always' or 'never'.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse 'sometimes' (frequency) with 'sometime' (at an unknown point in time) or 'some time' (a period of time).
PitfallI sometimes am late for work. I am sometimes late for work.When using the verb 'to be', place 'sometimes' after the verb. For other verbs, it usually goes before the main verb.
SynonymsAntonyms
sometimes vs sometime vs some time — Sometime is a point in time, sometimes is a frequency, and some time is a duration.
Usage sometimes called
From Middle English sumtymes, somtymes, som tymes, equivalent to sometime + -s (adverbial suffix). Compare West Frisian somstiden (“sometimes”), Dutch somtijds, somwijlen (“sometimes”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.