Sometimes means occasionally — on some occasions but not always. It is a frequency adverb used to describe actions or situations that happen from time to time, rather than regularly or never.
What Does Sometimes Mean?
Sometimes is formed from the Old English words sum (some) and time, making it literally "at some times". The word has been used in English since at least the 13th century and follows the same pattern as always (all + ways) and sometimes (some + times) — a common Old English method of building frequency adverbs from quantity words and time nouns.
In modern English, sometimes sits near the middle of the frequency scale: above rarely and occasionally, but below often, usually and always. It covers roughly 25–50% of the time in most contexts, though the exact frequency is determined by the surrounding sentence rather than the word itself. This flexibility makes it one of the most useful and natural-sounding frequency adverbs in everyday English.
Unlike many adverbs, sometimes is unusually mobile: it can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence without changing the core meaning. This flexibility is a key feature that learners should practise — and a common source of mistakes when learners try to apply the strict mid-sentence rules that apply to other frequency adverbs such as always and never.
Example Sentences by CEFR Level
| Sentence | Level / Usage note |
|---|---|
| I sometimes eat lunch at my desk. | A2 — simple present habit, mid-sentence position |
| Sometimes the bus is late, so I walk. | B1 — front position for contrast, present simple |
| She sometimes struggles with the difference between present perfect and past simple. | B1 — mid-sentence before main verb, grammar context |
| Even experienced writers sometimes find it difficult to maintain a formal register throughout a long essay. | B2 — academic context, mid-sentence with modal phrase |
| The tension between cultural identity and assimilation can sometimes manifest in ways that are difficult to articulate. | C1 — formal/academic register, modal + sometimes + complex verb phrase |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| sometimes feel | I sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the grammar rules. |
| sometimes think | She sometimes thinks her pronunciation will never improve. |
| sometimes wonder | He sometimes wonders whether he made the right choice. |
| sometimes forget | Learners sometimes forget to add the third-person -s. |
| sometimes struggle | Even advanced students sometimes struggle with articles. |
| sometimes seem | English spelling can sometimes seem completely illogical. |
| sometimes … sometimes … | Sometimes she cycles to work; sometimes she takes the bus. |
| but sometimes | The rule usually applies, but sometimes there are exceptions. |
| sometimes even | The course is demanding, sometimes even exhausting. |
| can sometimes | Idioms can sometimes be impossible to guess from context alone. |
Usage Notes
Position in a Sentence
Beginning (emphatic or contrastive): Sometimes the best approach is simply to listen. — Place sometimes first when you want to emphasise contrast or introduce a new idea.
Middle (neutral, most common): I sometimes arrive early. / She can sometimes be difficult to understand. — Place sometimes before the main verb, but after the first auxiliary verb.
End (informal, spoken): We go there sometimes. — End position sounds more casual and is especially common in spoken British English.
With "be": After the verb to be, sometimes follows the verb: "The traffic is sometimes terrible." This mirrors the rule for all frequency adverbs with be.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I sometimes am late for class.
I am sometimes late for class. (frequency adverbs come after 'be', not before it)
She goes sometime to the gym.
She sometimes goes to the gym. (mid-sentence position is before the main verb, not after)
Sometimes he don't understand the instructions.
Sometimes he doesn't understand the instructions. (front position does not affect subject-verb agreement)
I will met you sometime next week for the project discussion. (confusing sometimes/sometime)
I will meet you sometime next week. (sometime = at an unspecified time; sometimes = on some occasions)