certain weekends

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "certain weekends" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to specific weekends that are not defined but are understood in context. Example: "I usually go hiking on certain weekends when the weather is nice."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

First there are the A-list events that practically own certain weekends and that can't be encroached upon.

The New York Times - Travel

The garden is open on certain weekends throughout the year, when various rare plants are for sale; tours are also available by appointment.

The New York Times

The vinyl booths and Formica tables are well-worn, and the linoleum floor gets a good workout on certain weekends when live music and dancing are featured.

The New York Times - Arts

"Hunters like their shotguns, and on certain weekends in the fall they go annoy Bambi's relatives, but concealed-carry-permit people carry a gun with them.

The New Yorker

During certain weekends in March you can see four operas in three days, and people fly in from everywhere just for this.

The New York Times - Travel

Certain weekends will find a supernaturally good-looking group of artists and actors lunching poolside at the Mexican sculptor Jorge Marín's hacienda about 40 minutes outside of town, while other gatherings are slightly more formal.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

Alf Carter and Kathy Trimble will stock groceries for residents of Azalea Falls Lodge as part of certain weekend packages.

The New York Times - Travel

Last August the writer wanted to get from N.Y. to West Cornwall on a certain weekend.

The New Yorker

She was chosen from roughly 100 applicants, asked to leave a certain weekend open and to do no further research.

The New York Times - Arts

Since my son's bemoaning of the weekend, our family has become better at declaring certain weekend days "off".

The Guardian - Lifestyle

What could the New York City Ballet have been thinking, for instance, when it described certain weekend matinees as "family friendly"?

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "certain weekends" when you want to refer to specific weekends without explicitly naming them. It implies that the weekends are known or understood within the context.

Common error

Avoid relying too heavily on "certain weekends" without providing any additional context. If possible, consider specifying the weekends or providing some clarifying information to enhance clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "certain weekends" functions as a determiner + noun combination. It specifies particular but unidentified weekends. Ludwig examples show it used to indicate recurring events or activities on unspecified but understood weekends.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

90%

Formal & Business

5%

Science

5%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "certain weekends" is a common and grammatically sound expression used to refer to particular, yet unspecified, weekends. Ludwig AI analysis confirms its correctness and frequent occurrence primarily in news and media contexts. While alternatives like ""specific weekends"" or "particular weekends" offer similar meanings, "certain weekends" provides a flexible and widely understood way to discuss events or patterns occurring on select weekends. When writing, be mindful of the context and provide sufficient information to avoid ambiguity. Remember it is ok to be not specific about the weekend if it's irrelevant. However, avoid overusing the phrase without providing at least some level of detail that makes sense for the reader.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

specific weekends

Replaces "certain" with "specific", indicating particular weekends without further definition.

particular weekends

Substitutes "certain" with "particular", emphasizing specific weekends that stand out.

select weekends

Uses "select" instead of "certain", suggesting a deliberate choice of weekends.

designated weekends

Replaces "certain" with "designated", implying that the weekends have been officially chosen for a purpose.

specified weekends

Changes "certain" to "specified", indicating that the weekends have been clearly identified.

given weekends

Uses "given" to suggest weekends determined by external factors or conditions.

some weekends

A more general alternative, using "some" to indicate an unspecified number of weekends.

occasional weekends

Emphasizes that these weekends happen from time to time, not regularly.

isolated weekends

Highlights the separation or uniqueness of these weekends from others.

infrequent weekends

Indicates that the weekends in question do not occur often.

FAQs

How to use "certain weekends" in a sentence?

You can use "certain weekends" to refer to specific weekends that are known or understood within the context of the sentence. For example, "The park offers free concerts on "specific weekends" during the summer."

What can I say instead of "certain weekends"?

You can use alternatives like ""specific weekends"", "particular weekends", or "select weekends" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "certain weekends" or "certain weekend"?

"Certain weekends" is correct when referring to multiple weekends. "Certain weekend" would be used to refer to a single, unspecified weekend.

What's the difference between "certain weekends" and "some weekends"?

"Certain weekends" implies a degree of specificity, suggesting that these weekends are pre-determined or known within a specific context. "Some weekends" is more general and indicates an unspecified selection of weekends.