some minutes

USAGE SUMMARY

"some minutes" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it to refer to a period of time (i.e. a certain length of minutes) - for example, "We have to wait for some minutes before the movie starts."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

But those are some minutes.

The New York Times

Some minutes later - 40?

The Guardian - Lifestyle

He deleted it some minutes later.

Independent

After some minutes, I was fed up.

The New Yorker

Will we see Boris Diaw absorb some minutes on James?

The New York Times - Sports

It was some minutes before the website was again operational.

Independent

I think after some minutes we were more dangerous again.

The Guardian - Sport

For some minutes the websites carried the message shown above.

The Guardian

"It was good to get some minutes," Bale said.

The Guardian - Sport

The countess joined them there some minutes later.

The Guardian - Books

"I would love to cut some minutes off our guys," D'Antoni said.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "some minutes" to indicate an unspecified but relatively short duration. It's suitable when the exact number of minutes is not important or unknown.

Common error

While acceptable, avoid overusing "some minutes" in highly formal or academic writing. More precise terms like "several minutes" or "a brief period" might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "some minutes" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating duration. As Ludwig AI confirms, this is correct and appropriate for general use. The numerous examples show how frequently it's used in different types of sentences.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "some minutes" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to denote an unspecified short duration, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It's particularly common in News & Media and Scientific writing. While acceptable across various contexts, more precise alternatives like "several minutes" or "a brief period" may be preferable in highly formal settings. The phrase functions as an adverbial modifier, serving the purpose of providing a vague estimate of time. Overall, it is a versatile expression for general use.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a few minutes

Replaces "some" with "a few", indicating a small quantity of time.

several minutes

Substitutes "some" with "several", suggesting a slightly larger quantity of time.

in a few moments

Uses "moments" instead of "minutes", maintaining a similar sense of brevity.

a couple of minutes

Specifies the quantity as "a couple", implying approximately two minutes.

a matter of minutes

Emphasizes the brevity of the time period.

a short while

Uses a more general term for a brief period, replacing "minutes" with "while".

a little while

Similar to "a short while", but with a slightly more informal tone.

within minutes

Focuses on the immediacy or rapidity of something occurring.

a brief period

Offers a more formal and general way to describe a short amount of time.

shortly thereafter

Indicates that something happens soon after a specific point in time.

FAQs

How can I use "some minutes" in a sentence?

You can use "some minutes" to refer to a short, unspecified amount of time. For example, "We have to wait "some minutes" before the show starts".

What is a more formal alternative to "some minutes"?

In more formal contexts, consider using phrases like "several minutes" or "a brief period".

Is there a difference between "some minutes" and "a few minutes"?

Both "some minutes" and "a few minutes" indicate a short duration. "A few minutes" might suggest a slightly smaller amount of time compared to "some minutes", but they are often interchangeable.

When is it appropriate to use "some minutes"?

It's appropriate to use "some minutes" when you want to indicate a relatively short amount of time without specifying the exact duration. It is frequently found in news articles and general writing.