sought time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sought time" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to convey the idea of requesting or looking for time, but it is not a commonly used expression. Example: "She sought time to reflect on her decision before making a final choice."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

He has sought time out to get professional help to deal with those matters," Kennett said.

The Guardian

Australia's rapid pursuit was initiated by Aaron Finch, who hit 20 off 10 balls, while Clarke weighed in with seven fours and two sixes he sought time at the crease before the knockout stages.

BBC

John Boehner is the one who started this game, the one who has sought time and again to present himself as standing up to the president.

Huffington Post

Over the past decade, the State Legislature has sought time and time again to enact this kind of measure, only to see it fail due to its inability to separate national immigration policy from state immigration policy.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Some airports have long sought time-of-day pricing to manage traffic, and the Transportation Department recently gave that power to Logan International Airport in Boston, contingent on traffic rising above a certain level.

The New York Times

Another approach might have been simply to preach patience, to seek time for his initiatives to take root.

The New York Times

It features 12ms seek time and spins at 4,200 rpm.

TechCrunch

Read seek time is said to be 8.9ms while average latency is only 4.17ms.

TechCrunch

Thus, the transfer operation of a large file made of multiple blocks becomes faster by minimizing the seek time [25].

Journal of Cloud Computing

The specs are pretty rotten when compared to any normal hard drive: 80GB SATA, 16ms seek time, at 4200RPM.

TechCrunch

The drive has a 4,200rpm spindle speed, 8MB buffer, 15ms seek time, and consumes very little power.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using the phrase "sought time", use more common and grammatically correct alternatives such as "requested time", "asked for time", or describe the purpose for which time was needed to provide better clarity.

Common error

Avoid directly replacing phrases like "requested time" or "needed time" with "sought time". While "sought" is a valid verb, it doesn't combine naturally with "time" in contemporary English to convey the intended meaning. Opt for alternatives that are more idiomatic and clear.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sought time" functions as a verb phrase followed by a noun. However, Ludwig AI identifies it as not correct in standard written English. It aims to convey the idea of requesting or looking for time, but is not a commonly used expression.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the individual words are valid, the phrase "sought time" is not considered standard English. Ludwig AI indicates that it's not a commonly used expression and advises against its use. More appropriate alternatives include "requested time", "asked for time", or "needed time", depending on the intended meaning. Although it appears in contexts like News & Media and Science, its low frequency and awkwardness suggest avoiding it in favor of clearer alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

requested time

Directly implies a formal or informal request for an amount of time.

asked for time

A more conversational way of saying that time was requested.

needed time

Highlights the necessity of having time for something.

allocated time

Suggests that time was officially set aside or assigned.

required time

Similar to 'needed time' but can imply a more formal requirement.

gained time

Indicates that time was acquired or earned, often unexpectedly.

secured time

Implies that effort was made to ensure time was available.

arranged time

Suggests time was scheduled or organized in advance.

reserved time

Indicates that time was kept free or set aside for a particular purpose.

carved out time

Emphasizes the effort required to make time available from a busy schedule.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "sought time"?

More common alternatives include "requested time", "asked for time", or "needed time". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is "sought time" grammatically correct?

While the words themselves are correct, the combination "sought time" is not a standard or widely recognized phrase in contemporary English. It's better to use more common alternatives for clarity.

How can I use "sought" correctly in a sentence related to time?

You can use "sought" with a different construction, such as "She sought more time to complete the project," or "They sought to gain time by delaying the decision."

What's the difference between "sought time" and "requested time"?

"Requested time" is a clear and direct way to say that someone asked for time. "Sought time" is less common and may sound awkward or unclear to native English speakers. It's preferable to use "requested time" in most contexts.