would sometimes

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "would sometimes" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It is a verb phrase that is used to indicate a past habitual action or occurrence. It can also be used to express a wish or desire in the past tense. Example: 1. When I was a child, my grandmother would sometimes bake apple pies for me. 2. He would sometimes forget his keys and have to call me to let him into the house. 3. I wish I could go back to the beach where we would sometimes spend our summers. 4. She would sometimes beg her parents for a new toy, but they would rarely give in. 5. They would sometimes argue about silly things, but it never affected their strong friendship.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Friendships would sometimes fray.

The New York Times

Sometimes they would, sometimes they wouldn't.

The New Yorker

Bob and I would sometimes smoke together.

The New York Times

De Vries would sometimes revisit favored phrases.

The New Yorker

I would sometimes listen in.

The Guardian

He would sometimes have been hungry, too.

The Guardian - Arts

The two boys would sometimes help.

The Guardian - Sport

There would sometimes be tense situations.

The New York Times

Bernie Madoff would sometimes dine here.

The New York Times - Style

Bill would sometimes take an inexplicable liking to a customer.

The New Yorker

She would sometimes fall asleep on the back.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing past habits or recurring actions that weren't consistent, use "would sometimes" to clearly convey the intermittent nature. For example, "He "would sometimes" forget his keys", indicating it wasn't a regular occurrence.

Common error

Avoid using "would sometimes" when describing actions that occurred frequently or consistently. Instead, use "would always" or "would often" to accurately reflect the frequency of the action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "would sometimes" functions as a modal verb phrase used to express actions or events that occurred intermittently or occasionally in the past. Ludwig AI confirms this with numerous examples, demonstrating its role in describing non-regular habits or occurrences.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Science

15%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

3%

Academia

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "would sometimes" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to describe past actions that occurred intermittently or occasionally. As Ludwig AI confirms, this modal verb phrase is frequently found in various contexts, particularly in news and media, conveying a sense of irregularity or non-habitual behavior. For more regular habits, consider using "would often" or "would always". Understanding the subtle differences between these phrases can improve the precision and clarity of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sometimes did

This alternative removes the modal verb "would", creating a more direct statement about past actions that occurred occasionally.

would on occasion

Reorders the phrase while maintaining the same meaning.

used to occasionally

This alternative emphasizes the occasional nature of past actions, with a focus on them being part of a past routine or habit.

would from time to time

Reorders the phrase while maintaining the same meaning, adding a slight emphasis on the intermittent nature.

occasionally did

This alternative provides a more concise way of expressing occasional past actions, replacing the modal verb "would" with "did".

from time to time did

This alternative focuses on the sporadic nature of past actions, highlighting that they happened without a fixed schedule.

at times did

This option uses "at times" to highlight the intermittent nature of the actions, focusing on specific moments when they occurred.

on occasion did

This alternative highlights specific instances of past actions, emphasizing that they were not regular or consistent.

periodically did

This option stresses the recurring nature of past actions, indicating that they happened at regular intervals, although not frequently.

every so often did

This emphasizes the infrequency and irregularity of the past actions.

FAQs

How can I use "would sometimes" in a sentence?

Use "would sometimes" to describe actions or events that occurred occasionally in the past but weren't regular habits. For example, "She "would sometimes" visit her grandmother on weekends".

What phrases are similar to "would sometimes"?

Similar phrases include "sometimes did", "occasionally did", or "from time to time did". These alternatives all convey the idea of actions that occurred intermittently.

Is it correct to say "use to sometimes" instead of "would sometimes"?

While both describe past actions, "used to" implies a more regular or habitual action that has now stopped, whereas "would sometimes" emphasizes the occasional nature of the action. Therefore, "used to sometimes" isn't the best choice when you want to say that something would happen on certain occasions and is better replaced by "sometimes did".

What's the difference between "would sometimes" and "would often"?

"Would sometimes" indicates that something happened occasionally, while "would often" suggests that it happened frequently. The choice depends on the actual frequency of the action you're describing.