The use of expressions sometimes and sometimes may cause some doubts. To solve them, we will show you which situations allow you to use each one of them.
First, it is necessary to understand that these two expressions, despite being similar in both speech and writing, produce meaning effects quite different. Be aware that using sometimes instead of sometimeschange the sense of what I would really like to have written.
Second, you need to understand what the graphic sign that differentiates the two expressions means. in the expression sometimes, there is an grave accent (at) indicative of back. It's not a acute accent – even because, in the Portuguese language, no we accentuate the articles neither definite nor indefinite (the, the, the, the, one, one, one, one).
O grave accent indicative of crasis occurs by the meeting of preposition"The" it's the definite article"The", graduating “à”. See the example: "I will à beach in December.”. Who goes, goes somewhere, right? Therefore, it is necessary the grave accent to indicate the union of preposition 'a' like article 'a'. Note: “I'm going (to + a = to) the beach in December.”. THE back can also occur with the addition of the definite article “a” and some demonstrative pronouns, such as:
a + that = that – We're going to that mall tomorrow. (Whoever goes, goes somewhere: We will go to that mall tomorrow.)
a + that = that – We asked that lady to help us. (Whoever asks, asks someone for something: We asked + that lady to help us.)
a + that = that – I don't mean what happened yesterday.
Now, let's observe, from the definition and the examples, what is the meaning effect of each of the expressions:
Sometimes (with grave accent)
there is back in expressions that generate meaning effect temporal. In that case, there is a adverbial phrase of time, that is, the expression generates synonymous meaning effect to "On occasion".
See the examples:
Sometimes I help my aunt wash the yard. (On occasion)
I clean my room sometimes, my brother, never. (On occasion)
I do not feel wellsometimes, but today I'm great. (On occasion)
You are very funny sometimes. (On occasion)
Sometimes (no serious accent)
When the sense of expression it's not time, there will be no backlash.In this case, it means the union of female plural article 'as' likefeminine nounat the plural form 'times'. This expression generates a meaning effect synonymous with: "the occasions", "the moments".
See the examples:
All sometimes I don't hear you, the worst happens. (the occasions)
I'm sad allsometimes that says goodbye. (the occasions)
were rare sometimes that I cried for you. (the occasions)
All sometimesthat like shrimp I get blistered. (the occasions)
As you can see, these two expressions must be used based on the situation and the intention of the speaker/writer. Simple, isn't it? Just observe whether the expression refers to the notion of time or occasion. Good studies!
By Ma. Luciana Kuchenbecker Araújo
