What's the difference between 'some time' and 'sometime'?

[Yankee]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #276 "If memory serves me right", question 8

Pete: It ......... have been some time in 1947, I'm sure of that.

(a) could
(b) would
(c) must
(d) may

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #276 "If memory serves me right", answer 8

Pete: It must have been some time in 1947, I'm sure of that.

Correct answer: (c) must
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What's the difference between 'some time' and 'sometime'?

And wouldn't you agree that this test needs the latter?

Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Mister Micawber]

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'Would' works for me as an answer, too.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Yankee]

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I agree with you, MM.
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[Nanucbe]

The 'sure' decides the 'must' and 'some time' means that the speaker has no idea about the exact date and time but sure of the year. 'Sometimes' generally indicates frequency and not time.

nanucbe

[Yankee]

My "question" was not about some time vs sometimes, nanucbe.

This test sentence should use sometime (one word) rather than some time (two words). You defined 'sometime' in your post. 'Some time' is something else altogether.

Definition of 'sometime'
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[Yankee]

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Still no changes?

Two changes are needed:
1. Change 'some time' to 'sometime'.
2. Change option (b) to something else.

Here are my suggestions:

Pete: It ......... have been sometime in 1947, I'm sure of that.

(a) could
(b) might
(c) must
(d) may
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[Yankee]

Hi Alan and Torsten

If you feel no changes/corrections are appropriate in this test, how about a little bit of feedback as to why.

I'm mystified.
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[Alan]

Hi,

[Stew.t.]

Hi Yankee et all

Here I would have to agree that some time is a version that is common place in BE, even if not AE.

Maybe so us Brits do not confuse sometimes and sometime.

cheers stew.t.
_________________
Please meet Stewart Tunncilff

[Lost_Soul]

[Yankee]

Hi Alan
This was the source I initially posted:
http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/sometime?view=uk
Isn't that source somehow related to yours? (I hope you don't think I should have written 'some how related'.)

Here are some additional sources for you:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=75709&dict=CALD
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=sometime*1+0&dict=A
http://www.bartleby.com/61/78/S0557800.html
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=sometime
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sometime&r=66
http://www.business-words.com/dictionary/S.html#some_time

Do you feel that all of the dictionaries entries above are incorrect then? Even the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries?

You've given one example for the word 'sometime' used as an adjective. However, 'sometime' is also used quite regularly as an adverb -- just as it was used in the test sentence.

It was already clear to me that typos can be found in native speaker writing. I'm also aware that some spelling errors are more typical than others for native speakers. Your examples of 'some time' as an adverb appear to be either typos or errors. What they do not appear to be is correct.

To me, writing 'some time' rather than 'sometime' is akin to writing 'some where' rather than 'somewhere'.

You have a large collection of things on this site called 'tests'. You've also got a number of forums for people who will be taking standardized tests. Was your post intended to present 'some time' as the standard spelling of the adverb 'sometime'? Or was your post simply intended to illustrate that you are not the only one who has ever misspelled 'sometime'? To be honest, the latter seems to be the case.

How about MM's point? Any comment on that?

[Alan]

As usual you never refer to what I said. If you really want to be argumentative, try with someone else. I know you love to win at all costs. As I said, schoolmistress, please stick to what I said and stop putting words in my mouth like this:

[Yankee]

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Misleading? Oh, come on, Alan! Don't you think it's a little misleading to post a bunch of sentences containing the same typo/error without identifying them as such?

I wasn't aware that I'd put words in your mouth. I did ask few questions, though. You are aware that questions are often asked in order to clarify what some one (oops! I mean someone!) has said, aren't you?
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[Alan]

Having the last word!

http://mrstdotcom.blogspot.com/2008/02/angry-cat.html
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Head expressions for you

[Yankee]

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That does sort of look like the way I feel when I read some of your posts.
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