（1）“When are you going to see your uncle?” “____ next week.”
A. Some time B. Sometime
C. Some times D. Sometimes(《高中英语解题题典》, 东北师大出版社, p. 54)
(2) The guide told us that he would organize some businessmen abroad ____ next week. A. some time B. sometime C. some times D. sometimes(《北大清华高考状元易错题宝典》, 北京理工大学出版社, p. 105)
(3) I have been told that he will come back from Paris ____ next month.
A. some times B. sometimes
C. some time D. sometime(《中学英语错解辨析辞典》, 上海辞书出版社, p. 267)
以上各书均把 sometime 判为正确,而把 some time 判为错误,原因是 some time 意为“一段时间”。请问以上三句用 some time 果真是错误的吗?
上面的试题在我国的英语测试中频繁出现,但是,它们有很大的片面性。要记住,some time 除了用作名词短语,表示“一段时间”“相当长的时间”之外,还可用作副词短语,指时间位置,表示“某天”“某个时候”(即指一个不肯定的时刻)。请看下面的例证:
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Let's have dinner together some time next week. (PEU) 下周咱们找个时间一块吃顿饭吧。
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... I will try to see you Thurs. afternoon some time. ……我将设法在星期四下午某个时候来看你。
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He went some time last week. 他上周某个时候走了。
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Let's get married some time. 让我们找个时间结婚吧。
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When will I get married? This year, next year, some time, never? 我什么时候结婚？今年，明年，不定哪一天，也许永远不？
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I should like to live in a place like this some time. (Dreiser) 我希望将来某一天住在像这儿的地方。
结论: 当 some time 表示“一段时间”时, 不能用 sometime 替换。但是, sometime(某日, 某个时间) 却可以用 some time 替换。