"starts" is a verb. "Intermittently" is an adverb. They are not interchangeable!
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/start
Check out meaning #1.
What is the sense of the word "starts" in the sentence below?
By doing this she starts something she did not know was going to happen.
Is the answer intermenttently?
3 answers
No, "starts" means "begins." It's the first step in an activity or project.
thanks