When & While: The Short Answer
In some sentences, you can use either without a great change in meaning. Generally, if you want lớn focus on an action that has a duration being in progress, use a while + a progressive tense.
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While I was washing the dishes, my wife came home.* (Washing the dishes has a duration, e.g. 4 minutes.)
(*Note you can also use when here, but as a general rule, while is suitable.)
In other cases when you don"t need to emphasize that an action was in progress or the action is short and without a significant duration, use when & a simple tense.
When it started lớn rain, we went inside. (The kích hoạt started is short; it is not something in progress).
When it started to lớn rain, we went inside.
Tip #1: Use a Progressive (Continuous) Tense with While to Show Focus
Progressive tenses use the BE verb + a verb in ~ing form.
While I was cooking dinner, the phone rang.
I will be sleeping at 11:00 p.m. Tonight, so don"t phone me.
We use while to focus on an action happening at a specific time. Therefore, the most natural verb tense to lớn use is a progressive tense, which shows that an action is in progress at a certain time.
It is common khổng lồ use while with actions happening at a specific time (e.g. At 11 p.m.). Also, we use while to lớn show that a shorter action (usually in the past simple, e.g. the phone rang) happened during as a longer action (usually in past progressive, e.g. I was cooking dinner). Often this shorter kích hoạt interrupts the longer action.
A sensible rule is khổng lồ use while with the progressive tenses và when with the simple tenses.
Tip #2: Use While with Actions that have a Limited Duration
When I was a child, I played soccer. (Correct)While I was a child, I played soccer. (Not natural)Why is #2 not natural? Well, when an action is too long (e.g. I was a child), we lose focus. The period of twelve years when you were a child is too long khổng lồ use a progressive tense. We don"t use "while" to talk about long periods of our lives. Instead, we use when & past simple. There"s another reason.
Tip #3: Use While with kích hoạt Verbs
Also, "While I was a child" is unnatural because the BE verb (was a child) is a state verb. State verbs are not action verbs (e.g. Jump, kick, shower, drink). Instead, state verbs describe states or conditions (e.g. BE, live, understand, know, exist). We vị not use progressive tenses with state verbs. As a result, we generally don"t use while with state verbs.
Compare:
While she was driving, I played with the radio. (Natural)
This is correct. Driving is an action verb và the kích hoạt is limited in duration. In other words, driving is a short activity that has a clear start and end.
While When I lived in my hometown, my mother made me dinner. (While is not natural)
Live is a state verb, and also, the action of living in my hometown probably had a duration of 18 years. This is too long to focus on.
Exception: Focusing on a Verb in Progress
You could use while with a state verb lượt thích "live" if you really want khổng lồ focus on the fact that an action was in progress at a specific time. For example:
While I was living in India, there was a big earthquake.
Although it would probably be more common lớn use When I lived in India, this sentence is correct. The speaker chooses to use "While" + present progressive" to focus on an kích hoạt being in progress (living) when another kích hoạt happened.
Remember: While Means an kích hoạt Had a Start and an over (a Duration)If a sentence uses while, it suggests that the action happened over a period of time. Here"s are two better examples lớn show what I mean:
When the phone rang, I was making lunch.
The longer kích hoạt (making lunch) was happening when a shorter kích hoạt happened (phone rang).
Key question: How many times did the phone ring? Because we"re using when, we don"t know. The use of when doesn"t suggest it was an ongoing action. The phone may have rang once và stopped.
While the phone was ringing, I was making lunch.
How many times did the phone ring here? More than once. Because we are using While + present progressive, we are focusing on duration. This means that the kích hoạt (ring) happened over a period of time that had a start và end. When we say "the phone was ringing" in the progressive, we are saying that this happened for some time. (Thanks lớn Clive at Englishforums for this point.)
While vs. When: In Conclusion
To emphasize (focus) that an action was in progress at a specific time, use while + a progressive tense ( = While I was eating, ...)Otherwise, use when + a simple tense. (= When I ate, ...)Verbs with while have a duration. The period of the verb cannot be too long or we thua focus. (= While I was a child = When I was a child)Progressive tenses use action verbs, so use while with an kích hoạt verb (While I was dancing) và not a state verb (While I was hungry)
I hope these ideas have been useful. Remember, these are general tips (not fixed rules). There will be exceptions depending on what the speaker wants khổng lồ emphasize. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
-- Matthew Barton / Creator of Englishcurrent.com
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thank you i have a question is there any differences between these sentences: while she was cooking , i was studying when she was cooking , i was studying
Which one is correct? The first or the second. While they were washing the dishes, she did her homework. When they were washing the dishes, she did her homework.
when+simple present tense , progressive past tense
is this possible????
I agree with the author. Both ‘while ‘ và ‘when’ sometimes can be used without any difference in meaning although ‘While’ sounds more suitable. Here are a few examples: – She hurt herself when / while she was playing basketball. – A oto crashed into a tree when/ while I was crossing the street. In my understanding, we use “while” when the focus is on the duration or progress. On the other hand, we use ‘when’ to lớn give emphasis on the time or when something happened. For example, the sentence’ She hurt her ankle when she was playing basketball’ is probably intended to lớn respond to when she hurt her ankle. Am I right?
is my sentence correct?
when i was living in England, i took a course on english language.
while I was living in England I took a course on english language
when I lived in England I took a course on english language
when I had been living in England I took a course on english language.
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My wife gave birth khổng lồ our daughter last night. Our little baby girl was napping when I phoned my family. I was staring at her little face while I was holding her. She was sleeping so peacefully.
When I called home, my brother picked up the phone. We were talking while my mother was listening in on our conversation. My brother said that she had tears in her eyes while I was talking about the birth.
When (at the time) relates the timing of a second activity khổng lồ the activity in the main clause. It may relate <1> a same-time activity (an interruption) or <2> an- immediately-after activity (a result). The activity expressed is one having a short duration or one that is not the focus of the sentence. When is a connective preposition¹ often complemented (followed) by a clause but also a gerund, adjective or prepositional phrase, (See Other Complements.) If a verb is included, it is usually nonprogressive. |
| INTERRUPTION—AT THE MOMENT |
When you called, he was holding his newborn baby.
 |
| RESPONSE—IMMEDIATELY AFTER |
When you called, he picked up his phone.  |
While (during the time) relates the timing of a second activity lớn the activity in the main clause. It may relate <1> a same-time activity with shorter timing, or <2> a same-time activity with equal or longer duration(a background activity to the focus-activity in the main clause). While is a connective preposition¹ often complemented (followed) by a clause but also a gerund, adjective or prepositional phrase. (See Other Complements.) If a verb is included, it is usually progressive. |
| SAME TIME—SOMETIME DURING THE TIME |
While he was talking, he was holding his newborn baby. (held)  |
| SAME TIME—DURING THE TIME |
While he was talking, his baby slept. (was sleeping)  |
¹ conjuction vs. Preposition — In linguistic, scientific, và math descriptions, the word conjunction expresses AND, a Boolean term which means the union or overlap of the two fields. X ∧Y. See "And, But…not, Or". Adjunct preposition or connective preposition is the term for a word that joins additional, extra (adjunct) information before or after the clause. See Connective Prepositions.
When và while are "temporal" (timing) prepositions which are complemented (completed) by a time-related clause. (Huddleston, et. Al. 700) When và while, along with several other adverbs, were reanalyzed (2002) as prepositions. At the same time, the complements that could follow a preposition were widened khổng lồ include: a noun, noun phrase, gerund, infinitive, clause và more. See Prepositional Complements. In effect, we have a clause within a prepositional phrase! He was holding his baby
When has four meanings:
interruption—He was holding his newborn baby when you called. ("called" <"rang up"> —short duration² ) same time—He was holding his newborn baby when (or while) he was talking on the phone. ("was talking" —longer duration³) immediately after (in response)—When you called, he picked up his phone. ("called" và "picked up"—short duration)While has four meanings:
an amount of time — We have to lớn wait for a while until he wakes up. "indefinite or unknown amount of time" same time — He was holding his newborn baby while (or when) he was talking on the phone. (was talking — durationLong or short duration may be expressed by the meaning of the verb:
short duration (punctual) such as bark, jump, clap, sneeze, gulp, begin, end, fall (nonprogressive form).Long or short duration may be expressed by the tense of the verb:
Related Pages:
Present Tense – Verb Meaning và Timing (general truth/fact vs. At the moment/observation)
Past v. Past Progressive – Verbs of Short and Long Duration (detail activity, directed toward an end, accomplishment. Vs. Activity with duration, process)
Progressive Verb Forms – Verbs of Short và Long Duration
Present Perfect – Duration vs Completion.
When / While – Focus Activity
Express Foreground vs. Background Activity
Imagine a movie scene with a lot of people talking in a room, và then the camera zooms in on one person.The person becomes the subject of the foreground và the other people và activity move into the background. In a similar way, when focuses on an interrupting activity. Follow-up comments tend khổng lồ focus on the foreground activity. | |
| BACKGROUND | FOREGROUND–FOCUS |
| MAIN ACTIVITY | INTERRUPTING ACTIVITY |
He was holding his baby | when the phone rang. Who called? |
He was counting the babies fingers | when the baby yawned. How cute! |
Everyone quieted down | when the baby was born. What a moment! |
Both when and while can be followed by a clause that draws attention to another ongoing activity that is the central focus. The verb in the while clause is mostlyprogressive, expressing repetitive or detailed activities. The verb in the when clause is mostly nonprogressive & expresses an activity without particular focus on duration. | |
| BACKGROUND | FOREGROUND–FOCUS |
| MAIN ACTIVITY | SAME-TIME ACTIVITY |
He was holding his baby | while we were discussing names. Which name did you like? |
They were trying to lớn raise a baby | when/while they were still living in a small apartment in the city. So did they move to lớn a house? |
The baby"s gender (sex) was revealed | when he was born. Were they surprised? |
backgrounding (Ger) – a grammatical termfor moving something out of central focus & into a position of less focus (less importance or less interest).
come up with (Phrasal Verb) – think of, put together, hotline to mind
conceive (V) – begin life (also, to form a notion, an opinion, a purpose, an idea)
interruption (N) – a stop or break in the middle of an activity; a discontinuance; interference with action or speech
reveal (V) – announce publicly, make known lớn all
tends lớn be (V Expr.) – is more likely to be; is more expected to be
yawn (V) (N) – an involuntary kích hoạt of opening the mouth widely và taking air into the lungs
See Background Activity – Past Progressive |
When – Two Meanings
Express same-time v. Immediately after
When—"at the sametime" vs. "immediately after"
When¹ (same time) relates the timing of a second activity to lớn the activity in the main clause. The timing overlaps, occurs at about the same time. When may relate <1> a one-time pairing of activities (X và Y) or <2> a routine pairing of activities (whenever X occurs, Y results). The verb in the when clause is mostly nonprogressive; the focus is on the activity not its duration. | |
| FIRST ACTIVITY | JUST BEFORE ORSAME TIME |
| PREP + CLAUSE | MAIN CLAUSE |
When I call, (present form) "whenever this occurs" | the doctor comes in. (present) "this occurs" (routine) |
 | |
When I called, (past) "at the same time this occurred" | the doctor came in. (past) "this occurred" (1-time) |
When I call, (present) "whenever this occurs" | the doctor will come in. Xem thêm: " Bạch Liên Hoa Là Gì ? Cẩn Thận Với Trà Xanh Và Bạch Liên Hoa "this occurs" (prediction) |
When² (immediately after ) relates the timing of a second activity to lớn the activity in the main clause. The timing occurs immediately after as a response. The verb in the when clause is mostly nonprogressive và relates an activity with relatively short duration (instantaneous or detail activities). See Verbs of Short và Long Duration. | |
| FIRST ACTIVITY | SECOND ACTIVITY |
| PREP + CLAUSE | MAIN CLAUSE |
When the doctor comes in, "anytime this occurs" (routine) | I ask her questions. (present) "this occurs immediately after" |
 | |
When the doctor came in, "at the time this occurred" (1-time) | I asked her questions. (past) "this occurred" |
When the doctor comes in, | I will asked her questions. (prediction) |
* not used(not logical) / ~ requires a special context for use
short duration verbs —See Duration vs Completion "telic".
when (connective preposition)—See Connective Prepositions (for a description)
See If vs. When, When vs. While và Awhile v. A while (N - Adv
)
See Grammar Notes below for details about grammar terms.
(Huddleston 8 §6.4 <29>)
When/While – Other Complements
Express minimal information with shortened clauses
When / While Followed by Other Complements
When can be followed by other structures besides a clause. The information of the clause can be shortened to lớn a gerund (-ing), a prepositional phrase or an adjective. The missing information has lớn be guessed from the context. | |
| TIME-RELATED ACTIVITY | FOCUS ACTIVITY |
| PREP + CLAUSE | MAIN CLAUSE |
When he called, (full clause) | he was watching his baby. |
| PREP + GERUND | |
When he was calling, The subject is understood as being the same subject as the main clause. | he was holding his newborn. |
| PREP + ADJECTIVE | |
When he was available, ready, free, settled, able The subject and predicate (verb) are understood from context. | he called his family. |
| PREP + PREP PHRASE | |
When he was in need, in doubt, on a break, in trouble The subject and predicate (verb) are understood from context. | he called his family. |
While can be followed by other structures besides a clause. The information of the clause can be shortened lớn a gerund (-ing), a prepositional phrase or an adjective. Missing information has to lớn be guessed from context. | |
| TIME-RELATED ACTIVITY | OTHER ACTIVITY |
| PREP + CLAUSE | MAIN CLAUSE |
While he was talking with you, (full clause) | he was watching his baby. |
| PREP + GERUND | |
While he was talking with you, The subject is understood as being the same subject as the main clause. | he was watching his baby. |
| PREP + ADJECTIVE | |
While he was alert, awake, asleep, The subject & predicate (verb) are understood from context. | he was holding his baby. |
| PREP + PREP PHRASE | |
While he was in conversation with you on break, on duty, in (the) hospital The subject và predicate (verb) are understood from context. | he was watching his baby. |
complement — a word or structure that is required to complete the meaning expressed by another element or structure, for example, He fell __. (down is expected in order to complete the meaning).
Before/After accepts other complements: a clause, a gerund, a noun phrase, an adjective/participial adjective. Before arriving, we called. (gerund); Before our arrival, we called. (noun phrase). Before expected, we arrived on their doorstep. (participial adjective)
Also see While / When -ing | Prepositional Complements | Participial Adjectives -ed | Before, After và When
When / While – Other Expressions
Related activities with As, During, Throughout, Meanwhile
Other expressions for when và while
| SAME-TIME¹ |
We were eating at the moment he called. We were eating when he called. |
We were eating at the time he called. (point, instant) We were eating when he called. |
We were eating whenever he called. (any time) We were eating when he called. |
| IMMEDIATELY AFTER² |
We stopped eating upon receiving his call. We stopped eating when we received his call. |
We stopped eating just as he called. We stopped eating when he called |
We complained immediately after he called. We complained when he called. |
We complained shortly after he called. We complained when he called |
| SAME-TIME |
We were eating dinner as he was talking / talked on his phone. We were eating dinner while he was… |
During the time that we were eating dinner, he was talking / talked on his phone. While we were eating… |
He was talking / talked on his phone throughout the time that we were eating. He was talking while we were eating. |
He was talking / talked on his phone at the same time that we were eating. |
He was talking / talked on his phone. Meanwhile, we were eating. |
He was talking / talked on his phone during the time that we were eating. |
He was talking / talked on his phone all the while we were eating. (expression) |
 | |
| WHEN + CLAUSE | MAIN CLAUSE |
When you called, | he was watching his baby. |
While he was talking, | he was holding his newborn. |
 | |
| MAIN CLAUSE | WHEN + CLAUSE |
He was watching his baby | when you called. |
He was holding his newborn | while he was talking. |
In traditional grammar, the adverbs when and while introduce adverbial clauses. They are called subordinating conjunctions, which in this case, join time-related clauses. The joined clause is a dependent clause. Note that in traditional grammar,a preposition requires an object, a noun or noun phrase, after it.All other types of complements such as an adverb phrase, an infinitive phrase, a gerund phrase, or clause are not included in the definition of a prepositional phrase. The connective word is called a conjunction or subordinating conjunction. i.He was driving to work while he was calling me.(adverbial clause = subordinating conj. + dependent clause) ii. He was driving to work while calling me.(adverbial clause = subordinating conj. + reduced clause) iii.He was driving to lớn work while on the phone. (adverbial clause = subordinating conj. + prepositional phrase) Swan mentions (lists) as, when và while as being used for "background" kích hoạt or a situation which is going on when something else happens/happened. Murphy lists these words in the table of Contents as "Conjunctions & Prepositions". No mention of grammar terms are used on the practice pages. (113 - 120) |
| LINEAR DIAGRAM |
 |
The following—while, when, though, although, if, as if, as though, whenever, once và whilst—are prepositions, which function as adjuncts (words that địa chỉ extra information khổng lồ a clause). They differ from prepositions that function as complements, which địa chỉ cửa hàng information necessary in order lớn complete th meaning of the clause. 1) Preposition (functioning as an adjunct):He hung his coat up before sitting down. (The main clause can stand independently.) 2) Preposition (functioning as a complement): He hung his coat on the hook. (The clause requires the prep. Phrase to make sense.) An adjunct preposition takes a finite clause, a nonfinite clause, or a prep. Phrase as its complement. i. He was driving to lớn work while he was calling me. (finite clause) ii. He was driving to lớn workwhile calling me. (nonfinite clause) iii. He was driving khổng lồ work while on the phone. (prep + prep. Phrase) See Prepositional Complements for others. Note that a large number of adverbs have been re-assigned to lớn the category of Preposition, which allows a wide range of complement type. Other terms: Temporal Location Adjuncts (after, before, since, when, while) – Prepositions (Huddleston 8 §6.3) – Conjunctions (Swan 73, 411.6, 30, 97) – Subordinator. Adverbial Clause (Biber 2.4.7.5) – Subordinator. Adverbial Clause (Quirk 15.28) |
| TREE DIAGRAM |
 |
Word Categories: N – noun; V – verb; Aux – auxiliary; Adj – adjective; Adv – adverb; phường – preposition; Det – determiner.
Phrasal Categories: NP – noun phrase; VP – verb phrase; Adj
P – adjective phrase; Adv
P – adverb phrase; PP – prepositional phrase; DP – determinative phrase.
Clausal Categories: Cls – clause; F – finite; NF – nonfinite (Ger – gerund; Inf – infinitive; PPart – past participle).
Word Functions: Subj–Subject; Pred – Predicate/Predicator; Comp – complement: elements required by an expression khổng lồ complete its meaning (DO – direct object; IO – indirect object); Adjunct – adjunct elements not required by an expression lớn complete its meaning (Subord – subordinator; Coord – coordinator); Supl – supplement: a clause or phrase added lớn a clause but not closely related khổng lồ the central thought or structure of the main clause.