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Hi teachers,a) My child windsurfed when the wind was still blowing.b) My child windsurfed while the wind was still blowing.    Are both correct?a) I worked 40 kms. (away) from my house.    Is it right?Thanks in advance

Philip · Accepted Answer

1. Both are correct. I would use "while", as I normally do with the past continuous.

2. 'away' is not necessary, though not really wrong.

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Thank you very much Philip. Clear and concrete.

CalifJim · Answer

Thinking Spaina) My child windsurfed when the wind was still blowing.
b) My child windsurfed while the wind was still blowing.
Are both correct?

Like Philip, I prefer the second. It's hard to say that the first is really wrong, but it doesn't seem quite right, and the word still is what is odd.

My child windsurfed when the wind was blowing.

can be taken as

My child [windsurfed / used to windsurf] whenever the wind was blowing.

(Generally, in the past, if the wind was blowing, my child always took advantage of the blowing wind to do windsurfing.)

But that is very different from

My child [windsurfed / continued to windsurf] while the wind was (still) blowing.

(On a certain occasion, my child continued to windsurf during the time that the wind continued to blow.)

CJ

Tenacious Learner · Answer

Thank you so much CalifJim.That was quite an answer!

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