please help with 'while'

Question

A. I stay inside while it's raining. Does it mean I stay inside within the period of raining?
B. I ate ice cream while he waited. Does it mean I ate ice cream within the period of waiting?
While is used for longer action right? One action happens during another action and here 'during another action' takes 'while' right? ?please explain.

Philip · Accepted Answer

Yes, while is used to describe an action within the period defined, here waiting.

Avangi · Answer

tenjingA. I stay inside while it's raining. Does it mean I stay inside within the period of raining?

Yes.

tenjingB. I ate ice cream while he waited. Does it mean I ate ice cream within the period of waiting?

Yes.

tenjingWhile is used for longer action right? One action happens during another action and here 'during another action' takes 'while' right? ?please explain.

Generally speaking, that's true. But it's certainly possible for the two actions to coincide.
I got my hair cut while she went shopping. We don't really know who finished first.

"Within the period" doesn't necessarily mean that one period is longer than the other.
(Well, it may; but the use of "while" doesn't create that requirement.)
Think of it this way: I ate ice cream while he waited/ was waiting.
Was he waiting for you to finish? Was he waiting for something else? Did you start eating ice cream at the same time he started waiting? Who started first? Who finished first?

At some point the two actions are going on at the same time. That's all you can say for sure, in my opinion.

We played baseball while it was raining. Maybe it rained only during the third and fourth innings.

please help with 'while'

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions