When

Question

I clearly remembered the time when I looked at my watch.That's a sentence from an exercise in a grammar book. There is note there that the sentence is grammatically ambiguous. I couldn't figure out that ambiguity there so I looked up the answer in the key to exercises in which the ambiguity is explained as the difference in classifying the word "when", i.e. as an adverb or as a conjunction.And that's where I'm confused, in other words I cannot tell the word class (function?) of the "when" in that sentence.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

tkacka15 I cannot tell the word class (function?) of the "when" in that sentence.

You do know what "ambiguous" means, don't you?

When the book says "when" is ambiguous, it means that you can assign the function of "when" in more than one way in that sentence, so nobody else has a definitive answer either. It's not just you! There isn't one right answer. That's why it's ambiguous.

Actually, I don't quite agree with your book. There is ambiguity in the definition of "time" as well. "occasion" or "hour".

1. Looking back at it a few days later, I clearly remembered that particular occasion on which I took a look at my watch (and everything else that happened on that occasion).

2. I know exactly what time it was when I looked at my watch.

CJ

Tkacka15 · Answer

CalifJimYou do know what "ambiguous" means, don't you?

Thank you, CJ, for your reply.

Yes, I know.

I think that I didn't express myself clearly enough, i.e. I've just tried to follow the reasoning of the author of that exercise and pinpoint where "when" is an adverb (adverbial?) and where it is a conjunction and couldn't get it.

CalifJim · Answer

tkacka15I've just tried to follow the reasoning of the author of that exercise ... and couldn't get it.

I don't think I followed that either. I couldn't work out what his definition of "conjunction" really was. Subordinating conjunction? Then it would be adverbial, and "conjunction" and "adverbial" would be the same thing. That's quite a tangle.

It's not exactly the clearest or most idiomatic example in the world either. I think they're trying for an example like this:

I'll tell you when they have a picnic.

Here "when they have a picnic" can be adverbial, in which it says when I will tell you. I'll wait until they have a picnic and then I'll tell you (something that I want to tell you).

Or "when they have a picnic" can be the content of what I am going to tell you. I'll say, "The picnic will be on Friday" or "The picnic will be on Sunday" or something like that. Then "when they have a picnic" is an indirect question, from "When will they have a picnic?"

CJ

PS.
I think in your example it's more a question of adverbial (subordinate clause) or relative clause (the time when = the time that). The relative clause is adjectival, though, not adverbial and not a conjunction.

CJ

Tkacka15 · Answer

CalifJimOr "when they have a picnic" can be the content of what I am going to tell you. I'll say, "The picnic will be on Friday" or "The picnic will be on Sunday" or something like that. Then "when they have a picnic" is an indirect question, from "When will they have a picnic?"

I wonder whether "when" in indirect question "when they have a picnic" could be taken as a conjunction as for example "whether" is.

CalifJim · Answer

tkacka15I wonder whether "when" in indirect question "when they have a picnic" could be taken as a conjunction as for example "whether" is.

Anything is possible where terminology is concerned, but as I said, I see a relative clause, not an indirect question, in your example.

For the indirect question you need I clearly remembered when I looked at my watch.

CJ

Tkacka15 · Answer

CalifJim I see a relative clause, not an indirect question, in your example.

Thank you for your detailed explanation.

When

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