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Klavier Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
when - by the time
Hello.
In this sentence is it proper to use when or I should use by the time?
I'll have been reading for an hour when my mother returns.
I'll have been reading for an hour by the time my mother returns.
In this sentence is it proper to use when or I should use by the time?
I'll have been reading for an hour when my mother returns.
I'll have been reading for an hour by the time my mother returns.
Top answer
" I'll be interested to see whether any other members have a preference. MrP
- " I'll be interested to see whether any other members have a preference.
- MrP
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3 Answers
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Hello Latin
"...by the time..." seems more idiomatic; but I don't see anything wrong with "...when..."
I'll be interested to see whether any other members have a preference.
MrP
"...by the time..." seems more idiomatic; but I don't see anything wrong with "...when..."
I'll be interested to see whether any other members have a preference.
MrP
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I don't really have a preference, but there does seem to be a very small difference.
"I'll have been reading for an hour when my mother returns" describes the amount of reading done at the time the mother returns, whereas "I'll have been reading for an hour by the time my mother returns" is a little more like a progress report. We could almost anticipate it being followed by "And by th
"I'll have been reading for an hour when my mother returns" describes the amount of reading done at the time the mother returns, whereas "I'll have been reading for an hour by the time my mother returns" is a little more like a progress report. We could almost anticipate it being followed by "And by th
00
I quite prefer by the time, though I can't quite say why. It does seem a little more exact as a point in time. The word time itself seems to have some exactness in it (the hour on the clock) that when doesn't.
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