0
Vincent Teo Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
When / while
Can I say,
(a) I am singing when / while I am taking a bath.
P/s: can I say,
I read books before I sleep.
(a) I am singing when / while I am taking a bath.
P/s: can I say,
I read books before I sleep.
Top answer
It is not a hard and fast rule, but I encourage students to use 'when' to describe simultaneous actions in the simple past, and 'while' to describe simultaneous actions occuring over a period of time. She jumped when the bell rang. ~ She was reading while I was washing the dishes.
- It is not a hard and fast rule, but I encourage students to use 'when' to describe simultaneous actions in the simple past, and 'while' to describe simultaneous actions occuring over a period of time.
- She jumped when the bell rang.
- ~ She was reading while I was washing the dishes.
- These, then, can be combined: She was reading when the bell rang.
- I arrived while the boys were playing soccer.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
1 Answers
0
It is not a hard and fast rule, but I encourage students to use 'when' to describe simultaneous actions in the simple past, and 'while' to describe simultaneous actions occuring over a period of time.
She jumped when the bell rang. ~ She was reading while I was washing the dishes.
These, then, can be combined:
She was reading when the bell rang. I arrived while the boy
She jumped when the bell rang. ~ She was reading while I was washing the dishes.
These, then, can be combined:
She was reading when the bell rang. I arrived while the boy
0
Related Questions