While, All While or All The While?

Question

I'm writing a pitch for a cartoon I've come up with but I'm stuck. I don't want to sound uneducated so I could use a little schooling. In the sentence below which one is the correct way of using "while" "all while" or "all the while"?

1. They smoke, they drink, they curse and go on crazy adventures while inventing a time machine.

2. They smoke, they drink, they curse and go on crazy adventures all while inventing a time machine.

3. They smoke, they drink, they curse and go on crazy adventures all the while inventing a time machine.

Thanks

JaySpiceDubStep · Accepted Answer

Well assuming that they aren't inventing a time machine while they smoke, drink, curse and go on adventures but instead are inventing a time machine in between the smoking, drinking, cursing and going on adventures then I'd state it as:

2. They smoke, they drink, they curse and they go on crazy adventures all while inventing a time machine.

"while" implies that its at the exact same time
"all while" implies same time frame, not at exactly the same time simultaneously
"all the while" implies during the hole time duration of the action in the antecedent clause

1. says they did everything at the same time
2. says they are doing everything but not simultaneously
3. says that while doing the last action (after "all the while") they also did the 1st action (before "all the while")

In this example you could use "all while" or "all the while" but I'd have to say that "all while" comes across more friendly to readers and sounds more natural, unless you are going for a more formal output.

While, All While or All The While?

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