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Kom1995kszxghjj Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

while and when

is different while and when?thank you for the answer
  

Top answer

When I blinked, I missed a split-second of the movie; but nothing happened while my eye was closed. When identifies the time that the action took place and while identifies what happened during that time. In many cases the distinction is unnecessary, so ‘while I was at the hospital’ and ‘when I was at the hospital’ may both have the same meaning.

— Wilpeter

  • When I blinked, I missed a split-second of the movie; but nothing happened while my eye was closed.
  • When identifies the time that the action took place and while identifies what happened during that time.
  • In many cases the distinction is unnecessary, so ‘while I was at the hospital’ and ‘when I was at the hospital’ may both have the same meaning.
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2 Answers
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When I blinked, I missed a split-second of the movie; but nothing happened while my eye was closed. When identifies the time that the action took place and while identifies what happened during that time. In many cases the distinction is unnecessary, so ‘while I was at the hospital’ and ‘when I was at the hospital’ may both have the same meaning.
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kom1995kszxghjj is different while and when?thank you for the answer
Until they are more familiar with the nuances between the two, I tell my students to us 'when' with the simple past and 'while' with the past continuous. The verb 'to be' is normally used with the simple past.
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