Time is the basis for all verb tenses. Every day means you must use the simple present. Yesterday means the simple past. But since yesterday means the present perfect. Change the time, change the verb tense. However, two of the most common conjunctions can be very confusing. Today's blog will try to demystify the ever-popular when and while.
These two are quite possibly the most aggravating conjunctions in English. They are so simple, but they are so easy to mix up.
When is a very general idea. Most often it is used to give less important background information. A clause with when can often be replaced with a simple prepositional phrase. For example:
- I got contact lenses when I was in seventh grade.
- I got contact lenses in 1978. (Don't do the math!)
- Farmers go to bed when the sun goes down.
- Farmers go to bed at sundown.
There also seems to be a connection to both verb tense and the type of action verb used in the main clause, but I need to test this hypothesis. Let me know if these statements make sense to you. First, the verbs in a statement with when are most commonly used in the simple tense. For example:
- My father got his driver's license when he was fourteen. (True story.)
- I will call you when I arrive at the airport.
- I usually drink a cup of coffee when I get sleepy in the afternoon.
Can you use the continuous tense with any of these sentences? "I was learning"? "I will be calling you"? "I am usually drinking a cup of coffee"? Not in this lifetime anyway. My second hypothesis is that very often (usually?) one or both verbs used in a when statement are instant actions*.
- The children opened their Christmas presents when they woke up.
- The students left the room when the bell rang.
- I closed my eyes when I jumped into the pool.
Finally, when can most often be replaced by the following words, which all mean a very specific moment in time.
- when I woke up = this morning / at 6:30
- when I get to the airport = as soon as I get to the airport
- when I was born = in 1965 (Again, don't do the math.)
- when I get my driver's license = if I get my driver's license (They are slightly different but close enough for rock 'n roll.)
While, on the other hand, is much more specific. The most common usage of while is to emphasize two actions happening at the same time. Either one person is doing two things at once or two people are working simultaneously. For example:
- I always listen to NPR's Morning Edition while I drive to work.
- Last night, my wife washed the dishes while I gave Skyler a bath.
- My father and I were sitting on the back porch drinking lemonade while my mother finished mowing the lawn. (It's kind of a funny story, actually.)
Also, while is used to show an interruption**, or when one action stops because of another action.
- The fire alarm rang while the students were taking a test.
- I fell asleep while I was watching the movie.
- A motorcycle caught on fire while I was working one day. (Another true story.)
Maybe the best test for whether while is correct or not is the during test. The following phrases are all correct.
- while I drive to work = during my morning commute
- while I gave Skyler a bath = during Skyler's bath
- while they were taking a test = during the test
- while I was watching the movie = during the movie
- while I was working = during my shift
But the following pairs are very wrong.
- when they woke up = during they woke up
- when the bell rang = during the bell rang
It is true that sometimes either word is ok. For example, imagine a student who spends her junior year abroad.
- She learned to speak Spanish when she lived in Madrid.
- She learned to speak Spanish in 2004.
However, it would also be correct to say:
- She learned to speak Spanish while she lived in Madrid.
- She learned to speak Spanish during her stay in Madrid.
I can get turned around by these two as quickly as anyone else. I can't pretend that this is a definitive explanation. However, it seems to work. To summarize:
- When is used to establish a specific point in time.
- When can be replaced by words like in, on, at, if or as soon as.
- Statements with when often have two instant action verbs.
- While is used to show two actions happening at the same time.
- While is used to show an interruption.
- While can only be replaced by during.
- Statements with while usually have two continuous action verbs.
Maybe this isn't so difficult. Maybe it's as simple as this.
- when = in/on/at
- while = during
Try it out and let me know if it works.
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*An instant action is an action that finishes very quickly, sometimes in less than a second. How long can you sneeze? How long does one clap continue? How long does it take to leave a room or close a window or turn off the lights? (Yes, I realize that clap, in this case, is a noun.)
The opposite of instant actions are continuous actions. People sleep for hours. People can study something for years. Marathoners can run for hours.
**Actually, when can also be used to show an interruption, but the sentence structures are opposite. When you use while, the continuing action is in the adverb clause with while and the main clause is the interruption.
- The fire alarm rang while the students were taking a test.
- I fell asleep while I was watching the movie.
- A motorcycle caught on fire while I was working one day.
If you change the conjunction to when, the continuing action becomes the main clause and the interruption is in the adverb clause with when. Usually the adverb suddenly is also added.
- The students were taking a test when, suddenly, the fire alarm rang.
- I was watching a movie when I fell asleep.
- I was working one day when a motorcycle suddenly caught on fire.
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