Adverbs

 Grammar-Quizzes
When vs. While Framed | Unframed 

 

 

Read & Contrast

 

 

When and while introduce clauses with actions or events of differing time duration.

 

 
Talking on phone and looking at newborn 
Short vs. Long Duration

WHEN - At that time WHILE - During that time
  When you called, he was watching his baby. While he was talking on the phone, he was describing his newborn.
  When you called, he picked up his cell phone. While he was talking on the phone, the baby slept.
when is used with a short-duration verb
A short action interrupts a another activity.		 while is used with a longer-duration verb
Two activities are going on at the same time.

An ADVERBIAL CLAUSE modifies the verb.  It is a dependent clause. It cannot stand alone.  It answers the questions: When?, How? or Why?   When did it happen?  LONG ANSWER: while he was talking on the phone  SHORT ANSWER:  while talking on the phone.

 

 

Punctuation
 

NO COMMA - standard word order COMMA - changed word order
He was watching his baby when you called. When you called, he was watching his baby.
He was describing his newborn while he was talking on the phone. While he was talking on the phone, he was describing his newborn.

 

 

 

Common Mistake

ERROR FIX 

* While he called me, he was driving to work.
   (Calling or dialing is a short action; talking is a long action.)

 

When he called me, he was driving to work. (at that moment)
While he was talking on the phone with me, he was driving to work. (during that time)

 

 
 

Practice

 

Thud on the Roof  (thud = a loud, heavy sound)

  1. Combine the two sentences into one sentence by creating an adverbial clause with "when" or "while". 
  2. Apply punctuation rules. 
  3. Check your response.
 Monkey on the roof

 

# YOUR RESPONSE  /  CHECK RESPONSE

1.

I was making dinner.   My sister was watching television.
YOUR RESPONSE 1:

 
2. We were watching the movie called "King Kong".   A friend came over.
YOUR RESPONSE 2: 

 
3. We were watching the movie.  We were laughing about its unlikely plot (story).
YOUR RESPONSE 3: 

 
4. The movie ended. We turned off the TV.
YOUR RESPONSE 4: 

 
5.

I was talking on the phone.  My friend was reading magazines.
YOUR RESPONSE 5: 

 
6.   My friend stood up to leave.  It was midnight.
YOUR RESPONSE 6: 

 
7. He put his hand on the door knob.  We heard a thud on the roof.  (thud = loud heavy sound)
YOUR RESPONSE 7: 

.

 
8. He looked at me. I said, "King Kong"?
YOUR RESPONSE 8: 

 

9. He opened the front door.  We saw nothing but leaves and branches.
YOUR RESPONSE 9: 

 
10.

Morning came.  A truck lifted our "King Kong" off the roof.
YOUR RESPONSE 10: 

 
       fallen tree tree removal
 

 

 
 

Go to Grammar-Quizzes   |  Previous |  Shortening Adverbial Clauses  |  Adverbs in Future Time (mixed verbs)

 

 

 

 

 

Julie Sevastopoulos -   College of San Mateo - San Mateo, CA 94402 USA