Difference between WHILE and WHEN

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Hi students, it's Shayna, your teacher from espressoenglish.net. Today, I'm going lớn answer a very good question from a student who asked about the difference between while and when, because they seem lớn mean the same thing. We use while and when when two things are happening at the same time. Before I get started, I hope you're watching bu live today. If you're here watching this lesson, then please lượt thích it ví that I know you are watching. All right. This is a really good question about while and when and I actually had lớn vì thế some research and think about it a little bit in order lớn give you a clear answer.

Two simultaneous continuous actions = while

Let bu explain, we use while and when when two things are happening at the same time. Now, when we have two continuous actions happening at the same, then we usually use while. Right now, I'm recording a video clip while my husband is working. We have two continuous action, I'm recording and my husband is working. I'm recording a video clip while my husband is working. Or here's an example in the past, last night, I was watching TV while my father was sleeping. Again, we have two continuous actions. I was watching TV and my father was sleeping. I was watching TV while my father was sleeping. With two continuous actions, we usually use while.

Two single actions at the same time / one immediately after another = when

Now, when we have two single actions that happen at the same time or one happens right after another one, then we tend lớn use when. For example, I picked up the phone when it rang. First, the phone rang, and then immediately I picked up the phone. You can see that we have two verbs there in the simple past, not continuous. The phone rang and I picked up. I picked up the phone when it rang. We have two single actions that happened very close together, almost at the same time and ví we use when. Another good example would be when I get trang chính, I take off my shoes. That's also two single actions. I get trang chính and I take off my shoes. When I get trang chính, I take off my shoes. Or you could say it the other way, I take off my shoes when I get trang chính. Both while and when are used when two things happen at the same time, but we tend lớn use while with two continuous actions and when with two single actions.

Ages = when

We also use when with ages. For example, I got my driver's license when I was 16 years old. We wouldn't say while I was 16 years old. Or, I went lớn Brazil for the first time when I was 19. When you have an age, then use when. I could also have a continuous verb. For example, when I was 25, I was working in Thành Phố New York thành phố. There I have a continuous action but because I'm talking about a specific time period, when I was 25, I use when and not while. I was working in Thành Phố New York thành phố when I was 25 years old.

One single action, one continuous action

Now, things start lớn get a little more complicated when you have two actions but one is a single action and one is continuous. That would be an example lượt thích this, "He called while or when I was sleeping." Now, we have one continuous action and we have one single action (he called). Well, in this case, you can actually use either one. You can say he called while I sleeping or you can say he called when I was sleeping. They're both correct. All right. Now, we usually while or when before a continuous action. But if I change the sentence around and the word comes before the single action, then I use when and not while. If I say "I was sleeping when he called," then I have lớn use when because it comes before a single action. But if the word comes before the continuous actions and we have a one time and a continuous, then I can use either one, he called while I was sleeping or he called when I was sleeping. Another good example of this would be if you're driving trang chính from work and you get into an accident. You could say "I got into an accident (that's the single action) while I was driving trang chính or when I was driving trang chính." Both are correct. But if we change the sentence around, then we would say "I was driving trang chính from work when I got into an accident," because when in this case comes before the single action. I would love lớn see you try these words out by leaving a comment using either while or when or both. Leave a comment and I will let you know if it's correct.

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