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We often say that something happened

as/when/while something else was going on. We use
as, when and while to introduce the longer
background action.
As/When/while Judy was eating, the doorbell rang.
I met Jane as/when/while I was walking down the street.
When can be put in either clause:
They were watching TV when they heard a scream.
When they were watching TV they heard a scream.
With when and while, the past continuous is
normally used for the longer background action.
When/while I was walking down the street,
when/while I was cooking lunch.

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 We use as when the second action occurs before
the first is finished
As I left the flat I remembered the key.
(I remembered the key before I had completed the
action of leaving the flat; I was probably still in the
doorway.)
Compare:
When I left the flat I remembered the key.
(This implies that the acting of leaving was complete
and the door shut behind me.)

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 We use as for parallel actions/developments:
He whistled as he worked.
As I get older I get more optimistic.
We prefer as to say that when one thing changes,
another thing changes at the same time.
As the cheese matures, its flavours improves.
We can also use while, particularly with a continuous
tense.
While the cheese is maturing
We use while or when to talk about two longer
actions that go on at the same time, although while is
more common than as in informal speech.
I went shopping while Linda cleaned the house.

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 We use when to emphasise one event happens
immediately after another, particularly if one causes
the other.
Youll see my house on the right when you cross the
bridge.
When the lights went out, I lit some candles.
In the first sentence, as or while would suggest
during the time that and the continuous would be
more likely ( as/while you are crossing ).
In the second sentence, as or while will be very
unlikely because lights usually go out instantaneously.

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 We use while or when to avoid ambiguity where as
could mean because:
While you were playing tennis, I went to the cinema.
(As you were playing tennis could mean because you
were playing tennis
We do not use a future form, or a conditional tense, in
a time clause.
Youll be back soon. Ill stay until then.
= Ill stay until you get back.
Ill have finished in the bathroom in a few minutes.
Then Ill give Cindy a call.
= As soon as I have finished in the bathroom, Ill give
Cindy a call.

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 Choose as, when or while to complete the sentences. If
there is more than more possible answer, write them
both and notice any differences in meaning.]
1. . the paint dries it changes from a light to a
dark brown.
2. I was in the shower . the phone rang.
3. The rain was getting heavier and heavier . as
we waited for the delayed bus to arrive.
4. .. David finished his job, he tidied up the room
and left.
5. the car went by, someone waved to me
through the window.

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6. .. the meeting continued, it became clear that
the two sides could not reach a consensus.
7. The fan makes a screeching sound I switch the
computer on.
8. The humidity started to increase .. the day
wore on.
9. Where did you live you got married?
10. She stayed at home watching television ..
her brother was at school.
11. I carefully packed all the old books into
boxes, Lily wrote down their titles in a notebook.

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12. She fell over .. she kicked the ball.
13. we were younger, our parents had to pay for
our music lessons.
14. You dont look very well . you got up this
morning.
15. I pulled a muscle . I was lifting a heavy suitcase.

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 When we say that one event happened immediately
after another we can use sentences with hardly
when, no sooner than/when , and scarcely when.
The concert had hardly begun before all the lights went
out.
I had no sooner lit the barbecue than/when it started to
rain.
We often use a past perfect in the clause with hardly,
no sooner or scarcely and a past simple in the other.

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 Combine the following pairs of sentences using the
given words:
1. We had just started eating. Then it was time to start
work again. (no sooner than)

2. We had just put down the phone. Then it rang again.

(hardly when)

3. The paint on the wall had not dried. Then my

daughter put her dirty hands all over it. (scarcely
when)
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4. Mary had not finished speaking at all. Then
members of the audience started to criticise him.
(hardly when)

5. David had not recovered rom a broken ankle when

he broke his arm.
(no sooner than)

6. I had not driven to the end of the street. Then the

engine cut out. (scarcely when)

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