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What is “While” in English? Basic insight into “While” in English

For an article to have emphasis, maintain fluency, and coherence, and catch the reader's attention, applying conjunctions to connect sentences is vital. In this article, PREP will introduce you to a popular conjunction "while". What exactly is the usage and formula of the "while" in English? Let's explore that with PREP in the article below!

I. What is “While” in English?

"While" is used when there are two events or actions happening at the same time. To better understand this conjunction, let's look at the following examples of “while” in English:

While my mom is cooking a meal, I am doing my homework
While my husband was fixing the fan, I was eating fruit.

II. The usage of “While” in English

Understanding the two positions for using "While" in English within a sentence is essential for daily conversations. Check out the table below to explore the structure and examples.

Position in a sentence	Structure	Example
At the beginning of the sentence	While S + V, S + V	While he is dancing, she is reading the newspaper.
In the middle of a sentence to connect 2 clauses	S + V while S + V	He met my mother while I was studying at school.

III. Special phrases including “While” in English

"While" can be combined with various other phrases to create impactful vocabulary. Please refer to the table below.

Phrase	Meaning	Example
Quite a while	Something has occurred for a long time	It has been quite a while since I last saw Jack.
While away	To spend time in a relaxed way because you have nothing to do or you are waiting for something else to happen	I whiled away the morning by talking with my best friends.
Worth one’s while	Deserving of the effort	It would be worth your while reading this research about the environment because it is full of rare information.
All the while	For all of a period of time	There I was thinking you studied hard at school but you slept all the while.
While the cat’s away, the mice will play	This phrase is said when the person who is in charge of a place is not there, and the people there behave badly	I’d never leave my children at a place where they can be alone while I’m going on business. As they say, while the cat’s away, the mice will play.

IV. Comparison between While and When

Below are some key points to distinguish between While and When as some students still confuse these two conjunctions. Let's take a look at the table below.

Criteria	While	When
Similarities	Both are used to describe 2 actions that happen at the same time.
Usage	While is commonly used to talk about actions that occur continuously, which can take place over a long period of time, often employed in continuous tense.	When is commonly used to talk about a single action or event that occurs over a very short period of time, often employed in the past simple tense or present simple tense.
Examples	He was playing games while I was studying. I didn’t eat anything sour while I was pregnant.	He was shocked when I told him about Lily’s marriage. You should be careful when yawning.

V. Comparison between While and Whilst

Next, let’s dive into the similarities and differences of While and Whilst for better understanding.

While

Whilst

Similarities

While and Whilst have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably when functioning as conjunctions or relative adverbs.

Example: Alex felt so bored whilst/ while Sam was away for school.

Differences

While is more popular than whilst.

While is casual and used in daily conversations.

Example: Would you like something to drink while we’re waiting?

In formal written English, Whilst enhances the formality of the writing.

Example: Whilst I appreciate your help, I want to do this by myself.

VI. Exercises on “While” in English with detailed answers

To reinforce your understanding of “While” in English and its formula and usage, as well as know how to differentiate between While and When, please come to the exercise below with detailed answers.

Exercise: Fill in the blanks with “While” or “When”

I often ate chocolate, ……..I was a child.
We saw the first signs of summer,…………………..we were driving down the road.
We first met each other……….we were staying in Korea.
…………… Alex got up yesterday, the rain was falling.
I will text you…………….I get home.

Keys:

when
while
while
when
when

PREP has provided fundamental knowledge about “While” in English in communication, daily study, and work. Students can enhance their vocabulary and grammar through courses available at PREP. Discover a course that suits your learning objectives! Good luck with your study!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Mr. Tú Phạm is the founder of PREP, a Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of teaching and test preparation experience, he has assisted thousands of students in achieving high scores on the IELTS exam. Additionally, Mr. Tú Phạm serves as a consultant for British Council programs and as a speaker at numerous premier education events, programs, and seminars.