As I was doing something...

[irmamar]

In an exercise, I wrote:

When I was... (doing something), I realized/realised that...

The correct answer is:

While / As I was doing ...

Shouldn't I use "when" in such sentences?


Thanks

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

In an exercise, I wrote:

When I was... (doing something), I realized/realised that...

The correct answer is:

While / As I was doing ...

Shouldn't I use "when" in such sentences?


Thanks

Ok en español.

Cuando estaba...(haciendo algo), me dí cuenta que...

¿Es correcto o debo decir?

Mientras estaba haciendo/al estar haciendo tal cosa...

¿No debería usar "cuando" con tales oraciones o frases?

Se despeja el asunto en tu cabeza, ¿o te enredé más?

[irmamar]

Por eso usé "when", pero while y as también pueden significar "cuando"

Creo que me has liado más

[chileno]

Originally Posted by chileno

Ok en español.

Cuando estaba...(haciendo algo), me dí cuenta que...

¿Es correcto o debo decir?

Mientras estaba haciendo/al estar haciendo tal cosa...

¿No debería usar "cuando" con tales oraciones o frases?

Se despeja el asunto en tu cabeza, ¿o te enredé más?

Originally Posted by irmamar

Por eso usé "when", pero while y as también pueden significar "cuando"

Creo que me has liado más

Por eso traduje lo que ahora puse en rojo.

Todavía te enreda?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

In an exercise, I wrote:

When I was... (doing something), I realized/realised that...

The correct answer is:

While / As I was doing ...

Shouldn't I use "when" in such sentences?


Thanks

In the sentence above,

As I was doing something ... (something happened)
Whilst I was doing something ...(something happened)
When I was doing something ...(something happened)

As I was walking down the stair
I met a man who wasn't there

Although I would not use 'when' here, I think some would, and I actually don't know if it's 'correct' I think it is: (one = one year old etc.)

When I was one I had hardly begone
When I was two I was almost new
When I was three I was barely me
When I was four I wasn't much more
When I was five I was barely alive
Now I am six I'm ever so clever
So now I'll stay six for ever and ever.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by chileno

Por eso traduje lo que ahora puse en rojo.

Todavía te enreda?

En español se puede decir "cuando". El ejercicio era una traducción del español, aunque la verdad es que era "al intentar..."

Originally Posted by Perikles

In the sentence above,

As I was doing something ... (something happened)
Whilst I was doing something ...(something happened)
When I was doing something ...(something happened)

As I was walking down the stair
I met a man who wasn't there

Although I would not use 'when' here, I think some would, and I actually don't know if it's 'correct' I think it is: (one = one year old etc.)

When I was one I had hardly begone
When I was two I was almost new
When I was three I was barely me
When I was four I wasn't much more
When I was five I was barely alive
Now I am six I'm ever so clever
So now I'll stay six for ever and ever.

Why whilst instead of while?

And you said that you wouldn't use "when" in those sentences, but you did

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

En español se puede decir "cuando". El ejercicio era una traducción del español, aunque la verdad es que era "al intentar..."

Claro que se puede decir cuando.

Al intentar... depende del contexto si pones lo que sigue va a ser mejor. Pero:

As I intended to...

As I was intending to...intención los dos.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by irmamar

In an exercise, I wrote:

When I was... (doing something), I realized/realised that...

The correct answer is:

While / As I was doing ...

Shouldn't I use "when" in such sentences?

"When" me suena bien. "While" o "as" también están bien, pero más formales.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Why whilst instead of while?

And you said that you wouldn't use "when" in those sentences, but you did

Ah - while or whilst, just preference. And I think "when" is OK as well.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Why whilst instead of while?

And you said that you wouldn't use "when" in those sentences, but you did

Tómatelo con calma, que es la misma desesperación que siente una persona que quiere hablar español, y lo hace con diferentes personas de diferentes países.

[irmamar]

La frase es:

Al intentar abrir la puerta, se me rompió la llave.

(el resto de la frase está bien).

The answer is:

In/On trying to open... / As / While I was trying to open...

I said: When I was trying to open...

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by chileno

Tómatelo con calma, que es la misma desesperación que siente una persona que quiere hablar español, y lo hace con diferentes personas de diferentes países.

Nil desperandum. When, while, whilst, as are all different registers/dialects/generations but all OK

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

La frase es:

Al intentar abrir la puerta, se me rompió la llave.

(el resto de la frase está bien).

The answer is:

In/On trying to open... / As / While I was trying to open...

I said: When I was trying to open...

Correcto, en ese contexto es tratar...al tratar/intentar de abrir...

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

I said: When I was trying to open...

When I was trying to open...
While I was trying to open...
Whilst I was trying to open...
As I was trying to open...

Although I would use whilst, but this might be unusual

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Nil desperandum. When, while, whilst, as are all different registers/dialects/generations but all OK

Correct.

As to Nil despenandum, you are trying to tell me you never had a problem in trying to get the meaning or concept of a word or phrase when people of different social stratum or countries or even regions of a country, which of course you have no idea who you are facing...?

[irmamar]

So, I was right. Thanks!

I thought "whilst" was a bit old fashioned... (or at least rather formal). I've seen it in books.

Originally Posted by chileno

Correct.

As to Nil despenandum, you are trying to tell me you never had a problem in trying to get the meaning or concept of a word or phrase when people of different social stratum or countries or even regions of a country, which of course you have no idea who you are facing...?

But the basic things are the same. You would use "while" or "when" in the same situation.

And as I'm most interested in BrE, I let Perikles and pjt to guide me, though I know that AmE is good enough to learn in my level

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

So, I was right. Thanks!

I thought "whilst" was a bit old fashioned... (or at least rather formal). I've seen it in books.

You are right on both counts.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by chileno

You are right on both counts.

Both counts? ¿Ambos casos? (or both cases? )

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by chileno

As to Nil despenandum, you are trying to tell me you never had a problem in trying to get the meaning or concept of a word or phrase when people of different social stratum or countries or even regions of a country, which of course you have no idea who you are facing...?

I don't quite understand. It is a constant problem for me, and I tell myself not to despair.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Both counts? ¿Ambos casos? (or both cases? )

Sí