While

[Xinfu]

My sentence:

John knew that Mary was a world-renowned divinator, while still reluctant to think what Mary said was correct.

Is my sentence correct? If yes, why did my non-native teacher add was before still?

[Rusty]

Your sentence is correct the way it is. The clause doesn't need 'was' added to it.

You can place the clause, as you've written it, prior to 'John' and the sentence will still sound just as good.

Adding 'he was' before 'still' in that new position is also allowed and the sentence has no change in meaning. But, these two words are optional. They don't have to be there.

If you leave those two words in the clause, and move it back to its original location, the original meaning is still the same.
In the trailing position, removing 'he' from the clause doesn't change the meaning.

So, with or without the addition of 'was', the meaning of the sentence is unchanged. Both sound correct, but I would prefer to hear the sentence as you wrote it.

[Xinfu]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Your sentence is correct the way it is. The clause doesn't need 'was' added to it.

You can place the clause, as you've written it, prior to 'John' and the sentence will still sound just as good.

Adding 'he was' before 'still' in that new position is also allowed and the sentence has no change in meaning. But, these two words are optional. They don't have to be there.

If you leave those two words in the clause, and move it back to its original location, the original meaning is still the same.
In the trailing position, removing 'he' from the clause doesn't change the meaning.

So, with or without the addition of 'was', the meaning of the sentence is unchanged. Both sound correct, but I would prefer to hear the sentence as you wrote it.

Thanks for supporting me. But the red words are a surprise to me, because I would have thought adding was before still was wrong. According to my sentence do you think I could say these?

-While is happy in the playground, John wants to go back home.
-When was reluctant to leave the house, John had no choice.

[Rusty]

No, when the location of the clause is switched, the subject pronoun must accompany the verb you've added. "Both sound correct" is only a valid statement when the clause is in the trailing position. Again, I would use the sentence you originally wrote.

[Xinfu]

Originally Posted by Rusty

No, when the location of the clause is switched, the subject pronoun must accompany the verb you've added. "Both sound correct" is only a valid statement when the clause is in the trailing position. Again, I would use the sentence you originally wrote.

By the red words, do you mean

--While is happy in the playground, John wants to go back home.

would become OK if we wrote it:

--John wants to go back home, while is happy in the playground.

[Rusty]

Omit the linking verb when the clause is in the trailing position. It is not needed at all.
Leaving 'was' in the clause in the trailing position sounds OK, but I said before that it isn't needed.
Only when that clause is moved to a leading position do you use both a subject pronoun and a linking verb.

[Xinfu]

Excellent answer. Thank you.