Can you tell me the difference between "during" and "while"? They seem so similar!

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question. "While" and "during" are indeed both very similar. Both words are used to talk about actions happening at the same time. "While", like "during", indicates two events happening at the same time. However, it is a conjunction; so,it is followed by a sentence (while + subject + verb...). Ex: My father was washing his car while my mother was cooking. Ex: While my brother was driving I was reading a book. So, it’s used to talk about two events; yet, one starts in the middle of another action. "During" unlike "while" should always be followed by a noun or a pronoun’. The word "during" is a preposition, not a conjunction. You cannot say "During she…. / During I…" because the preposition is always followed by a noun, not a clause with a subject and a verb. Ex: During dinner, we talked about school. Ex: She slept during the movie.

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Popular Q&As

04/18

1
Is there any words that can be used instead of "particular"?
Here particular is being used as an adjective referring to a specific thing rather than others. Therefore some good synonyms in this particular context would be "special", "specific" or "certain".

2
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3
How will it be different if I use the word "condition" instead of "demand" here?
If you used "condition," it would be acceptable within this context! However, there is a slight difference in nuance. A "condition" implies a compromise that benefits both parties, even if there are "conditions". A "demand" is the thing that this person really wants. For him, it's the demand or nothing. It's not a compromise. Ex: I'll help you with one condition. You have to buy us ice cream afterwards. Ex: She's demanding to see you. Otherwise, she won't leave.

4
Why does he suddenly say "breathe it in"? What does "it" refer here?
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5
Is "quite" different from "very"? If I say "very considerable", does the meaning get changed?
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