time

[khay]

a. I studied for two hours while I was in the garden.
b. I studied for two hours, while I was in the garden.
c. I studied while I was in the garden, for two hours.

d. While I was in the garden, for two hours I studied.
e. While I was in the garden, for two hours, I studied.

f. When I was in the garden, for two hours, I studied.

In which of the above:
1. I was in the garden only for two hours
2. I was in the garden more than two hours
3. We can't tell. It could be two or more.

[curmudgeon]

a. I studied for two hours while I was in the garden.
b. I studied for two hours, while I was in the garden.
c. I studied while I was in the garden, for two hours.
d. While I was in the garden, for two hours I studied.
e. While I was in the garden, for two hours, I studied.
f. When I was in the garden, for two hours, I studied.
In which of the above:
1. I was in the garden only for two hours
2. I was in the garden more than two hours
3. We can't tell. It could be two or more.

I was studying in the garden for two hours. Then I went inside

I studied for two hours in the garden before going inside.



None of your examples clarify how long you were in the garden

[PhantomRacer]

1 c
3 a,b,d,e,f

[Coffa]

a. I studied for two hours while I was in the garden.
b. I studied for two hours, while I was in the garden.
c. I studied while I was in the garden, for two hours.
d. While I was in the garden, for two hours I studied.
e. While I was in the garden, for two hours, I studied.
f. When I was in the garden, for two hours, I studied.
In which of the above:
1. I was in the garden only for two hours
2. I was in the garden more than two hours
3. We can't tell. It could be two or more.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with the two answers you've been given. Let me explain why:

In a, b, c and d, "for two hours" modifies "I studied". This is obvious in a, b and d. It is less obvious in c - but it should be clear that "while I was in the garden" is tied to "I studied", and so "for two hours" modifies "I studied", and not "while I was in the garden".

In e and f, the parenthetic clause is a clear indication that "for two hours" is modifying "while/when I was in the garden". So the sentence is saying that I was in the garden for exactly two hours.

So, the answer to the question is: a-d imply meaning 3, and e-f imply meaning 1.

[Naughty Beef]

Can't e mean that the speaker was in the graden for just two hours?