When Clause

[minamax]

Hello. I was just hoping to clarify something regarding When Clauses in English. For someone studying English as a second language, some times it's difficult to understand all the little nuances that similarly sounding sentences might have. For example, I was trying to figure out the difference between these two sentences:

When Dave was eating dinner, the phone rang.
Dave was eating dinner when the phone rang.

Some grammar text books say that we need to find which action took place first and which action happened next. And then use the "when" with the second action while making the first action into a "past continuous" clause.

However, both above mentioned sentences come from the same text book and in both sentences "Dave eating dinner" was the first action. Yet, in the first example the word "when" was attached to the first action and not the second.

How would you explain why we have two very similar sentences which to me do not have that much difference? Would you say that "when" in these cases place more emphasize on the action that it precedes?

I'm sorry for a confusing email. But I'd appreciate if you could help me to understand how to use "when clauses"

Thank you!
Minamax

[tom slocombe]

Hi, sometimes when looking at similar sentences it`s useful to ask "what question would give me this answer.
Regarding your sentences
1. when did the phone ring ( when dave was eating )
2. what was dave doing when the phone rang ( dave was eating)

[Mr.Tuan]

Hello everybody,

I have a sentense, but I don't know what're untruths with it. Can you help me to complete it?

"I have got 2 years experience when I worked for BPP co."

Thanks and Regards,
Mr.Tuan

[nanucbe]

Originally Posted by Mr.Tuan

Hello everybody,

I have a sentense, but I don't know what're untruths with it. Can you help me to complete it?

"I have got 2 years experience when I worked for BPP co."

Thanks and Regards,
Mr.Tuan

This, "I have had two years experience when I started working for BPP co.", may be what you wanted to say. best of luck, nanucbe

[philo2009]

Originally Posted by Mr.Tuan

Hello everybody,

I have a sentense, but I don't know what're untruths with it. Can you help me to complete it?

"I have got 2 years experience when I worked for BPP co."

Thanks and Regards,
Mr.Tuan

I imagine you mean:

I got 2 years' experience when I worked for BPP Co.

[nanucbe]

Originally Posted by philo2009

I imagine you mean:

I got 2 years' experience when I worked for BPP Co.

No, I meant that you had already gained two years of experience when you joined BPP Co.
best of luck, nanucbe

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by nanucbe

No, I meant that you had already gained two years of experience when you joined BPP Co.
best of luck, nanucbe

In that case you want to say; 'I already had 2 years experience...' or 'I had had 2 years experience...'

[bhaisahab]

Originally Posted by minamax

Hello. I was just hoping to clarify something regarding When Clauses in English. For someone studying English as a second language, some times it's difficult to understand all the little nuances that similarly sounding sentences might have. For example, I was trying to figure out the difference between these two sentences:

When Dave was eating dinner, the phone rang.
Dave was eating dinner when the phone rang.

Some grammar text books say that we need to find which action took place first and which action happened next. And then use the "when" with the second action while making the first action into a "past continuous" clause.

However, both above mentioned sentences come from the same text book and in both sentences "Dave eating dinner" was the first action. Yet, in the first example the word "when" was attached to the first action and not the second.

How would you explain why we have two very similar sentences which to me do not have that much difference? Would you say that "when" in these cases place more emphasize on the action that it precedes?

I'm sorry for a confusing email. But I'd appreciate if you could help me to understand how to use "when clauses"

Thank you!
Minamax

1. When Dave was eating dinner, the phone rang.

This sentence, while not incorrect, seems contrived and unnatural.

2. Dave was eating dinner when the phone rang.
To say this in another way more naturally than in sentence 1, I would suggest, 'The phone rang while Dave was eating dinner.'