while

[Taka]

The question:

The street is wet ( ) it hasn't been raining.
1.while 2.since 3.because 4.even though

It should be #4, but I don't know exactly why #1 is not possible.

Does anybody know why?

[blacknomi]

#1 doesn't make sense. I'll think of the reason later. I'm going to take a shower now. :)

[twostep]

The question:

The street is wet ( ) it hasn't been raining.
1.while 2.since 3.because 4.even though

It should be #4, but I don't know exactly why #1 is not possible.

Does anybody know why?

4 is correct. It explains the contradiction. While explains the duration.

[twostep]

#1 doesn't make sense. I'll think of the reason later. I'm going to take a shower now. :)

I have heard of think tanks but never of think showers. :wink:

[blacknomi]

While it hasn't been raining, the street is indeed wet.>>

It'd sound better if the adverbial clause introducing by 'while' were fronted. But still, twostep is right, 'while' is usually a time marker. :wink:

[Taka]

The question:

The street is wet ( ) it hasn't been raining.
1.while 2.since 3.because 4.even though

It should be #4, but I don't know exactly why #1 is not possible.

Does anybody know why?

4 is correct. It explains the contradiction. While explains the duration.

But The American Heritage (and other dictionaries as well) says:

2. At the same time that; although: While the grandparents love the children, they are strict with them.

[Tdol]

If you said 'while it hasn't been raining, the street is wet' it works. the other way round does sound a bit strange. Sadly, I am going to hide behing the native speaker's defence of 'it sounds' rather than coming up with a sound reason.;-(

[Taka]

[Taka]

Let my ask one more thing. If the sentence were like "The street is wet, while it is not rainy", is it possible to take "while" as "although"?

[twostep]

Let my ask one more thing. If the sentence were like "The street is wet, while it is not rainy", is it possible to take "while" as "although"?

The weather is rainy. It is raining.
For some reason "while" does not fit. Try the common sense approach - the street is wet - no rain. You expect it to be wet when it rains. So - why is it wet? I think that is where "although" comes in place.

In September the florist carries tulips although they are not in season.