[Grammar] As versus When

[Jaskin]

Hello,
There is a saying: "correlation doesn't mean causation".
If I have understood your explanations we tend to use As for correlation.
What about causation ?
( I'm sorry for using the most abused example but I couldn't come up with something more simle.)

If you boil water, the water vapour in the air.
Is it equvalent to :
As you boil water, the water vapour in the air.
or
When you boil water, The water vapour in the air.

Is there any difference in meaning ?

Cheers,

[Raymott]

Originally Posted by Jaskin

Hello,
There is a saying: "correlation doesn't mean causation".
If I have understood your explanations we tend to use As for correlation.
What about causation ?
( I'm sorry for using the most abused example but I couldn't come up with something more simle.)

If you boil water, the water vapour in the air.
Is it equvalent to :
As you boil water, the water vapour in the air.
or
When you boil water, The water vapour in the air.

Is there any difference in meaning ?

Cheers,

If I have understood your explanations we tend to use As for correlation.
Then you've misunderstood mine, unless you're basing this on David's.

"As you boil water, the water turns into vapour in the air."
(Pardon me for adding a few necessary words).
Yes, this is the meaning of "As" that David was asserting. Apparently he regards it as the only way to use "As".
"When" means a similar thing here", though it doesn't emphasise the simultaneity of the boiling and the vapourising.
"If" doesn't enter into it. (The water could be evaporating).

How do you feel about "As the water was boiling, I added some salt".

[Jaskin]

Hello,

Originally Posted by Raymott

(Pardon me for adding a few necessary words).

Thank you for that, that is one of the things I like about this website.

I went through all the posts again and again. I think I need some more time to fully understand what it is all about.
Moreover I don't get why "If" doesn't enter into it.

How do you feel about "As the water was boiling, I added some salt".

Apparently, according to David's explanation, you were going to grow some salt crystals.

Cheers,

[Raymott]

Originally Posted by Jaskin

Moreover I don't get why "If" doesn't enter into it.

You can say "If you boil water, the water turns to vapour in the air.
And it can mean the same as "When you boil water, the water turns to vapour in the air."
But "if" doesn't enter into the original question, because it doesn't help decide whether "as" or "when" is correct in a time clause such as:
"___ he was walking down the street, he ran into Jane."

[Raymott]

Originally Posted by Honore

Dear Teachers, thank you two so much for the efforts to clarify the point. I'll notify the authorized person at that institution of that question, referring to the explanations made here.

Regards

OK, if you like you can take these normal English examples from a Google search of the web. They all the same syntactic construction. "As he was walking", + clause in simple past.
There's about 400,000 more if you need them.


Now as Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew his brother.
As he was walking he took in the sights and sounds of the morning.
One lunchtime, as he was walking to the village, he saw her coming toward him.
As he was walking along the banks of the river to exercise his legs, he saw a pleasing, charming mango grove.
A man in his 50s or 60s was murdered late Monday on the South Side, possibly as he was walking home from work.
Craig immediately left the city ; and, as he was walking through the suburbs, he met a company of banditti.
As he was walking with the man, he heard some sounds.
As he was walking to class one day he spied a poster advertising a lecture about a newfound "theory of everything."
As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him.
One day as he was walking around Lhasa in plain clothes, he came across four Public Security officials beating a Tibetan man.
Moments later, as he was walking back to his car, he was assassinated, gunned down by Yigal Amir.
And as he was walking and wasn't looking where he was going, he hit his hand right into the glass of the fire extinguisher unit.
A 49-year-old man was shot in the leg as he was walking to his front door last night in West Baltimore, city police said.
As he was walking, he heard a woman call out to him from across the road.
As he was walking home through the deep snow, he got tired and sat down next to a huge rock to rest.
As he was walking along, he saw his friend Carlos up ahead.
As he was walking along, a man said that he wanted Buddha's children because he wanted to sell them or something.
As he was walking one day in the streets, he saw an officer lay hand on Xenocrates the philosopher.
He was struck by a delivery truck as he was walking to a reception at The Faculty Club.
As he was walking out, he felt a rush of wind and ran back downstairs to see a train mysteriously rumble by.
And as he was walking he met a fox, a vixen, a very pretty young thing, gay and giddy like all girls.
He was killed when a delivery truck accidentally backed into him as he was walking on campus

[Honore]

Dear Teachers,

It was confirmed by a mail I received yesterday from the authorized person at Sabanci University that the question was checked and found to be erroneous also by the university teachers and would be corrected as soon as on the updated web page.

Regards and thanks for your time and efforts.

[Raymott]

Originally Posted by Honore

Dear Teachers,

It was confirmed by a mail I received yesterday from the authorized person at Sabanci University that the question was checked and found to be erroneous also by the university teachers and would be corrected as soon as on the updated web page.

Regards and thanks for your time and efforts.

Ah, it makes it all worthwhile.
Thanks for the update!