I was opening the door this morning when a cat jumped out.

[Son Ho]

We usually consider that the sentence 1 and 2 is the same because they refers to successive actions. But how about the sentence 3? Could we think that it refers to a continuous action which is interrupted by another shorter action? Is it like the sentence 4? Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.

1) When he saw me, he put the receiver down.
2) I opened the door this morning when a cat jumped out.
3) I was opening the door this morning when a cat jumped out.
4) I was watching TV when the phone rang.

 

[Tarheel]

You don't have to put "the" in front of "sentence" every time.

What do you mean when you say that sentences one and two are the same?

A "fix" for sentences two and three:

I opened the door this morning, and the cat ran outside.

 

[Son Ho]

Sentences one and two are the same in meaning. They both refer to successive actions. But I wonder if we can use sentence three which has the same meaning as sentence four?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think 'when' can be used in 'The cat ran outside when I opened the door this morning'.

 

[Raymott]

Sentences one and two are nowhere similar in meaning. Do you mean that the structure is the same? Even then, that's wrong.
1) "When he saw me, he put the receiver down."
2) "I opened the door this morning when a cat jumped out. = 2b. When a cat jumped out, I opened the door this morning."
The structures of 1 and 2b are the same, but don't reflect your intended meanings.

3 and 4 don't have the same meaning. Make sure you know what 'meaning' means. 3 and 4 have the same grammatical structure.
Yes, in both 3 and 4, something happened while another thing was happening.

 

[Matthew Wai]

1) "When he saw me, he put the receiver down."
2) I opened the door this morning when a cat jumped out.

In #1, he put the receiver down immediately after he saw me.
In #2, I opened the door immediately after a cat jumped out; that is not the intended meaning.

Is that correct?

 

[Son Ho]

In #1, he put the receiver down immediately after he saw me.
In #2, I opened the door immediately after a cat jumped out; that is not the intended meaning.

Is that correct?

2) When a cat jumped out, I opened the door this morning. = The cat jumped out and then I opened the door.
5) A cat jumped out when I opened the door this morning. = I opened the door and then the cat jumped out.

Are they correct? The sentence which goes after "when" will happen first?

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think you are right because 'when' means 'after or as soon as something happens' according to definition#3 at http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/when

 

[Tarheel]

Son Ho, where did you find "when the cat jumped out"?

 

[Tarheel]

Perhaps:

When he opened the car door, the cat jumped out.

Or:

When she opened the box, a cat jumped out.

Or:

When he opened the closet door, a cat jumped out.

 

[Tdol]

We usually consider that the sentence 1 and 2 is the same because they refers to successive actions.

They're not the same because of the different placing of when. The natural sequence would be 1 open door and 2 cat jump out, which is not what you suggest happened.

 

[Tarheel]

Two things.

I have seen a cat jump out of something, but I have never seen a cat jump out of nothing.

Sam Ho, you haven't responded to any of my posts, so I am going to return the favor.

 

[Son Ho]

Two things.

I have seen a cat jump out of something, but I have never seen a cat jump out of nothing.

Sam Ho, you haven't responded to any of my posts, so I am going to return the favor.

I'm sorry but I must say I once answer your first question. Because I haven't had time surfing the internet for two days, I couldn't reply. I found it in a book published in my country. Maybe the author should use the window instead the door.