While waiting until

[99bottles]

Here is a sentence that I'm trying to write and is confusing me.

Context: A crowd is exiting a place. The main character is one of the people of this crowd. Here are the ways I have thought of writing this in.

1. While waiting for the rest of his peers to come out, he was gazing at the statue.
2. While waiting for all his peers to come out, he was gazing at the statue.
3. While waiting until the rest of his peers came out, he was gazing at the statue.
4. While waiting until all his peers came out, he was gazing at the statue.
5. While waiting until the rest of his peers had come out, he was gazing at the statue.
6. While waiting until all his peers had come out, he was gazing at the statue.

Here are the things that concern me...
-Does all his peers make it clear that, so far, he and some of his peers have come out? Or does it sound like he was the first to come out? Should I write the rest of his peers to make it clear? Or is that ambiguous too? And if it's ambiguous too, what should I write?
-Is while waiting until natural? Or is using while and until in the same sentence confusing? And if you suggest that I use until, should it be followed by the simple past or the past perfect tense?

 

[5jj]

My first objection would be to the word 'peers'. Unless there is a specific reason for using this word, you would be better with an appropriate word from among: party, group, colleagues.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's overly wordy, in my opinion. I'd go for the shorter "While he waited for the rest to leave, he stared at the statue" (if he's still inside and the others are heading out) or "While he waited for the rest to come out, he stared at the statue" (if he's already exited the building and is just waiting for the others).

 

[99bottles]

My first objection would be to the word 'peers'. Unless there is a specific reason for using this word, you would be better with an appropriate word from among: party, group, colleagues.

Can you be more specific? In what cases should I use peers?

 

[emsr2d2]

We use it when talking about things like the people you're studying with, or people of the same generation as you.

My son is getting much better scores than his peers.
I don't think my peers have any interest in TikTok.

 

[99bottles]

We use it when talking about things like the people you're studying with, or people of the same generation as you.

My son is getting much better scores than his peers.
I don't think my peers have any interest in TikTok.

Is it always used in the plural form? Can one refer to a specific person (e.g. classmate, colleague, friend) as their peer?

 

[emsr2d2]

It's a countable noun but I can't think of a natural context for the singular. If referring to one person, we'd use "one of my peers". It's used in the singular in the compound noun "peer group".

 

[99bottles]

It's a countable noun but I can't think of a natural context for the singular. If referring to one person, we'd use "one of my peers". It's used in the singular in the compound noun "peer group".

I found a case in which the singular is used. (Melchior gave his peer a weary look and went on.) Is it natural?

Melchior's Tale

In his golden years, Melchior has settled into a calm, steady existence, ready to live out the rest of his days in peace to soon face the God of his fathers. What he didn't expect was the biggest calling his long life had ever experienced! Word to the Wise: Melchior's Tale follows the journey...

books.google.gr

 

[5jj]

Not very.