while doing or while have

1)"While he's having his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper."

OR

2)"While he has his breakfast, I will read the newspaper."

Which one is more frequently used? Which one would you stick with?

I'd use #2.

I cannot comment on the frequency of use as I've never heard anybody say either one.

Rover

/A learner/

ostap77 said:

1)"While he's having his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper."

OR

2)"While he has his breakfast, I will read the newspaper."

Which one is more frequently used? Which one would you stick with?

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In accordance to my understanding of the Sequence of Tenses both are not grammatically correct ones.

e2e4 said:

/A learner/
In accordance to my understanding of the Sequence of Tenses both are not grammatically correct ones.

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Both are grammatically correct.

1)"While he's having his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper."

These two future actions are presented as having some duration.

2)"While he has his breakfast, I will read the newspaper."

No attention is drawn to the duration.

e2e4 said:

/A learner/


In accordance to my understanding of the Sequence of Tenses both are not grammatically correct ones.

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Why would you say it's incorrect? The Present Progressive can be used to talk about an action in the Future. Did you read that in a grammar text book that these sentences are incorrect?

/A learner/

fivejedjon said:

Both are grammatically correct.

1)"While he's having his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper."

These two future actions are presented as having some duration.

2)"While he has his breakfast, I will read the newspaper."

No attention is drawn to the duration.

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If I use the present continuous tense for a future action I add a definite adverb of time so as to point to when it is going to happen.
I am having my breakfast tonight around 8 o'clock.

While I will be having my breakfast you will be reading the newspaper.
These two actions will be going on in parallel in the future.

?

e2e4 said:

If I use the present continuous tense for a future action I add a definite adverb of time so as to point to when it is going to happen.
I am having my breakfast tonight around 8 o'clock.

While I will be having my breakfast you will be reading the newspaper.
These two actions will be going on in parallel in the future.

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Ostap's "While he's having his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper" is far more likely than yours (underlined) .We normally use a present tense, simple or continuous, after a time cojunction referring to the future.

fivejedjon said:

Ostap's "While he's having his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper" is far more likely than yours (underlined) .We normally use a present tense, simple or continuous, after a time cojunction referring to the future.

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Do you mean this

After I've come home I'll have a supper.
I'll give you a call when (after) I get (have got) home.

If so that's all right for me.

Tomorrow, around ten o'clock, I will be doing my laundry.
While I am doing my laundry you will be fishing.

In the context I can accept it.
But without context the genuine sentence looked wrong to me.

Actually, what is the time conjunction referring to the future in the Ostap's sentence?

Thanks

e2e4 said:

Do you mean this

After I've come home I'll have (a) supper.
I'll give you a call when (after) I get (have got) home.

If so that's all right for me.

Tomorrow, around ten o'clock, I will be doing my laundry.
While I am doing my laundry you will be fishing.

In the context I can accept it.
But without context the genuine sentence looked wrong to me.

"While he's having his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper."

The part I have underlined tells us it's future. In a real life situation, such an utterance will be produced only at some time before breakfast and/or if a future time has been mentioned. Even without context it is still grammatically 'correct', as you show in your own fourth example.

Actually, what is the time conjunction referring to the future in the Ostap's sentence? While. Actually, I should have said, "conjunction introducing a time clause with future reference".

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5

To all:
.
:-D:up:

Well, Ron, I trust you;-).

Thanks.:cheers:

fivejedjon said:

Well, Ron, I trust you;-).

Thanks.:cheers:

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Hypothetically speaking what do you think about these two?

1)"While he's having his breakfast, I will read the newspaper."

OR

2)"While he has his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper."

ostap77 said:

Hypothetically speaking what do you think about these two?

1)"While he's having his breakfast, I will the newspaper."

OR

2)"While has his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper."

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If I hadn't used "a" when need was, one of my favorite teachers would have told me,'e2e4, that's not English.nfire:'

Could he say anything on these two sentences, I have no idea.

e2e4 said:

If I hadn't used "a" when need was, one of my favorite teachers would have told me,'e2e4, that's not English.nfire:'

Could he say anything on these two sentences, I have no idea.

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Frankly, I'd like to get an answer from a person. I guess there woud be no answer in your statement. It might be just gabbing on your side. When one's not sure about the answer he just should not be giving it.

ostap77 said:

Hypothetically speaking what do you think about these two?

1)"While he's having his breakfast, I will read the newspaper."

Fine. The suggestion is that the reading will take less time than his having breakfast.

OR

2)"While he has his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper."

I can't fault it grammatically, but I don't like it as much as #1 or your original two:

"While he's having his breakfast, I will be reading the newspaper."

"While he has his breakfast, I will read the newspaper."

I can't say why - perhaps I'm just tired. Sorry. I'll look at it again tomorrow. Perhaps some other opinions will come in before then.

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5

fivejedjon said:

5

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Which ones would you often hear in a real life situation?

ostap77 said:

Which ones would you often hear in a real life situation?

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As I have just written on another post, it depends entirely on the full context.

This explains my problem with your #2. I can't think of a context in which I might say it.

Note that I am not saying that there isn't a context, but simply that I can't think of one.