[Grammar] Usage of 'By the time' and 'when'

[vijayalakshmi.g]

I am checking the ticket status by the time you asked him.
I am checking the ticket status when you asked him.

Can you tell me which one of the above is correct and also correct the errors in the sentences?


Adding to this..
I am not sure about the polite way of questioning.
Please give me the ideas to ask this "Can you tell me which one of the above is correct and also correct the errors ...." in polite way.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I am not sure what you are trying to say in your sentences. Can you explain what you mean?

 

[tedmc]

No. 1 is not correct.
No. 2 - I was checking the ticket status when you asked him. (two past actions happening in parallel)

You cannot use the present continuous tense with the past. With the past continuous, you can.

"Could you please tell me which one of the above is correct and also correct the errors."

'Polite way of asking a question', not 'questioning'.

not a teacher

 

[Boris Richard]

Both of them are not correct.
1. I was checking the ticket status by the time you asked him.
2. I was checking the ticket status when you asked him.
Here is the difference: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/8-6.html#bythetimewhen

I'm not a teacher.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Both of them are not correct.
1. I was checking the ticket status by the time you asked him.
2. I was checking the ticket status when you asked him.

Both 'by the time' and 'when' can refer to the past. But I would say 'I had checked the ticket status by the time you asked him' if 'checking' happened before 'asking'.

Not a teacher.

 

[tedmc]

It doesn't make sense that the checking of ticket status was still going on by the time one person asked another.
'By the time' is used to describe a change of event, not when the same thing continues.

not a teacher