We were having dinner when Sam came.

[dido4]

Are these two the same?
1. We were having dinner when Sam came.
2. Sam came when we were having dinner.

 

[Rabbi Hasan]

Are these two the same?
1. We were having dinner when Sam came.
2. Sam came when we were having dinner.

The sentences convey the same event but emphasize different aspects:

1. "We were having dinner when Sam came." emphasizes the dinner.
2. "Sam came when we were having dinner." emphasizes Sam's arrival.
   

The meaning remains the same, but the focus shifts slightly.

 

[emsr2d2]

The sentences convey the same event but emphasize different aspects:

1. "We were having dinner when Sam came" emphasizes the dinner.
2. "Sam came when we were having dinner" emphasizes Sam's arrival.

The meaning remains the same, but the focus shifts slightly.

@dido4 Please note that the closing full stop in the question marks should not have been there in Rabbi Hasan's response. When a sentence continues after the closing quotation marks, a full stop just before the closing quotation marks should be removed.

@Rabbi Hasan Please remember that because your profile shows that you are an English teacher, learners here will assume that everything you write is correct. Make sure you double check your posts before submitting so that you don't include errors like the one above.

 

[Tarheel]

I would say the focus shifts more than a little bit.