When she was asleep

[ademoglu]

Hi,

http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/while_1

While: during the time that something is happening:

- While she was asleep, thieves broke in and stole her handbag.

I would like to ask if we can use 'when' instead 'while' in the above sentence for the same meaning as the while or not.

- When she was asleep, thieves broke in and stole her handbag.

Does the above sentence mean that 'after she was asleep, thieves broke in and stole her handbag' or that during her sleep, thieves broke in and stole her handbag'?

Thank you.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think 'When she was asleep' is also correct and it means 'When she was sleeping'.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I don't see any significant difference.

 

[Raymott]

I don't see any significant difference.

I'd suggest that that is because you are not looking beyond a context in which they mean the same thing. But we can't assume that, as Piscean has pointed out.
There's no difference between A and B as long as you confine yourself to a context in which A means B and B means A.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I tend to read what is there, not what might be there.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's a shame that frequently English sentences can have much more than one meaning!

 

[Raymott]

"I tend to read what is there, not what might be there."
I'll let the records be the judge of that. But I don't think that's to the point in this case. Most of the teachers here (and many learners) here have a respect for context. And there are certainly contextual influences on whether [most] natives use 'when' and 'while'.

 

[MikeNewYork]

For me, "while" and "when" both refer to a period when she was sleeping. If there is a difference, there is no evidence in the sentence to support it. Some people here tend to invent context and/or nuance that isn't there.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Context is always relevant when it actually exists.

 

[MikeNewYork]

It doesn't help the learner if we make things up.

 

[MikeNewYork]

We will just have to agree to disagree.

 

[MikeNewYork]

If that's your response to my post #14, fine. I'll go to bed.

Sleep well.

 

[emsr2d2]

Surely context was given in post #1? If we're sticking with the original context of a break-in, I would use only "while she was asleep/sleeping".

 

[MikeNewYork]

And I would use either. They define the period of sleep. No more; no less.