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Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2010Playing football
1. John hurt his leg (while) playing football. 2. (While) playing football, John hurt his leg. Is "while" recommended? Any difference without it? -- Thanks. Marius Hancu > 1. John hurt his leg (while) playing football. 2. (While) playing > football, John hurt his leg. > > Is "while" recommended? Any difference without it? I'd go for 'whilst'. >> 1. John hurt his leg (while) playing football. 2. (While) playing >> football, John hurt his leg. >> >> Is "while" recommended? Any difference without it? > >I'd go for 'whilst'. Nothing wrong with that. "Whilst" is "mainly British, although some Americans use it too" (Kenneth G. Wilson, Columbia Guide to Standard American English).  SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >> 1. John hurt his leg (while) playing football. 2. (While) playing >> football, John hurt his leg. >> >> Is "while" recommended? Any difference without it? > > I'd go for 'whilst'. Yeah, but you're British. Now, if I were to put on airs ... SignatureSkitt (AmE) > 1. John hurt his leg (while) playing football. > 2. (While) playing football, John hurt his leg. > > Is "while" recommended? Any difference without it? It's OK for more formal usage (though it's not _very_ formal), but is not necessary in conversational speech. > > 1. John hurt his leg (while) playing football. > > 2. (While) playing football, John hurt his leg. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > It's OK for more formal usage (though it's not _very_ formal), but is > not necessary in conversational speech. Though to me, the second one sounds a bit unusual without the while. But this might be me, being non native. /W SignatureINVALID? DE! > > > 1. John hurt his leg (while) playing football. > > > 2. (While) playing football, John hurt his leg. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Though to me, the second one sounds a bit unusual without the while. > But this might be me, being non native. I agree with you, and I'm a native speaker. But I can't put my finger on the sort of distinction Marius likes, as to when it is that we say Xing, Subject verbed.... and when While Xing, Subject verbed... Maybe something about the duration of the activities, or the relative times... I'm not sure, but the "while" version seems to allow for a long time period and the non-while version seems more immediate, like: Turning his head away, John asked.... In that one, "While turning his head away, John asked..." sounds a bit odd. But it's subtle. Can anyone else explain it? SignatureBest -- Donna Richoux Marius Hancu asks about: > 1. John hurt his leg (while) playing football. > 2. (While) playing football, John hurt his leg. Let me rephrase that: 1A. John hurt his leg playing football. 1B. John hurt his leg while playing football. 2A. Playing football, John hurt his leg. 2B. While playing football, John hurt his leg. 1A and 2A tell *how* the injury happened; 1B and 2B tell *when* it it happened. 1A, 1B, and 2B are all commonplace constructions. 2A is not; such a construction would be more likely if referring to a habitual action. 3. Playing football every day, you'll soon hurt yourself. 4. Playing football every day, John hurt his leg, arm, and neck. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto | The plural of "virus" is "ad nauseam". msb@vex.net | --Fred Bambrough My text in this article is in the public domain. > 1A. John hurt his leg playing football. > 1B. John hurt his leg while playing football. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > 1A and 2A tell *how* the injury happened; 1B and 2B tell *when* it > it happened. Great points. > 1A, 1B, and 2B are all commonplace constructions. 2A is not; such a > construction would be more likely if referring to a habitual action. > > 3. Playing football every day, you'll soon hurt yourself. > 4. Playing football every day, John hurt his leg, arm, and neck. Thanks. Marius Hancu |
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