1. 动作性质不同
- When
既可表示 瞬间动作(短暂动作),也可表示 持续动作。 - When I saw him, he was running. (瞬间动作 + 持续动作)
When I lived in Paris, I visited the Louvre. (持续动作 + 持续动作) - While
仅表示 持续动作(两个动作同时发生且持续一段时间),常与 进行时态 搭配。 - While I was cooking, my cat slept. (持续动作 + 持续动作)
While I opened the door, the phone rang. (错误!"open" 是瞬间动作)
2. 时态搭配不同
- When
主句和从句的时态灵活,可用 一般时 或 进行时: - When he arrived, I was reading. (一般过去时 + 过去进行时)
When it rains, the streets get wet. (一般现在时 + 一般现在时) - While
从句多用 进行时态(强调动作持续): - While I was studying, she called. (过去进行时 + 一般过去时)
While I study, she called. (错误!从句需用进行时)
3. 逻辑关系不同
- When
可表示 先后顺序(一个动作结束后另一个开始): - When the movie ended, we went home. (电影结束后回家)
- While
仅表示 同时发生(动作重叠): - While I was driving, it started to rain. (开车和下雨同时发生)
4. 特殊用法
- When
可表示 突然的打断(常与一般过去时搭配): - I was sleeping when the earthquake happened. (地震突然打断睡眠)
- While
可表示 对比(相当于 "whereas"): - While I love coffee, my sister prefers tea. (对比两人喜好)
常见错误总结
- 用 While 接瞬间动词:
While I opened the window, a bird flew in.
When I opened the window, a bird flew in. - 用 When 强行表示同时性:
I read a book when my mom cooked. (可能被误解为先后动作)
I read a book while my mom was cooking. (明确同时进行)
记忆口诀
"While 长,When 可短;
While 同时,When 可断;
While 进行,When 随便。"
通过动作的 持续性 和 时态搭配 即可快速区分!