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This article was first published on the 21st of April, 2021 by Patrick Carpen.
Last updated: April 21, 2021 at 15:08 pmLike all subordinating conjunctions, the subordinating conjunction “while” is used to join a dependent clause to an independent clause thus forming a complex sentence. The coordinating conjunction “while” is used for two purposes:
- To show contrast. That is, to express opposite or differing ideas.
- To show concurrence. That is, to show that two events are occurring at the same time.
Contrast
I love dogs, while my brother loves cat.
I am Italian, while my wife is Swedish.
When used to show contrast, the independent and dependent clauses are always separated by a comma.
Concurrence
While I am climbing the mountain, he was filming me.
He was filming me while I was climbing the mountain.
When used to show concurrence, a comma is only needed if the dependent clause comes first as seen in the above examples.
