You’d be surprised to learn that there aren’t rules in English that tell us we can’t start sentences with particular words. This is a common myth in schools, but we can use just about any word in the right context. This article will look at starting a sentence with while.
You can start a sentence with “while” when it’s part of the first dependent clause. We can use this to talk about something that is happening at the same time as something else. It usually means that something happens despite another thing occurring.
Generally, the two clauses that we use in sentences that start with “while” will contradict each other. They will add different groups of information to the overall sentence to help us understand what someone is doing or saying:
- While there isn’t much to do in this town, I still have a lot of fun here.
As you can see, we can use the first clause starting with “while” to come up with contradicting information before the second clause.
What Does “While” Mean At The Beginning Of A Sentence?
“While” means that the first piece of information we provide in a sentence works in spite of the second piece of information. Usually, the two pieces of information will work against each other, even though they’re both valid and correct statements.
We don’t just have to use “while” at the start of a sentence as part of a dependent clause, but it works well when we want to emphasize the contradiction. To show you what we mean, look at the two examples that follow:
- While he was out of town, I made sure that the locals wouldn’t miss him.
- I made sure that the locals wouldn’t miss him while he was out of town.
These sentences are identical. However, the dependent clause is moved around between them. We can choose to use “while” at the start of the sentence, like in the first example, when we want to emphasize the contradicting information before anything else.
Examples Of How To Use “While” At The Beginning Of A Sentence
Here are some more examples to help you wrap your head around using “while” to start a sentence.
- While you were at home lazing around, I got to work on a few things that I’m proud I completed.
- While there wasn’t much here for me to salvage, I did my best with the limited tools I had.
- While you were out getting drunk all night, I looked after your mother because she was poorly.
- While the dogs bark throughout the night, my cat stays calm and sleeps next to me.
- While the children are out in the playground for lunch, the adults are in the coffee shops trying to avoid them.
- While there is still life in my body, I will not let you get away with these terrible things.
- While you bicker and argue about irrelevant things, I’m going to make sure that my voice is heard and my problem is solved.
“While” introduces a dependent clause that works despite the second clause in the sentence. We use it to show who two conflicting pieces of information engage with each other.
Even when they shouldn’t exist in the same sentence, “while” is a great way to show how two things with different means or results can work simultaneously.
Where Should I Place The Comma When Using “While” At The Beginning Of A Sentence?
Next, we’ll show you how to punctuate “while” correctly when using it to start a sentence. Luckily, the punctuation rules aren’t too difficult to master.
You do not need to place a comma directly after “while” in any case when starting a sentence with it. Instead, you should wait until the end of the dependent clause and place the comma there. We do this to split up the two clauses.
Here’s how it looks with and without a comma:
- Correct: While there is still daylight, I make the most of the beach.
- Incorrect: While you go about your day I have to do my job and slave away.
Can You Start A Sentence With “While Also”?
“While” is a conjunction. “Also” is also a conjunction. We can use the words to combine two or more clauses, but we generally can’t include them at the same time when starting a sentence.
You cannot start a sentence with “while also” because it uses two conjunctions in place of one. This is incorrect when starting a sentence because it’s not allowing us to showcase the point we’re trying to make.
You can only use “while also” in the middle of a sentence, like so:
- Correct: He didn’t want to be there for her while also trying to find his ex-girlfriend.
- Incorrect: While also trying to find his ex-girlfriend, he didn’t want to be there for her.
Alternatives To Starting A Sentence With “While”
There are a few alternatives we can use in place of “while.” We think these are great sentence starters in their own right, and you should feel free to use them in your writing.
- Despite
- In spite of the fact that
- Regardless
Can You End A Sentence With “While”?
We can also end a sentence with “while,” but not in the same way.
You can end a sentence with “while” when using it as a noun to talk about a length of time. It is not usable as a conjunction at the end of a sentence because it cannot connect two clauses if it comes before a period.
- He is going to be a little while.
- Look after my child for a while!
How Do You Use “While” In The Middle Of A Sentence?
We can also use “while” in the middle of a sentence.
The most common way to use “while” in the middle of a sentence is by swapping the position of the dependent clause we mentioned earlier. You may also use “while” as a noun in the middle of a sentence.
- You didn’t need to be here while I was trying to make the arrangements.
- I’m going to be a while longer!
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
Can you start a sentence with the word while?
Yes, we can start sentences with while. When while is used before a sentence, it becomes a subordinate clause. Example: While he was crossing the road, he met with an accident.
Which is correct a while or awhile?
Awhile is an adverb which means “for a period of time.” A while is a noun phrase which means “a period of time.”
Is it bad to start a sentence with while?
There is nothing wrong with using ‘while’ at the beginning of a sentence.
What does see you in a little while mean?
(I’ll) see you in a little while. a phrase indicating that the speaker will see the person spoken to within a few hours at the most.
Is bit a real word?
verb. simple past tense and a past participle of bite.
What does a bit mean in time?
The “bit” you refer to is an extremely elastic piece of time. Without context, it generally means a short time interval- less than an hour up to a few hours.
What does Gimme mean in texting?
give me
What does take a gimme mean?
In golf, a gimme is a shot that the other players agree can count automatically without being played. When a player has only a very short putt left to play, other players may grant a gimme (i.e., one stroke is counted), but the ball is not played.
What does Jimmy mean?
Meaning:he who supplants. Jimmy as a boy’s name is of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Jimmy is “he who supplants”.
What do you mean by zimmi?
(dĭm′ē) Islam. pl. dhim·mis. 1. A non-Muslim subject of a state governed according to the shari’a who is granted the freedom to worship and is entitled to the protection of life and property by the state, although constrained to pay a special tax and not granted the full legal status accorded to Muslim subjects.
What does it mean to jimmy a door?
verb (used with object), jim·mied, jim·my·ing. to force open (a door, window, etc.) with a jimmy: The burglar got in by jimmying the back door.
What is a Jemmy?
nounWord forms: plural -mies. 1. a short steel crowbar used, esp by burglars, for forcing doors and windows.
Why is it called jamming out?
When Bing Crosby would attend these sessions, the musicians would say he was “jammin’ the beat”, since he would clap on the one and the three. Thus these sessions became known as “jam sessions”.
What is a jamming attack?
A jamming attack is the transmission of radio signals that disrupt communications by decreasing the Signal-to-Inference-plus-Noise ratio (SINR) (Berg, 2008). Wireless signal jamming devices are most often used to interfere with wireless networks, a type of denial of service (DoS) attack.
What is jamming in communication?
Jamming in the sense of wireless security or wireless networks is defined as disruption of an existing wireless transmission or communication by decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio at receiver side through transmission of interfering wireless signals.
What is jamming and types of jamming?
There are two modes of jamming: spot and barrage. Spot jamming is concentrated power directed toward one channel or frequency. Barrage jamming is power spread over several frequencies or channels at the same time. Jamming can be difficult, if not impossible to detect.
What are two types of radar jamming?
There are two general classes of radar jamming, mechanical and electronic. Mechanical jamming entails reflecting enemy radio signals in various ways to provide false or misleading target signals to the radar operator.
How does signal jamming work?
The jamming device works by sending radio frequencies to the same tower. It will overpower the cell phone signal by mimicking your cell phone. Basically, it sends out a signal that is the same frequency as your phone. This signal is powerful enough to outmuscle your phone’s signal.
Is signal jamming illegal?
The use of a phone jammer, GPS blocker, or other signal jamming device designed to intentionally block, jam, or interfere with authorized radio communications is a violation of federal law. It is also unlawful to advertise, sell, distribute, import, or otherwise market jamming devices to consumers in the United States.
How can you tell if someone is jamming your WIFI?
The best way to confirm someone is jamming is to use something called a spectrum analyzer. Wireless frequency spectrum analyzers are commonly used measure signals and interference.
Can cell phone jammers be detected?
The FCC has clear rules against any type of Cellular Jammer or Mobile Phone Jammer. Cell Phone Detection however is perfectly legal in the United States and you will not run into any of the legal issues involved with cell phone jammers.
While beginning a text with the word while is perfectly acceptable, your primary concern, it seems to me, should be its effect on your audience, and whether or not the sentence is sufficiently strong to draw them into what you have to say.
«While electron-electron correlations and interactions . . .» has an informal and slightly chatty feel to it. The sentence sounds as if it would be more appropriate in the middle of a paragraph, and not at the beginning. Here’s a hypothetical and illustrative paragraph, which for simplicity’s sake contains blanks:
The phenomenon of __ has been well attested in the literature. Scientists and theorists in the field, from John __ in the 1990s to Carol __ early in the new century, have described the phenomenon in elegant detail. While we should be grateful for their efforts to date, we still have a great deal to learn, specifically in the phenomenon’s __ . It is my purpose in this book, therefore, to use the discoveries of the past as a springboard for __ , in the hopes of stimulating further explorations into __ . With a little luck and a lot of hard work, perhaps we could be instrumental in ushering in a veritable paradigm shift in this exciting stage of discovery. We are arguably on the cusp of doing just that!
In a perhaps overly simplified explanation of the above, you have the following: a solid and foundational statement, followed by a few prominent examples to buttress your first statement. Then there comes a transitional statement that accomplishes two things. First, it praises the findings of past researchers (assuming their contributions to the field are considered unassailable by your peers), and second, it points to what needs to be done if your community of scientists is to push the envelope of discovery to the next level. That’s where your studies in the field, which you plan to explain and develop in your text, become relevant to your readers. Make sense?
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We can use “while” to talk about time and to talk about a repeated action. While is a conjunction that means at the same time as or during. You’ll see here example sentences with while.
- While the children were playing outside, a fire broke out.
- While you’re waiting for the bus, you can watch people.
- While some students can write well, others need more practice.
- I’m going to study while you’re gone.
- While we were talking, someone came into the room and started talking loudly on their cell phone.
- While it may be inconvenient at times, it’s still important to maintain relationships with others to succeed in life.
- While driving down the street, he saw an accident and had to stop his car immediately.
- While studying, my phone rang, and I answered it without looking at who was calling me.
- While the book was good, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped.
- While away, your dog got into the trash can and ate all of your garbage.
- While he was working on his computer, he heard a knock at the door and went to answer it.
- While walking down the street, a man came up behind her and grabbed her purse from her shoulder.
- While talking to my friend on the phone, my cat started meowing at me for food, so I put him off for a moment.
- While the weather is nice, I will go to the beach.
- I have been working on this project while you were away.
- While he was taking a shower, I cleaned up the kitchen.
- While she was sick, she didn’t go to work for a month.
- While we are waiting for our food to arrive, do you mind if I tell you a story?
- While talking on the phone, he suddenly hung up without saying goodbye! What an asshole!
- While watching TV in my room, someone knocked at my door.
- While I was waiting for my hair to dry, I decided to write a letter.
- While he was eating dinner, he heard a knock at the door.
- Since we had already eaten dinner and there was no food in the house, we went out for ice cream while we were waiting for the pizza delivery man.
- While you were sleeping, I made breakfast.
- While eating my lunch, my phone rang, and my friend wanted to meet up for coffee after work today.
- While you were at work, I cleaned up the house and did your laundry because I knew you’d be tired when you came home.
- While running errands, he went into her room and snooped around her closet, looking for anything he could use against her if they broke up.
- While walking through Central Park last weekend, we spotted a bird that looked like a peacock but had blue feathers instead of green ones; it was strange indeed.
- While we were eating dinner at home last night, our phone rang, and it was our friend who wanted us to come over tonight so we could talk about his business ideas.
- While he was away, his wife had a baby boy.
- While we were discussing the matter, the doorbell rang.
- While eating lunch, my brother came in and sat beside me.
- While you were out of town on vacation, your sister took over as president of your company.
- While sleeping, his dog jumped on him and woke him up because he wanted to go outside and play with him in the backyard.
- While she was sleeping in her bedroom after having a long day at work, her husband snuck into their bedroom with flowers and chocolates.
- While the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
- While we were waiting for our order to be ready, we made small talk with our waiter.
- While waiting for your computer to boot up, you can check your email or surf the web.
- While she was talking on the phone, her daughter was texting someone.
- While we were driving through town, I noticed that a lot of stores were closed for good.
- While waiting for your food at a restaurant, do you ever look around and wonder what other people are having?
- While walking around town this summer, try to notice all the people there!
- While writing this article, my dog kept me company by sleeping on my lap.
- While it was raining, I decided to go for a walk in the park.
- While studying at university, I could not find time to do any extra-curricular activities.
- While driving on the highway, you should always be careful of other drivers who may be driving faster than you.
- While I was asleep, the rain stopped.
- While the book was on the table, John moved it to the shelf.
- While waiting for his mother, his son ran into the room and hugged him tightly.
- While reading this article, my brother came in and asked me to go out with him and his friends tonight.
- While waiting for your food to arrive at the table, you can look at the menu or read a newspaper or magazine that might be available at your table.
- While driving home from work last night, we saw a deer standing right next to our car on the freeway!
- While the book was excellent, it didn’t make us want to read more.
- While he was away on business, I had to take care of the kids alone.
- While waiting for my test results, I started worrying about the worst-case scenario.
- There is a lot of traffic while driving downtown Chicago; it’s hard to get anywhere fast.
- While you were sleeping, I was working.
- I was reading the newspaper while he was watching TV.
- She’s coming home from work while I’m going out for dinner.
- While I was watching TV, my friend called me.
- While she was making tea, her husband went to the market.
- While bathing in the river, a crocodile attacked him and ate him.
- While we were spending our vacation at Kanyakumari beach, we met our old classmates.
- While talking to my friend on the phone, my father entered the room and asked me what had happened.
- While the situation is under control, we can’t afford to relax.
- While it is not necessary to be brilliant at everything, it is important to be able to recognize brilliance in others.
- While I was out of town, my cousin took care of my dog.
- While he was away on business, I moved into his house and made myself at home.
- While I admire his courage, I also fear he is reckless and impulsive.
- While this may seem like a small matter, it has bigger implications for our future as a company.
- While I’m sure you have many questions about this situation, let me assure you that we’ll explain everything soon enough.
- While the house was burning down around them, they continued arguing over who was responsible for starting the fire in the first place.
- I will buy a car while I am in college.
- While it is raining, we will not go to the beach.
- While eating dinner, they talked about their day at school.
- While in college, I will study hard and get good grades to get a good job when I graduate.
- While doing your homework tonight, please turn off the TV and go to bed early so that you won’t be tired tomorrow morning when you have to wake up early for school.
- While visiting us in California, we want you to have fun and enjoy yourself as much as possible.
- While she was on vacation with her family in Florida last summer, they went swimming every day at the beach near their hotel room.
- While the police were arresting the suspect, he resisted arrest.
- While I was getting ready for work, I heard my phone ring.
- While you are away, your children will be well cared for by their grandparents.
- While he was away on business, his wife was lonely and bored at home with nothing to do but clean the house and take care of the children.
- While in New York, I went to the top of the Empire State Building.
- While you were gone, we did some spring cleaning and organized your closet.
- While we’re on this subject: do you want to go out for dinner tonight, or should we order?
- While I’m at it, let me ask you another question: can I borrow your car for a few days next week? I’ll bring it back as soon as I’ve finished with it.
- While many people are uneducated about the topic, it is not true that all women want to be mothers.
- While most people do not like to admit it, we all have flaws and cannot be perfect.
- While some believe that money can buy happiness, others believe it is more important to develop good relationships with other people.
- While there are many reasons for this change in attitude, the main reason is that more people are becoming concerned about their health and exercise regularly as a result of advertising campaigns encouraging them to do so.
- While the other girls were happy to spend their time shopping and gossiping, I preferred to spend my time reading and studying.
- While some people are gifted with great physical beauty, others must work hard to achieve it through exercise and dieting.
- While business owner needs to be aware of the latest trends in marketing, they also need to consider whether they can afford such innovations or not.
- While many websites will help you learn how to play the guitar, there are still some things you need to know before learning how to play it yourself.
- While my mother was cooking dinner, I was watching TV.
- While he was studying in the library, she was exercising at home.
- While it was snowing outside, I stayed home and read a book.
- While they were talking on the phone, I took a walk by myself.
- While waiting in line at the grocery store, my husband went to get us some snacks.
- While camping in the mountains, it started raining and snowing, so we had to go home early without even having time to build our fire or roast marshmallows.
- While sleeping last night, I cleaned up your room and made your bed because you had left it messy again.
- While driving down the street on his bike, he suddenly fell off and hurt badly, so he had to go to the hospital immediately.
- While he was away, his wife gave birth to twins.
- While in the hospital, her husband took care of their baby son.
- While at school, their mother baked cookies for their afternoon snack.
- Although he had never driven a car before, he tried to learn how to drive while his father was asleep in the front seat next to him.
- As I was walking home from school yesterday, I saw a big dog sleeping on someone’s lawn while its owner was watering plants in their garden.
- My dad jogs every morning at 6 AM while listening to music on his iPod shuffle.
- While the storm raged outside, we sat in front of a warm fire.
- I’m going to learn while I’m away from home.
- While I was gone, my brother cleaned the house and washed all the dishes.
- While the children slept, their parents went out on a date.
- There are many things to do while you’re in towns, such as visiting museums and concerts.
- While I was in the store, I saw a beautiful dress.
- I don’t know what to do while waiting for the bus.
- It is scorching outside while I am writing this letter.
- While you were sleeping last night, there was a terrible storm outside our house.
- While reading a book, my brother entered my room and started playing with my toys.
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More to read
- Sentences with Will and Won’t
- Sentences with Would
- Sentences with USED TO
- Imperative Sentences
- Simple Sentences Examples
- What are simple sentences?
- Sentences with However
- Sentences with Semicolon
- Sentences bout Nature
- Sentences with Will Have
Generally speaking, starting a sentence with while followed by a comma is not wrong, or grammatically not correct. … The sentence you wrote as example should not have a comma after while: While it looks warm outside, there is actually a cold breeze so it is not warm at all.
What is the word while in grammar?
While is a word in the English language that functions both as a noun and as a subordinating conjunction. Its meaning varies largely based on its intended function, position in the phrase and even the writer or speaker’s regional dialect.
Is since a conjunction?
When since is used as a conjunction, it joins a main clause and a subordinate clause. Since comes at the beginning of the subordinate clause. Mike has been promoted twice since he joined the company. I’ve been very busy since I started my new job.
What is difference between while and for?
3 Answers. The difference is that the do while loop executes at least once because it checks for the loop condition while exiting. While is a entry controlled loop and do while is a exit control loop. Whereas in do while loop it will enter the loop and will then check for the condition.
What is a sentence in English?
The following statements are true about sentences in English: A new sentence begins with a capital letter. A sentence ends with punctuation (a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point). A sentence contains a subject that is only given once.
Is when an adverb?
4 Answers. “When” is an adverb of time, referring to the verb “see” – In other words, modifies it. In your example, it’s an interrogative adverb, meaning “at what time”. McCawley, in TSPE, offers a theory of adverbs in which adverbs differ in type according to the category of the phrase they modify.
What part of speech is after?
What part of speech is the word “after”? “After” can be a preposition or a subordinating conjunction, depending on what follows it in a sentence. If “after” is followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase, it is a preposition: “After work, I am going home.” “After that, I will eat supper.”
What are conjunctions in grammar?
In grammar, a conjunction (abbreviated CONJ or CNJ) is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, or clauses that are called the conjuncts of the conjunctions. The term discourse marker is mostly used for conjunctions joining sentences.
How can I improve my sentence structure?
Both while and whilst are ancient, though while is older. There’s no difference in meaning between them. For reasons that aren’t clear, whilst has survived in British English but has died out in the US. However, in Britain it is considered to be a more formal and literary word than its counterpart.
Can Because be a conjunction?
In Standard English, the word “because” can be used two ways. One of them is to introduce a clause, as in “Aardvark was late because he was waiting for the repairman to show up.” Used this way, “because” is a subordinating conjunction. The other is to team up with “of” to form what’s called a compound preposition.
What part of speech is when?
What Part of Speech is “WHEN” The word “when” has multiple functions. It can be used as an adverb, conjunction, pronoun, and noun. This word is categorized as an adverb because it modifies a verb, and adjective, or another adverb by indicating the time.
How do you use who in a sentence?
When in doubt, try this simple trick: If you can replace the word with “he”’ or “’she,” use who. If you can replace it with “him” or “her,” use whom. Who should be used to refer to the subject of a sentence. Whom should be used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition.
Is unless a conjunction?
We use the conjunction unless to mean ‘except if’. The clause which follows unless is a subordinate clause (sc): it needs a main clause (mc) to make a complete sentence. … Unless is a conditional word (like if), so we don’t use will or would in the subordinate clause: Unless I hear from you, I’ll see you at two o’clock.
Is are a preposition?
The word ‘are’ is not a preposition. The word ‘are’ is the present, plural form of the verb ‘be’ for first person words, and the present, singular…
What part of speech is except?
Except is easy to confuse with accept because these two words sound alike. Accept is a verb that means “to receive or agree to.” Except is a preposition that means “not including.”
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