Time Clauses and Phrases
With the simple past & Past Continuous
Clauses and phrases can be used to relate actions or situatins that happened at approximitely at the same time.
Fighting began when the British tried to collect more taxes. As soon as colonists learned of the fighting, rebellion spread rapidly.
When(ever)As soon as
To Introduce Clauses with Simple Past
While (As) colonists in Boston were fighting the British, colonists in the South were organizing an army.
Colonists in Virginia were planning their own revolt when they received news of the fighting in Boston.
aswhilewhen
To Introduce Clauses with the Past Continuous (& Simple Past)
They received news of the fighting in Boston during a meeting of anti-British colonists.
During
To Introduce Phrases
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- When and as soon as expresses a direct connection in the time of occurrence of the two events.
- Whenever may be used to describe habitual occurrences.
- The past continuous is often used with while or as to describe past actions.
- When may be used with a clause in the simple past to describe an event that occurred while another event was in progress.
Remember that phrases do not include a subject/verb combination.
