What would be the right option: paid or paying? I think paying.
He took ten years to earn his bachelor's degree while paid/paying his bills by working part time as a ski instructor.
While i believe the first answer is correct, the answerer should have pointed out the difference in meaning between the two sentences. I think there is difference in meaning. Am i right, @DamkerngT.?
But I find Khan's answer a bit strange. Though we can place while at the head of the sentence, but placing it whereOP did is not strange, or incorrect.
@Man_From_India I'm not sure about this, but I think when two long events co-occur, the progressive aspect isn't needed. Maybe PEU says something about this.
@Man_From_India One thing I think the -ing form after while is pretty much like present participles is because we can't say while pays/paid .... It has to be while paying ....
Ahh... found it, but I didn't write down the entry number! Shame on me!
The following might be useful for native speakers to understand ELLs. Participle constructions being used in place of clauses are discussed in most grammar books, I believe. However, participle constructions with the different subject from the main clause are likely not discussed. Of the three examples, all are familiar except for The committee having completed its business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:00 noon. The sentence in my question also has this very same structure. — Damkerng T.Feb 7 '14 at 1:57
Calm down, folks. Though "later in day" is quite rare relative to "later in the day" in both AmE and BrE (~1:600 in AmE, ~1:400 in BrE), it does occur. books.google.com/ngrams/… — Brian Hitchcock4 hours ago
@BrianHitchcock This is not to say that you're incorrect, but I think we should interpret data carefully. The string "later in day" yields fewer than 60 results on Google Books. Many of them are written as shorthand (e.g. Egg on right 65.8; Egg on left 73.9; Reading by A. M. later in day 74.2; Subject matter could be debated later in day on adjournment motion, motion put with reservation -- 8063). I can't see the text of most of the rest, so it's difficult to judge. — Damkerng T.4 hours ago
In this era, the data interpretation skill is about as important as math, language, and other basic skills.
A similar sentence with while to one in our earlier discussion:
> Director of golf at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Springs, Calif., area for the past three years. Prior to Bighorn, Billy was the head pro at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island during the winter months while spending 10 years as a teaching pro at the Vintage Club in Palm Springs, Calif.
Basically, it's Billy was the head pro during the winter months while spending 10 years as a pro at the Vintage Club.
I think between:
> a) Billy was the head pro during the winter months while he was spending 10 years as a pro at the Vintage Club.
> b) Billy was the head pro during the winter months while he spent 10 years as a pro at the Vintage Club.
b) conveys the meaning of the original sentence.
But admittedly, while is tricky.
And a) and b) are not that different. (I wonder how a poll would look like, if we made a survey with native speakers.)
Hmm... reading it back and forth. I think a) works well, too.
Like snaiboat usually says, semantic satiation strikes again!
I think the placement of while isn't better. You may rephrase the sentence as follows:
While he took ten years to earn his bachelor's degree, he paid his bills by working part time or He paid his bills by working part time while he took ten years to earn his bachelor's degree.
Does it really matter to say While A, B or A while B (or other alternatives), when we can read A and B in such a way that they both are/were ongoing at the same time, together?
What would be the right option: paid or paying? I think paying.
He took ten years to earn his bachelor's degree while paid/paying his bills by working part time as a ski instructor.
If this is not a great idea, I don't know what is!
Lucky me, there is still room.
I think the placement of while isn't better. You may rephrase the sentence as follows:
While he took ten years to earn his bachelor's degree, he paid his bills by working part time or He paid his bills by working part time while he took ten years to earn his bachelor's degree.
Could someone explain, please, what is the difference between "solution of problem" and "solution to problem"?
Thank You!
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Language Overflow