a) When I went to Regina, I visited my aunt.
b) I visited my aunt when I went to Regina.
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when I went to Regina = a time clause*
I visited my aunt = a main clause*
(a) and (b) have the same meaning. |
A time clause can:
1. come in front of a main clause, as in (a);
2. follow a main clause, as in (b). |
c) After Francois ate dinner, he went to the movies.
d) Francois went to the movies after he ate dinner.
e) Before I went to bed, I finished my homework.
f) I finished my homework before I went to bed.
g) While I was having a shower, the phone rang.
h) The phone rang while I was having a shower.
i) When the phone rang, I was having a shower.
j) I was having a shower when the phone rang.
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When, after, before, and while introduce time clauses.
when/after/before/while + subject and verb = a time clause
|
| Punctuation: Put a comma at the end of a time clause when the
time clause comes first in a sentence (comes in front of the main
clause):
time clause + comma + main clause
main clause + NO comma + time clause
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| l) When the phone rang, I answered it. |
In a sentence with a time clause introduced by when,
both the time clause verb and the main verb can be simple past.
In this
case, the action in the “when clause” happened
first. In (i): First: the phone rang. Then: I answered it. |