During, for, while

During, for, while

Exercise 2

Choose during, for, while for each gap below.

Page 1 of 2

1 I cut my finger ____ I was cooking.

a.while

b.during

c.for

2 He was texting his friends _____ breakfast.

a.while

b.during

c.for

3 She had an anxiety attack _____ the funeral.

a.while

b.during

c.for

4 She lived in a homeless shelter _____ two years.

a.while

b.during

c.for

5 Dr Karl was offended and he was quiet _____ the rest of the evening.

a.while

b.during

c.for

Page 2 of 2

6 Enjoy your victory _____ you can, because the next time we will beat you.

a.while

b.during

c.for

7 He fell and broke his hip _____ his last visit to Germany.

a.while

b.during

c.for

8 They went on hunger strike and didn't eat anything _____ a month.

a.while

b.during

c.for

9 I finished the composition _____ I was having breakfast.

a.while

b.during

c.for

10 Women shouldn't be exposed to secondhand smoke _____ pregnancy.

a.while

b.during

c.for

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During, for, while – Grammar chart

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During

We use during + noun to talk about when something happens. With during, we answer the question when.

• Some people got lost during the journey. 
• I will finish the novel during the summer break. 
• Most burglaries happen during the night. 

For

We use for + length of time to say how long something happens. With for, we answer the question how long.

• We have known each other for a long time. 
• I waited for more than an hour, but I finally left. 
• He worked in this company for over twenty years.  

While

We use while + subject + verb to talk about two things that are happening at the same time.

• I had breakfast while you were in the shower. 
• I always listen to the radio while I’m cleaning. 
• You shouldn’t use your phone while you are driving. 

During vs for

The difference between during and for is that during  refers to ‘when’ something happens and for refers to ‘how long’ something happens. Compare:

• Every day I run for one hour. (=How long do you run?)
• I usually run during the weekend. (=When do you run?)

During vs while

The main difference between during and while is that we use while + clause (subject + verb), and we use during + noun. Compare:

• I fell asleep during the film.
• I fell asleep while I was watching the film.

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