FOR / DURING / WHILE

Welcome to your “For” / “During” / “While” lesson! In this topic we talk about:
• “For” and “During”
• “During” and “While”
Take the quizzes when you’re ready! If you’re having problems, use the comment box to contact our English Teachers.

“For” and “During”

We use “for + a period of time” to say how long something happens:

“We watched the film for twenty minutes.”

“She’ll be away for three weeks.”

“I’m going to the beach for the weekend.”

We use “during + noun” to say when something happens:

“I got so bored during the film.”

“She met her husband during her holiday.”

“I saw my family during Christmas.”

With time words (the morning / the afternoon / the winter), you can usually say “in” or “during”:

“It must have rained in the night.”
(or “during the night)

“I’ll mail you in the afternoon.”
(or “during the afternoon”)

You cannot use “during” to say how long something happens:

“It snowed for three weeks.”
(not “during three weeks”)

“During” and “While”

Compare the use of “during” and “while”:

When you’re talking about the future, use the present after “while”:

“I hope to see you while I’m in Paris.”

“Are you going to text me while you’re working?”