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Is there a difference in meaning between these sentences?
He watched as she worked.
He watched her work.
Thanks!
He watched as she worked.
He watched her work.
Thanks!
What did he watch as she worked? The first sentence does not say that he was watching her, but the second sentence does.
To me, it means that he watched her as she worked.
=King Neptune;9066289]This is another example of where we may need context. He may be watching a baseball game, as she works assiduously at perfecting her interdimensional transporter.
This is another example of where we may need context. He may be watching a baseball game, as she works assiduously at perfecting her interdimensional transporter.
To clarify: The MC is in a diner. He ordered breakfast from a waitress, and then she walked away. Thus, the next sentence: He watched as she worked the counter VS He watched her work the counter
He watched as she worked the counter VS He watched her work the counter
That's an extreme example, and I recognise it as such, but I think the number of sentences in which that need be specified is pretty small.
This is not something that confusion in most people, even in the absence of context.
To clarify: The MC is in a diner. He ordered breakfast from a waitress, and then she walked away. Thus, the next sentence: He watched as she worked the counter VS He watched her work the counter
On a strictly technical note, however, is there a difference between the two or is the meaning always predicated on what occurred before?
Thank you, girlyswot and King Neptune. You've made it much clearer!
I deliberately used an extreme example, because I have no idea how much connection there is between the two without knowing what she is doing and what he is watching. I have seen sentences where two different and unconnected activities were mentioned together either for humor or for emphasis.
If the two activities were different and unconnected, then that fact would be made clear in the sentence.
One can tear apart ambiguity in the vast majority of sentences, but that doesn't necessarily mean one should, because there's the common assumption that the two things are related, unless otherwise stated.
This.They are four and five-word sentences in isolation. No, there's no difference really if you mean that he is watching her as/while/at the same time as she works but context should clarify exactly what is meant.
The main issue with 'as' is folk using it in such a way that it reverses the correct sequence of events- e.g.,. John jumped back as a truck whizzed around the corner, nicking the pavement.