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For, During, While
For-During-While
The prepositions For, During, While are often used in time expressions.
FOR:
For is followed by a length of time, it answers the question: How long?
-People have been standing on the bus stop for more than ten minutes.
-I lived in Mauritius for about twenty years.
DURING:
During is followed by a noun.
It means "throughout the period" or "in the course of" an action or event.
-During the summer months my wife goes to the beach every day.
-My friends always come to visit us during the summer.
WHILE:
While is usually followed by a subject and a verb.
It means "during the time when an action is taking place".
-Monica phoned and asked for you while you were out.
-The journalists took notes while the politician spoke.
It is often possible to drop subject + be:
-I normally listen to the news while ironing.
-She broke her leg while riding her bicycle.
While can also be a noun which means "a period of time".
-I spoke to her on the phone for quite a while yesterday.
-It's been a while since I saw the lady next door.
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