Past simple and when (2025)

Hi! I would like to ask about the past simple and when-clause.
Normally, If I use the past simple in both clauses (main clause and when-clause) , it means the past simple in when-clause happens first and is also finished before the past simple in main clause.
For example :
"When they arrived, I cooked fried chicken."
Here the sentence means that they arrived first and the arriving was finished and then I started cooking.

And my question of this thread is : Can we use the past simple in both clauses but the past simple in the when-clause was still continuing when the past simple in the main clause started happening ?
For example:
"When I worked on my assignment, you studied math."
Here , I mean that I started working on my assignment before you studied. And let's say the working lasted for 2 hours and in the middle of my working, you started studying ,

So it's not that you started studying after I was finished working on my assignment like my previous example about arriving and cooking fried chicken.

Is it possible ?

Many Thanks!

Peter Thompson said:

Normally, If I use the past simple in both clauses (main clause and when-clause) , it means the past simple in when-clause happens first and is also finished before the past simple in main clause.
For example :
"When they arrived, I cooked fried chicken."
Here the sentence means that they arrived first and the arriving was finished and then I started cooking.

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Your interpretation of this particular sentence is correct, but this is a relatively unusual situation. "When" means that the two clauses share the same time reference. If both clauses are in the past tense (simple or continuous), this usually means that the two actions happened at the same time.

If you want to indicate a sequence of events, you generally need a word like "before" or "after". You can then be more precise by using verbs like "start", "finish" and "begin", and using different tenses such as the past perfect. It may also help to include a time period, even if it is vague:

Some time after I started working on my assignment, you began studying.​

Uncle Jack said:

Your interpretation of this particular sentence is correct, but this is a relatively unusual situation. "When" means that the two clauses share the same time reference. If both clauses are in the past tense (simple or continuous), this usually means that the two actions happened at the same time.

If you want to indicate a sequence of events, you generally need a word like "before" or "after". You can then be more precise by using verbs like "start", "finish" and "begin", and using different tenses such as the past perfect. It may also help to include a time period, even if it is vague:

Some time after I started working on my assignment, you began studying.​

Click to expand...

Thank you!

If the sentence like this appears : "When you did your homework for 2 hours, I cleaned the house".

How would you interpret it ?
Does it mean at some time in the two hours of doing homework, I started cleaning the house ?
Or does it mean anything else ?

Peter Thompson said:

"When I worked on my assignment, you studied math."

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Peter Thompson said:

"When you did your homework for 2 hours, I cleaned the house".

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Both of these sentences have their use. For me they are something that happened regularly in the past.
When we were young, we had to share our books. When I studied chemistry, you studied math.
Also, when you did your homework, I cleaned the house. Otherwise, I use while.
While I did this, you did that.

There is a difference between a moment in time (7:34 pm)
and a time period (7 pm to 10 pm), also called a "duration".

Peter Thompson said:

When you did your homework for 2 hours, I cleaned the house.

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While you did your homework for 2 hours, I cleaned the house.

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"When" can mean "at that moment", not "during that time period". So "when" is wrong if your meaning is this:

During the same 2-hour time period in which you did your homework, I cleaned the house.

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BLUEGLAZE said:

Both of these sentences have their use. For me they are something that happened regularly in the past.
When we were young, we had to share our books. When I studied chemistry, you studied math.
Also, when you did your homework, I cleaned the house. Otherwise, I use while.
While I did this, you did that.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

But can I say "When you did your homework, i did mine" to mean that they both did the homework at the same time from the start , or in other words, you did your homework for 2 hours and i did mine for 2 hours and we did at the same time untill we both finished doing homework.

Is it possible?

Peter Thompson said:

How would you interpret it ?
Does it mean

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You assume that this sentence is correct in English, and therefore "has a meaning". That is incorrect.

One use of "when" is "at the same moment". For example:

When the clock said 9 pm, Susan was still studying.

Another use of "when" is "started by a momentary event". For example:

When the bell rings, students leave the classroom.
When they arrived, I cooked fried chicken.

I'm sorry. I think I wasn't precise about my question and I arose a misunderstanding.
I just made a new thread on what my question actually is about : Past simple + past simple = happening at the same time