Grammar Rules · During vs. while
During vs. while.
"During" is followed by a noun: "during the meeting". "While" is followed by a clause with a subject and a verb ("while we were meeting"), or by an -ing form: "while driving". If the next words have their own subject and action, use "while".
Wrong → right
| Common mistake | Corrected |
|---|---|
| He called me during I was driving. | He called me while I was driving. |
| Please don't talk while the movie. | Please don't talk during the movie. |
| She took notes during the professor was speaking. | She took notes while the professor was speaking. |
| I met her while my trip to Seoul. | I met her during my trip to Seoul. |
| The power went out during we were cooking. | The power went out while we were cooking. |
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