During vs. While – English Grammar Exercises for B1
You are writing a1-star review on a booking website complaining about the terrible noise at a hotel. Choose the correct word (A, B, C, or D) to complete your review naturally.
1 I am writing this review to warn other travelers about the terrible experience we had ______ our recent stay at this hotel.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
2 ______ we were checking in at the front desk, the lobby was already incredibly loud and chaotic.
(A) During
(B) While
(C) For
(D) Meanwhile
3 The receptionist smiled but didn’t mention anything about the renovation work ______ the check-in process.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
4 However, ______ we were trying to take a nap in the afternoon, someone started drilling the wall right next to our bed!
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
5 The loud drilling and hammering continued non-stop ______ three hours straight!
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
6 ______ the evening, the noise finally stopped, so we mistakenly thought the worst was over.
(A) During
(B) While
(C) For
(D) Meanwhile
7 Unfortunately, ______ we were sleeping deeply at 2:00 AM, a loud fire alarm suddenly went off.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
8 We were terrified and had to evacuate the building ______ the middle of the night.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
9 We stood outside freezing ______ the firefighters were checking the hotel corridors.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
10 ______ this chaotic situation, the hotel staff offered us absolutely no apologies or blankets.
(A) During
(B) While
(C) For
(D) Meanwhile
11 ______ we were waiting in the cold parking lot, I immediately opened my phone to book a different hotel.
(A) During
(B) While
(C) For
(D) Meanwhile
12 The manager finally came outside, but ______ his speech, he just blamed a “computer system error.”
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
13 I noticed that ______ he was talking to the guests, he didn’t even look at us or seem sorry.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
14 We couldn’t get any proper rest ______ the rest of the night because we were so angry.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
15 To make matters worse, ______ the breakfast buffet the next morning, the workers started using hammers again!
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
16 Thick white dust actually fell from the ceiling ______ we were eating our eggs and toast.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
17 My husband went to the front desk to demand a refund ______ I was packing our suitcases in the room.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
18 The manager was extremely rude to my husband ______ their angry argument at the reception.
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
19 ______ we were carrying our bags out the front door, the receptionist just rolled her eyes at us.
(A) During
(B) While
(C) For
(D) Meanwhile
20 Do yourself a massive favor: do not book this place if you want peace and quiet ______ your vacation!
(A) during
(B) while
(C) for
(D) meanwhile
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A) during
Why it is correct: “Our recent stay” is a Noun Phrase. When you want to say that something happened within a specific period, you use During + Noun Phrase.
2 (B) While
Why it is correct: “We were checking in” is a Clause (Subject + Verb). When two actions happen at the same time and one is an ongoing continuous action, you must use While + Clause.
3 (A) during
Why it is correct: “The check-in process” is a Noun Phrase. Therefore, it requires during.
4 (B) while
Why it is correct: “We were trying to take a nap” is a Clause (Subject + Verb). The continuous action of sleeping was interrupted by the drilling. This requires while.
5 (C) for
Why it is correct: Trap question! “Three hours straight” is a length/duration of time. You cannot say “during three hours.” When stating how long something lasts with a number, you must use For + Length of time.
6 (A) During
Why it is correct: “The evening” is a Noun Phrase. It points to a specific period, so it takes during. (Note: “In the evening” is also correct, but between the choices, “during” fits perfectly).
7 (B) while
Why it is correct: “We were sleeping deeply” is a Clause (Subject + Verb). It describes an ongoing background action, requiring while.
8 (A) during
Why it is correct: “The middle of the night” is a Noun Phrase. It specifies a period, requiring during.
9 (B) while
Why it is correct: “The firefighters were checking” is a Clause (Subject + Verb). Two actions (standing outside and firefighters checking) are happening simultaneously, requiring while.
10 (A) During
Why it is correct: “This chaotic situation” is a Noun Phrase. It requires during.
11 (B) While
Why it is correct: “We were waiting” is a Clause (Subject + Verb). It requires while.
12 (A) during
Why it is correct: “His speech” is a Noun Phrase. It requires during.
13 (B) while
Why it is correct: “He was talking” is a Clause (Subject + Verb). It requires while.
14 (A) during
Why it is correct: “The rest of the night” is a Noun Phrase pointing to a specific period of time, requiring during.
15 (A) during
Why it is correct: “The breakfast buffet” is a Noun Phrase (an event/period). It requires during.
16 (B) while
Why it is correct: “We were eating” is a Clause (Subject + Verb). It requires while.
17 (B) while
Why it is correct: “I was packing” is a Clause (Subject + Verb). Two ongoing actions happening at the exact same time take while.
18 (A) during
Why it is correct: “Their angry argument” is a Noun Phrase. It requires during.
19 (B) While
Why it is correct: “We were carrying” is a Clause (Subject + Verb). It requires while.
20 (A) during
Why it is correct: “Your vacation” is a Noun Phrase. It requires during.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
At the B1 level, expressing time and interruptions correctly is crucial for telling stories or writing reviews. Here is the golden rule to avoid mistakes:
1 During + Noun / Noun Phrase
- Use During when you want to say when something happened, but the following words do NOT have a verb. It is usually followed by an event, a period, or an activity.
- Formula: During + [The meeting / The night / Our stay / The movie]
- Example: “Someone drilled the wall during our nap.”
2 While + Clause (Subject + Verb)
- Use While when you want to describe an ongoing action that was happening at the same time as another action. It is strictly followed by a full subject and a verb (usually in a continuous tense like was/were V-ing).
- Formula: While + [I was sleeping / We were eating / They were working]
- Example: “Someone drilled the wall while we were sleeping.”
3 For + Length of Time (The Exception)
- Do NOT use During with numbers and lengths of time! If you are answering the question “How long?”, you must switch to For.
- Incorrect: It was noisy during three hours.
- Correct: It was noisy for three hours.