During and while both describe something happening at the same time as something else, but they are followed by different kinds of words.
During is a preposition, followed by a noun.
during full definition →
While is a conjunction, followed by a subject and a verb.
while full definition →
| during | while | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | Preposition | Conjunction |
| Followed by | A noun: the movie, dinner | A subject and verb: she was watching |
| Simple test | "during the movie" | "while she was watching" |
During is followed by a noun. While is followed by a subject and a verb. If there's a full clause after it, use while.
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