{"id":802,"date":"2012-09-04T12:59:45","date_gmt":"2012-09-04T18:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/?p=802"},"modified":"2021-07-07T10:33:59","modified_gmt":"2021-07-07T15:33:59","slug":"when-vs-whenever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/definitions\/when-vs-whenever\/","title":{"rendered":"When<\/em> vs. Whenever<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered how to use these words correctly? Have you ever thought, \u201cOh, either of these words will do\u201d? Let\u2019s have a closer look.<\/p>\n

Rule 1 – <\/strong>If an event is unique or its date or time is known, use when<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\nExamples:<\/strong>
\nThe game will begin Friday evening when the clock strikes seven.<\/em><\/p>\n

When I told you I wanted a vacation, I meant a cabana by the beach, not a ticket to the Super Bowl!<\/em><\/p>\n

She loved to play baseball with the neighborhood kids when she was a youngster.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Rule 2 – <\/strong>Whenever<\/em> is best used for repeated events or events whose date or time is uncertain. If you can substitute every time that<\/em> or at whatever time that <\/em>in your sentence, then whenever<\/em> is preferred.<\/p>\n

\nExamples:<\/strong>
\nWhenever I get in the shower, the phone rings.<\/em><\/p>\n

Whenever you decide to begin eating healthier foods, I\u2019ll help you come up with new recipes.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Note: <\/strong>When<\/em> can often substitute for whenever<\/em> but generally not the other way around. The exception is using whenever <\/em>as an intensive form of when<\/em> in questions: Whenever<\/em> will that dog stop barking?<\/p>\n

\nExamples:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Correct:<\/strong>
\nWhen I get in the shower, the phone rings.<\/em> (When<\/em> is acceptable but whenever<\/em> is preferred for conveying the meaning every time that<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

When<\/em> you decide to begin eating healthier foods, I\u2019ll help you come up with new recipes.<\/em> (When<\/em> is acceptable but whenever<\/em> is preferred for conveying the meaning at whatever time that<\/em>.)<\/p>\n

Whenever<\/em> are you going to finish cleaning the garage?<\/em> (intensive form in a question)<\/p>\n

Incorrect:<\/strong>
\nThe game will begin Friday evening whenever the clock strikes seven.<\/em>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pop Quiz<\/strong>
\n1. Do you know when\/whenever we\u2019re supposed to arrive at your mother\u2019s house?
\n2. Let me know when\/whenever you\u2019ll be arriving at the airport next week so I can pick you up.
\n3. When\/Whenever the baby cries, she clenches her little fists.
\n4. I lived in a small town when\/whenever I was seven years old.
\n5. Do you recheck your math when\/whenever you have difficulty balancing your checkbook?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Answers:<\/strong>
\n1. Do you know when<\/strong> we\u2019re supposed to arrive at your mother\u2019s house?
\n2. Let me know when<\/strong> you\u2019ll be arriving at the airport next week so I can pick you up.
\n3. Whenever<\/strong> the baby cries, she clenches her little fists. (When<\/em> could also be used but whenever<\/em> better conveys the meaning every time that<\/em> the baby cries.)
\n4. I lived in a small town when<\/strong> I was seven years old.
\n5. Do you recheck your math whenever<\/strong> you have difficulty balancing your checkbook? (When<\/em> could also be used but whenever<\/em> better conveys the meaning at the time that<\/em> or every time that<\/em> you have difficulty balancing your checkbook.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever wondered how to use these words correctly? Have you ever thought, \u201cOh, either of these words will do\u201d? Let\u2019s have a closer look. Rule 1 – If an event is unique or its date or time is known, use when. Examples: The game will begin Friday evening when the clock strikes seven. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-definitions","category-effective-writing"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=802"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5153,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/802\/revisions\/5153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}