Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[moonlight2005]

Are the following when are used in the same way?

1. I can imagine his astonishment when she asked him to marry her.
2. An important thing when we go abroad is to respect the culture where you visit.

The conjunction when usually modifies a verb. But, in 1, it modifies the noun (his astonishment) both in meaning and in syntax. On the other hand, in 2, when clause modifies the noun (an important thing) in meaning, but not in syntax. This is my understanding. Am I correct?[/u]

[lotus]

Hi moonlight2005,

For sentence 1, the "when" clause actually modifies "imagine". The sentence can be re-written in this way, "Imagine his astonishment when she asked him to marry her!"

imaging when she asked him to marry her

Sentence 2 looks confusing because it is incomplete. It can be re-written as "An important thing to remember when we go abroad is to respect the culture of the people we visit." The "when" clause modifies remember.

remember when we go abroad

In both cases, the "when" clause modifies a verb, as it should.


--lotus