Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[sejpdw]

Roosevelt was elected to the residentcy during the Great Depression of the 1930s, at a time when more thant 5,000 banks had failed and thousands of people were out of work.

1. What does 'at a time when' refer to?
a. the Great Depression
b. the 1930s

2. Why are used 'during' before 'the Great Depression' and 'at' before 'a time'?

3. When it comes to tense, why are used 'had failed' and 'were'?

[pugachevV]

At a time when refers separately to facts within a specific time period. The time period is the Great Depression, which is generally said to have occurred between 1929 - 1939, so it could, equally, refer to the 1930's.

During = throughout the course or duration of...
at = expressing the time when an event took place, or expressing a particular state or condition.

Had failed an event already completed in the past and were because the people were already out of work and remained so.
You could also write, thousands of people had lost their jobs.