As I mentioned for Wondrous Words Wednesday this week, I’m busy editing my YA manuscript, and I had to look up the proper use of awhile. Webster’s gives the basic definition of “for a while” and calls the use of “awhile” a solecism, or improper usage.
Before I removed every “awhile” from my manuscript, I consulted Grammar Girl. As usual, she teased out the subtle grammar points. In short, there are three things to consider when using awhile vs a while:
- A while is a noun (hint: it’s got the article “a” in front of it); it suggests a specific period of time. If you can replace “awhile” with “a week”, then you should use “a while”. Example: It’s been a while since I’ve had a good burger.
- Awhile means “for a time”, and it’s an adverb. You should be able to replace “awhile” with another adverb, like “quickly”. Example: She ran awhile.
- If a while is used in a prepositional phrase, as in, “She ran for a while,” you use “a while” because the object of a preposition must be a noun, not an adverb (“awhile”).
It looks like I’ll have to check each use of “awhile” when I go back through my manuscript. Sigh! I hope to be done by the end of the summer!
Word Nerd Workout
Let’s practice. In each sentence, decide if you should use awhile or a while.
- Why don’t you go outside and play awhile/ a while?
- I’m tired; I’m going to lie down for awhile/ a while.
- It’s been awhile/ a while since I saw my cousins.
Thanks for getting your grammar on with me!
Julia
You clarified the differences very well. Thank you.
However, in your comments you said,” It looks lik I’ll have to check each use…” Surely you should have said, “It looks as if…”
“It looks like…” should be followed by a noun. (Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” comes to mind readily as a reminder.
“It looks as if…” should be followed by a process, a verb. An example would be,”It looks as if I need to clean out this closet.”
I hope you accept this observation in the spirit in which it is made.
Thank you Carole, and your observation is well received. I actually had no idea about when to use looks like vs looks as if, so thank you for your observation. 🙂
Thanks for this info. I do a good bit of writing and have done some editing of others works but it was not until until the last couple of years I ever realized there was such a thing as “a while.” But I never researched the difference between “awhile” and “a while.” I just tried to use it intuitively, And here the rule is so easy.
While I do a lot of writing, I did not take but one writing course in college. But I like to well and clearly, so sites such as this have been a great help to me in learning the rules. Thanks so much!
Happy to be helpful!
I don’t think I’ve ever used “a while.” Uh oh. Okay…
1. awhile
2. a while
3. a while
You’re editing your manuscript? How exciting!!
Thank you for explaining…though I’m not sure I wanted to know 🙂 just kidding…will try to remember this as I slog through more revisions!
Excellent way to distinguish them! I like substituting “a week” for “a while” to see if it makes sense, but the noun/adverb difference will be enough for me to figure it out most of the time. Thanks!
The noun vs. verb usage is the tricky one for sure. One more example of how the written word demands more attention than the spoken. If we say one of those incorrectly, no one knows – still sounds the same. But written? Busted!
Man am I glad I have a word nerd friend to research these things! I had no clue there was any difference between the two.
Happy editing to you!!
Happy to help, and thanks!
Yikes, I may just go through and change all instances of a while/awhile to something else, just to avoid dealing with them! Thanks for the information 🙂
You know, I’ve started going through and looking at them- it’s really not that bad. Good luck!