How to use "simultaneously"

What Does "simultaneously" Mean?

• What it expresses: It is an adverb of time that denotes synchronicity, meaning that two or more actions or states occur at the exact same moment.
• What part of the sentence it typically modifies: It primarily modifies verbs or verb phrases, but it can also modify an entire clause or an adjective.
• Register: Neutral to formal. While common in everyday speech, it is a staple of academic, journalistic, and technical writing due to its precision.

How to Use It

• Typical sentence positions: The mid-position (between the subject and main verb, or after the first auxiliary verb) is the most natural and common. It can also appear in the final position for emphasis or the initial position to set the temporal stage for the entire sentence.
• What it modifies and how it changes the meaning: When modifying a verb, it clarifies that the action is not sequential but parallel. For example, "He sang and danced" suggests two actions; "He sang and danced simultaneously" emphasizes the physical coordination of doing both at once.
• Grammatical flexibility: It can be fronted for rhetorical effect ("Simultaneously, the bells rang"). It works well with negation ("They did not occur simultaneously") and in questions ("Can these two processes run simultaneously?").
• What sounds unnatural: Placing it between a verb and its direct object usually sounds clunky (e.g., "He played simultaneously the piano" is incorrect; use "He played the piano simultaneously" instead).

Real-World Examples

These examples are sourced from simultaneously on Ludwig.guru.

"Wolf Hall's director Peter Kosminsky said: "I grew up in a three channel era when you really could say that a significant proportion of the population was simultaneously watching the latest TV drama." — theguardian.com

"No detail is too minute, from the podiums – so that the candidates appear at the same height – to the insistence that both candidates walk on stage simultaneously." — theguardian.com

"Holding that joy and grief simultaneously makes her one of the strongest people I know." — theguardian.com

"Pink Floyd have launched their first new album for more than two decades by simultaneously unveiling the artwork in locations around the world." — theguardian.com

"The research also highlights the contradiction of governments seeking to maximise their nation's fossil fuel extraction, as in the UK, while simultaneously pledging to limit global warming to 2C." — theguardian.com

Examples sourced from https://ludwig.guru/s/simultaneously

Similar Phrases and Alternatives

Phrase	Context
at the same time	The most common neutral alternative, suitable for all contexts.
concurrently	More formal and technical; often used in legal or computing contexts.
in parallel	Suggests two processes running alongside each other, often in technical or project management settings.
at once	More idiomatic and slightly less formal; can also imply an immediate action.
synchronously	Highly technical; used in science and telecommunications to describe precise timing alignment.

Common Mistakes

• Wrong position: Placing simultaneously between a verb and its object (e.g., "He read simultaneously the book") interrupts the flow; it should follow the object or precede the verb.
• Conjunction confusion: Learners often mistakenly use it as a conjunction to join two clauses without a proper grammatical connector. For example, "I cooked dinner, simultaneously he watched TV" is a comma splice; you must use "while" or a semicolon.
• Register mismatch: Using it in very casual text messages might seem overly stiff; "at the same time" is often preferred in informal speech.

Quick-Reference Summary

Expression	Function	Register	Typical Position
simultaneously	Adverb of Time	Neutral / Formal	Mid-position or Final

FAQs

Where is the best place to put simultaneously in a sentence

The most natural placement for simultaneously is the mid-position, appearing after the first auxiliary verb or before the main verb. However, it is also frequently placed at the end of a sentence to provide a strong conclusion to a thought. Placing it at the very beginning of a sentence is possible but usually reserved for formal or literary writing to emphasize the timing of events.

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How does simultaneously differ from at the same time

While both terms are synonyms, simultaneously is generally considered more formal and precise than the phrase "at the same time." In technical writing or formal journalism, simultaneously is preferred to describe exact synchronization. Conversely, "at the same time" is more versatile and is used more frequently in everyday spoken English.

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Can I use simultaneously to join two independent clauses

No, you cannot use simultaneously as a conjunction; it is an adverb and does not have the grammatical power to link two sentences. Learners often struggle with this and mistakenly create run-on sentences or comma splices. To fix this, you should use a subordinating conjunction like "while" or a semicolon to properly connect the clauses.