as she took

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "as she took" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe an action occurring simultaneously with another action, often in a narrative context. Example: "As she took a deep breath, she prepared to deliver her speech."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Bennett watched as she took a sip.

The New Yorker

She smiled as she took it in.

The Washington Post

As she took cover, she said, he ran away.

The Washington Post

The customarily reserved Merkel beamed as she took her seat.

The Washington Post

She always sighed as she took off her bra.

The New Yorker

Victoria looked tearful as she took her catwalk bow.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"These flavors are intense," said Clark as she took a spoonful.

Columbia University

As she took on more and more tasks, she didn't get worse.

The New Yorker

Her five-year term was controversial, as she took the lead in engineering mergers and acquisitions.

The New York Times

Simon watched alertly as she took the plastic seal off the bottle.

The New Yorker

Richards-Ross beamed as she took a victory lap, wearing an American flag as a cape.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "as she took" to clearly indicate simultaneous actions in narrative writing. This helps create a smooth and easily understandable sequence of events for the reader.

Common error

Avoid inconsistent tense usage. Ensure that the surrounding sentences are in the past tense when using "as she took" to maintain clarity and grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "as she took" functions as a temporal conjunction, introducing a clause that describes an action happening at the same time as another. Ludwig provides numerous examples illustrating this usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

15%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Science

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "as she took" serves as a temporal conjunction, effectively linking two concurrent events in a sentence. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage across varied contexts, including news reporting, academic writing, and general narratives. While versatile, maintaining consistent tense usage around the phrase is crucial. Alternatives like "while she was taking" and "when she grabbed" offer stylistic variations. The phrase's widespread presence in reputable sources like The New York Times and BBC underscores its reliability and appropriateness in diverse writing scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

while she was taking

Emphasizes the continuous nature of the action, replacing the simple past with the past continuous.

whilst she took

A more formal synonym for "while", indicating a simultaneous action.

when she grabbed

Focuses on the act of grabbing, replacing "took" with a more specific verb.

as she grasped

Similar to 'grabbed' but can imply a firmer hold or understanding, depending on context.

just as she took

Adds emphasis on the timing, suggesting the action happened at the precise moment.

at the moment she took

Highlights the specific timing of the action more explicitly.

during her taking of

A more formal and somewhat less common way to express the same idea.

upon taking

A more concise and slightly more formal alternative.

as she was in the process of taking

A verbose alternative emphasizing the process of the action.

when taking

Reduces the emphasis on the actor, focusing on the action itself.

FAQs

How can I use "as she took" in a sentence?

Use "as she took" to describe an action happening concurrently with another, for instance, "As she took a deep breath, she began her speech".

What are some alternatives to "as she took"?

Consider using phrases like "while she was taking", "when she grabbed", or "just as she took" to add variety to your writing.

Is "as she took" formal or informal?

"As she took" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.

What's the difference between "as she took" and "after she took"?

"As she took" implies simultaneous actions, while "after she took" indicates that one action happened subsequently. For example, "As she took the stage, the crowd cheered" (simultaneous), versus "After she took the stage, she thanked the audience" (sequential).