while they carried out

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "while they carried out" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is happening simultaneously with the action of carrying out a task or activity. Example: "The team worked on the project while they carried out their regular duties."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Sergeant Bales would probably have provided security for the Green Berets while they carried out night raids, built relations with village leaders and organized local militias.

The New York Times

Surely the International Association of Athletics Federations could have kept their anxiety about her gender confidential while they carried out whatever tests they believe are required.

The Guardian

The researchers began by scanning the brains of 31 men, aged between 19 and 32, while they carried out a task in which they were asked to select one of two symbols on a computer screen.

The Guardian

Officials in Fuquan city, Guizhou province, ordered schools closed while they carried out safety tests.

BBC

Henao was voluntarily withdrawn by Team Sky in 2014 while they carried out research into the biological characteristics of riders who live and train at high altitude.

BBC

Subjects' brains were scanned while they carried out mundane tasks involving pushing flashing buttons and the following was found by researchers, Unexpectedly, before volunteers made errors, their brains started displaying abnormal behavior … up to a half-minute beforehand.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

So is it a case of them being conscious while they carry out the act, but unable to stop their bodies from doing it?

The Guardian - TV & Radio

As AmI proposes the development of context-aware systems that integrate different devices to recognize the context and act accordingly, these systems can react promptly to the needs of people with ABI while they carry out their rehabilitation process.

Neurocomputing

SHANGHAI — Chinese authorities have barred a British finance executive at the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline from leaving the country while they carry out an investigation into bribery and corruption at the British company, the company confirmed on Wednesday.

The New York Times

None of the 20 global banks were fined, but the financial institutions must hold a combined $9.7 billion in extra reserves with Monetary Authority of Singapore at zero percent interest for one year while they carry out internal changes.

The New York Times

My best friend, who is a pigeon, tells me that this tracking device has allowed the sinister cabal of my mother, my fiancée, my orthodontist, and the fiendish lawyer John Rothstein to avoid me while they carry out their orgy of sin.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "while they carried out" to clearly indicate that two actions are happening at the same time. It's suitable for describing processes, investigations, or activities performed by a group.

Common error

Avoid using "while they carried out" to describe actions that happened sequentially rather than simultaneously. Ensure the context clearly indicates concurrency.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "while they carried out" functions as a conjunction phrase that introduces a clause specifying the temporal context in which an action occurred. Ludwig confirms that is usable in writting.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Academia

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "while they carried out" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase used to indicate that an action happened concurrently with another. Ludwig confirms this. It is most commonly found in news, scientific, and formal contexts. It is important to avoid tense confusion when using this phrase, ensuring that the context shows two simultaneous actions. Alternatives like "as they performed" or "during their execution of" can be used depending on the desired level of formality. Overall, this phrase serves to clearly establish a temporal relationship between events.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

as they performed

A more direct and simple way to convey simultaneous action.

as they were conducting

Implies a structured or methodical approach to the action.

during their execution of

Emphasizes the formal completion of a task or plan.

as they accomplished

Focuses on the successful completion of the task.

while they were fulfilling

Emphasizes the completion of a duty or obligation.

during the undertaking of

Highlights the commencement and progression of a project or task.

in the course of implementing

Focuses on the active implementation phase of a task.

whilst in the process of executing

A more formal and elaborate way of saying "while they were doing".

concurrent with their execution of

Suggests a more formal and parallel execution of the activity.

simultaneous to their carrying out

Highlights the synchronous nature of the actions.

FAQs

How can I use "while they carried out" in a sentence?

Use "while they carried out" to show that an action or process was ongoing during the performance of a specific activity. For instance, "The researchers scanned the brains of participants "while they carried out" a decision-making task".

What are some alternatives to "while they carried out"?

Alternatives include phrases such as "as they performed", "during their execution of", or "in the course of implementing", depending on the context and level of formality. You could also use: "during the undertaking of".

Is it correct to use "whilst they carried out" instead of "while they carried out"?

"Whilst they carried out" is grammatically correct and means the same as "while they carried out". "Whilst" is more formal and less commonly used in American English.

What's the difference between "while they carried out" and "after they carried out"?

"While they carried out" indicates that two events occurred simultaneously. "After they carried out" indicates that one event happened after the other was completed.