Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Lesson 598. The title of today's lesson is the difference
between meanwhile and in the meantime. Okay. If somebody wants a screenshot, do it right now.
All right. This can be confusing because a lot of students think that these are just
interchangeable. They're partially interchangeable,
but there's other situations where they cannot be used
you know, interchangeably. Let's continue. Both in the meantime and meanwhile can refer to the
time between two events. Now here is where there is crossover. However only "meanwhile" can mean
something else is happening or occurring at the same time. Meanwhile can also introduce another
aspect or situation which is the opposite of the one mentioned before. So here meanwhile is
actually used three different ways and only one of them is where there is crossover.
In the meanwhile can often be used in the same way. So you say meanwhile or in the meanwhile.
You'll hear both. Meantime is rarely used by itself. It is most often used in the phrase
"in the meantime. " And less frequently for the meantime , but you may possibly hear that. All
right. Let's continue . In the meantime focuses on the gap or the space between these two events,
occurring between the two time periods. Okay. And meanwhile focuses on that there's two
different actions happening at the same time. All right. So here's our first example where
there is crossover. We arrived 30 minutes too early. Why don't we go to 7-eleven in the meantime
to get some coffee to kill some time. Yeah. So in the time between right now and when we're
directly supposed to meet them. Let's go to 7-eleven. So the focus is in that time period
before you actually have to meet those other people which is 30 minutes from now.
All right. So we could say we arrived 30 minutes too early. Meanwhile or in the meanwhile , let's
go to 7-eleven and have coffee ... have a coffee to kill time. Yeah. So you could
say that too. So in this case, both could be used and they are interchangeable when they're
referring to the the focus is on the period of time between these two events. Let's continue.
Number two. A pedestrian was walking down the street , meanwhile unbeknownst to the pedestrian
someone accidentally knocked a flower pot off their balcony which fell and hit the pedestrian in
the head. Now technically these were two different events one pedestrian walking down the street this
other person's up in the apartment he knocks the flower pot down and so these are two different
events happening at the same time. Now they actually come together, but still they were two
different events happening at the same time. So the focus is on the two different events. It's not
on the period in between. So in this case you should only be using meanwhile , not in the
meantime. All right. Let's continue . The third one. All right . This state was enforcing stricter
COVID restrictions meanwhile this other state is lifting and getting rid of all restrictions. All
right. This is the one where it's the opposite. So meanwhile can also introduce another aspect or
situation which is opposite to the one mentioned before. So at the same time one state is getting
stricter with COVID, the other state is letting everything go. You know, no no no masks , no
social distancing. They go completely back to normal. So meanwhile this is again ... you're now,
you're you're introducing the total opposite situation. So meanwhile can be used that way as
well. And in the meantime. Let's not use that one. Let's continue. All right. Number four. She put
the milk in the fridge meanwhile her husband was napping in the living room. Now the first one...
I guess you could, you could say that's okay because these are two different events that are
happening at the same time. She put the milk in the fridge in the meantime her husband was napping
in the living room. All right. Now. Down here we're showing why this would actually be awkward.
In the meantime would be awkward in this example because it would suggest her husband was able to
finish his nap in just a few seconds that it takes to put the milk in the fridge and even
though a nap is short it is a short, it is a short sleep, but it's not that short. It's probably at
least more like 10, 20, 30 minutes . It doesn't happen just as you're putting the milk away and
if you use , if you used in the meantime here that's what that would kind of suggest. So this
is another one that you could be careful of. Okay. I hope you got it . I hope now you can clearly see
when you should ... when the crossover is okay. When you can use them , like interchangeably and
when you're probably just more likely to use meanwhile and not in the meantime. Anyway,
I hope you got it. I hope it was clear. I hope it was informative. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.