how people use words

@savypat (20216)
United States
November 7, 2008 3:34pm CST
Do you say when or do you say whenever. In parts of the country you would say when my parents got married but in other parts you would say whenever my parents got married. Which do you use?
1 person likes this
5 responses
Sheepie
@Sheepie (3112)
• United States
7 Nov 08
I think I would use when most of the time. I would use whenever my parents got married if I did not know when they got married. Or, I would use whenever if it happened many times, such as "Whenever I fell asleep, I would have the same dream"
3 people like this
positiveminded1977
@positiveminded1977 (7072)
• India
8 Nov 08
Confused!! When you say "whenever my parents got married," doesn't it mean that they are in the habit of getting married many times? But when you say only "when" they got married once? LOL!! Cheers and happy mylotting
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savypat
@savypat (20216)
• United States
8 Nov 08
That is the point of the questions, in some parts of the country they say whenever instead of the correct when, at the time they are referring to just one incidence. I was hoping that someone from that part of the country would respond.
1 person likes this
redkathy
@redkathy (3374)
• United States
8 Nov 08
I most definitely use when. I have heard people use whenever instead of when but it sounds kinda crazy to me.
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redkathy
@redkathy (3374)
• United States
12 Nov 08
suweet! ♥ TY
Rocketj1
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
8 Nov 08
"Whenever" would be implying that it happened more than once. For example: "Whenever I make my lunch, I have Peanut Butter". "When" is more of a definite time in the past. Like: "When I was younger, I had a dog".
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arunmails
@arunmails (3011)
• India
10 Nov 08
Hey......good yar...... both the phrases looks like the same.... I read three time to understand the difference between real meaning of both the phrases. I always use, when my parents got married....???????
1 person likes this
savypat
@savypat (20216)
• United States
10 Nov 08
Sorry about that. for people outside the US it's confusing. In the US certain areas put English words together in different ways. In some places in the Southern US whenever is in place of when. I was trying to find out just where that was being used. Thanks for your response