Robel Y. answered • 09/14/22
English Language Arts Tutor (Former Teacher)
Dear Zang,
Thanks so much for this question. You've named a really important distinction between both sentences.
In both sentences, we know a few things. First, we know the clock stopped. Second, we know some group of people realized that the clock stopped.
So, what's the difference between both sentences and why are they ambiguous? Let's see.
In the first sentence, we know the clock stopped before midnight. When exactly? We don't really know. The clock could have stopped at 11:59pm, 10:00pm, 4:47pm, or 9:56am. The next sentence reads, "After a while, they realized it." Here, we know that some amount of time has passed since the clock stopped before midnight. We also know that after some amount of time has passed, another group of people realize the clock did indeed stop before midnight. The focus here? Clock stops at 12am -> some time passes -> a group of people realize the clock stopped at 12am.
In the second sentence, we know the clock stopped "a while ago." That phrase - "a while ago" is very ambiguous and vague. What exactly is "a while?" Is "a while" 1 hour ago? How about 2 hours and 15 minutes ago? Or how about 7 hours ago? It's hard to know because the sentence does not specifically name what "a while" means. Next, the sentence reads, "They didn't realize it before midnight." As you've correctly identified, this independent clause highlights when some group of people realized that the clock had stopped working. The focus here? The clock stopped a while ago -> a group of people realize the clock stopped -> but they don't realize that the clock stopped until before midnight.
So to conclude, the two sentences use different combinations of sentences and phrases to explain how meaning can change.
Excellent job!
