Use of ながら in this instance


One of my textbooks is telling me that the sentence using ながら below is
incorrect

> いすにすわりながら、音楽を聞いている人はウィリアムさんです。

…whilst the following sentence is correct.

> いすにすわって、音楽を聞いている人はウィリアムさんです。  
>  That person sitting on the chair (whilst) listening to music is William.

However, a later example illustrating the use of ながら is this:

> ヘンリーさんは音楽を聞きながら、ダンスをしている。  
>  Henry is dancing whilst listening to music.

Now I can’t the tell difference between the correct use of ながら and the
apparently incorrect one.




The verb すわる "to sit down" is a _punctual verb_ (瞬間動詞). The word _punctual_
comes from the word _point_ , as in **a single point in time**. These verbs
**have no duration** —they take place in an instant, representing a transition
from an old state to a new resultative state. In the case of すわる, the
resulting state is being seated. (You can read more about these verbs [on
Taeko Tomioka's
website](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304170436/http://homepage3.nifty.com/park/aspect.htm)
and elsewhere).

Here's the problem: when you combine a punctual verb with 〜ながら, it's
impossible to interpret it as "while" because **the action has no duration**.
Instead, the only interpretation available is ながら's other meaning, which is a
"counter to expectation" interpretation (similar to English "although").

To illustrate this, I'll borrow an example from _Tense and Aspect in Modern
Colloquial Japanese_ , p.108:

> 大学を **出ながら** 職に就けない。  
>  _**Although (he) graduated** from college, (he) can't get a job._

Here, ながら attaches to the punctual verb 出る. Since this verb has no duration,
it can't mean "while", leaving only the "counter to expectation" meaning. The
expectation set up by 大学を出る is that the subject should be able to get a job,
but in spite of that (as we see in 職に就けない) he cannot.

Unfortunately, **neither** interpretation makes sense in your example:

> ×いすに **すわりながら** 、音楽を聞いている人はウィリアムさんです。

Since すわる is punctual, it has no duration and ながら here cannot mean "while".
And there's no expectation set up by いすにすわる that is contrary to 音楽を聞いている, so
the "counter to expectation" meaning doesn't make sense, either. For this
reason, I've marked the sentence with a × and declined to translate it.

You don't have this problem with the simple connective 〜て:

> いすに **すわって** 、音楽を聞いて **いる** 人はウィリアムさんです。  
>  The person who **'s sitting** in a chair and listening to music is William.

Last, let's look at your example with 聞く. This verb is a _durative verb_
(継続動詞), meaning that it has duration—it lasts longer than an instant. That
means the "while" interpretation is available:

> ヘンリーさんは音楽を **聞きながら** 、ダンスをしている。  
>  _Henry is dancing **while listening** to music._

That's why this sentence works, but the other one doesn't. I think your book
is right.




The verb すわる "to sit down" is a _punctual verb_ (瞬間動詞). The word _punctual_
comes from the word _point_ , as in **a single point in time**. These verbs
**have no duration** —they take place in an instant, representing a transition
from an old state to a new resultative state. In the case of すわる, the
resulting state is being seated. (You can read more about these verbs [on
Taeko Tomioka's
website](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304170436/http://homepage3.nifty.com/park/aspect.htm)
and elsewhere).

Here's the problem: when you combine a punctual verb with 〜ながら, it's
impossible to interpret it as "while" because **the action has no duration**.
Instead, the only interpretation available is ながら's other meaning, which is a
"counter to expectation" interpretation (similar to English "although").

To illustrate this, I'll borrow an example from _Tense and Aspect in Modern
Colloquial Japanese_ , p.108:

> 大学を **出ながら** 職に就けない。  
>  _**Although (he) graduated** from college, (he) can't get a job._

Here, ながら attaches to the punctual verb 出る. Since this verb has no duration,
it can't mean "while", leaving only the "counter to expectation" meaning. The
expectation set up by 大学を出る is that the subject should be able to get a job,
but in spite of that (as we see in 職に就けない) he cannot.

Unfortunately, **neither** interpretation makes sense in your example:

> ×いすに **すわりながら** 、音楽を聞いている人はウィリアムさんです。

Since すわる is punctual, it has no duration and ながら here cannot mean "while".
And there's no expectation set up by いすにすわる that is contrary to 音楽を聞いている, so
the "counter to expectation" meaning doesn't make sense, either. For this
reason, I've marked the sentence with a × and declined to translate it.

You don't have this problem with the simple connective 〜て:

> いすに **すわって** 、音楽を聞いて **いる** 人はウィリアムさんです。  
>  The person who **'s sitting** in a chair and listening to music is William.

Last, let's look at your example with 聞く. This verb is a _durative verb_
(継続動詞), meaning that it has duration—it lasts longer than an instant. That
means the "while" interpretation is available:

> ヘンリーさんは音楽を **聞きながら** 、ダンスをしている。  
>  _Henry is dancing **while listening** to music._

That's why this sentence works, but the other one doesn't. I think your book
is right.

