Re: with and without "while"

tony cooper wrote:
No real difference, but you *could* think that the first version
implies that whatever he was listening to was so boring that it caused
him to nod off. However, there would have to be some supporting
context to get this implication.

I get just the opposite impression, actually. "Fell asleep listening"
suggests to me that he turned the radio on and went to bed, and "fell
asleep while listening" suggests that he couldn't stay awake.

¬R
.

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