I was sleeping when he came in vs I was asleep when he came inn

Both phrases are correct, but they have slightly different meanings. 'I was sleeping when he came in' implies that the action of sleeping was in progress when he entered. On the other hand, 'I was asleep when he came in' suggests that the state of being asleep was already established when he entered. The choice between 'sleeping' and 'asleep' depends on whether you want to emphasize the ongoing action of sleeping or the state of being asleep at that moment.

Last updated: March 17, 2024

I was sleeping when he came in

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to indicate that the action of sleeping was in progress when he entered.

Examples:

I was sleeping when the phone rang.
She was sleeping when the alarm went off.
He was sleeping when the doorbell rang.
They were sleeping when the storm started.
The baby was sleeping when the dog barked.

Show examples from the web [+]

“I was sleeping when he came in and threw acid on me…it took one second to ruin my life completely,” says one of the women at the centre of the 40-minute film ...
Jun 3, 2011 ... He brought me flowers on Thursday night, but I was sleeping when he came in (I am either suffering from insanely terrible allergies or a ...
Feb 13, 2013 ... I was sleeping when he came in a awoke to a big black toad jumping off his hands and onto my pillow. It was not the start of a harmonious ...
Mar 23, 2011 ... "I would pretend I was sleeping when he came in," she said while wiping the tears from her eyes. When Bock asked her how she knew it was ...

Alternatives:

I fell asleep when he came in.
I drifted off to sleep when he entered.
I was in the middle of sleeping when he arrived.
I was catching some Z's when he walked in.
I was dozing off when he entered.

I was asleep when he came inn

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to indicate that the state of being asleep was already established when he entered.

Examples:

I was asleep when the phone rang.
She was asleep when the alarm went off.
He was asleep when the doorbell rang.
They were asleep when the storm started.
The baby was asleep when the dog barked.

Alternatives:

I had fallen asleep when he came in.
I was already asleep when he entered.
I was deep in sleep when he arrived.
I was sound asleep when he walked in.
I was in a deep slumber when he entered.

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I was sleeping when he came in vs I was asleep when he came inn