1. He was sleeping and his wife was knitting beside him.
2. While he was sleeping, his wife was knitting beside him.
3. He was sleeping his wife knitting beside him.
3-2. He was sleeping, his wife knitting beside him.
4. He was sleeping while his wife was knitting beside him.
[Are the sentences all the same in meaning? What about #3 and #3-2? Do we have to put a comma before 'his wife'?]
1 answer
Yes, they all mean the same thing, but 3 needs a comma -- thus for 3-2, the comma is needed.