Vineeta asks:
Recently, someone who speaks English well challenged me that "in the meanwhile" is a grammatically correct expression. I know for a certainty that it’s not. We either say "in the meantime" or simply "meanwhile," as the ‘while’ implies the interim period. Right?
Can you please confirm this, along with the rationale behind it.
Excellent question! You're right, but not for the reason you suggest. "Meanwhile" is an adverb, modifying the verb in the sentence:
"Meanwhile, I went into a bookstore." (tells us when I went)
"Meantime," however, is a noun, and it takes a preposition like "in" or "for":
"In the meantime, I went into a bookstore."
"For the meantime, I won't decide one way or the other."
In sentences like these, "meantime" is pretty much identical to "recess" or "break" or "intermission"—none of which we would use without a preposition.
Nevertheless, many people do use "meantime" as a synonym for "meanwhile"—even announcers on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, who ought to know better.
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