conjunctions

1) Both these sentences are correct but they have slightly different meanings.
"The buses are crowded when it's wet" is a general statement meaning that when(ever) it is wet, the buses are usually crowded.

"The buses are crowded as it's wet" is about the current situation: it is wet now/today and as a result the buses are crowded.


2) Either is possible but they give slightly different nuances. "As the sun rose the fog dispersed" (n.b. not ?'dispursed') describes these two processes happening at the same time. "When the sun rose the fog dispersed" implies that the sun rose, and then the fog dispersed.


3) "As a student he had known great poverty".
It certainly does mean "when he was a student", and this is the main meaning, but depending on the context it's also possible to see a hint that he was poor because he was a student. Compare the phrase "As your lawyer, I must advise you…", in which "as" is short for "in my role/capacity as". These indeterminate shades of meaning are what make English such a joy for poets and such hell for language students!

4) "The whole things" can't be right. Either "the whole thing" or "all the things". And you need a comma after the first clause -

Tired as he was, he offered to carry the whole thing
- or you could switch the clauses round, so:
He offered to carry the whole thing, tired as he was

Thanks syntinen, it's tiring to always stick to the grammar.I think sometimes you know that this sentence is right or wrong by your feeling!.

I found the latest sentence in a book, and want to make sure of it.

Cunjuntion Junction, what's your fuction?

Hi Bella, you meant function, right ?

Thanks

Yup....