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Roger Federer has just won another award (in 2013 - one of his worst seasons) in his career and Tim Henman commenting on the ceremony says ironically:

He will probably win (once or twice more/again) the fans favourite even when he is not playing.

I wonder why my teacher says "When he does not play" would be wrong and that it would imply just one match. However my intention is to say "When he does not play" = when he is retired.

Is it really wrong? What is the difference please?

Thank you!

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  • Please provide a link to the sentence you are asking about.
    – Alan Carmack
    Commented Aug 29, 2016 at 5:43
  • @AlanCarmack Ok. I will try to find it today. The problem is that I am not sure whether the video is still on YT - can´t find it now. I found this "sentence" earlier in this year and rewrote it down....
    – user36394
    Commented Aug 29, 2016 at 6:18
  • What do you mean by "my intention"? Are you asking about a sentence you heard on YouTube or a sentence you yourself are writing? Or both or what?
    – Alan Carmack
    Commented Aug 29, 2016 at 12:31
  • Also, please don't accept an answer until at least one full day (24 hrs), or preferably 2 or 3 days, has gone by. This is not an easy question. Nevertheless, there are plenty of questions that ask about the differences between the present simple and present continuous; you might want to click on that present-continuous tag and look through some of the questions about it.
    – Alan Carmack
    Commented Aug 29, 2016 at 12:35

1 Answer 1

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The present continuous is used here to emphasize the continuing action (or in this case, non-action) in the present and into the future. The "not-playing" takes place now and continues forever into the future.

The time described by even when he is not playing is understood here to be the time when he is no longer playing, i.e., when he is retired.

The simple present when he does not play would not be taken to mean that only a single match is not played, in spite of what your teacher (who may not be a native English speaker) incorrectly told you. The usage would not be wrong, but the time described by when he does not play could be understood as including only the present. It leaves open the possibility that he may play again in the future; it would not imply that he is retired.

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  • This is really helping. Thank you very much P.E. Dent! If I add something like "anymore" at the end of the sentences , would the meaning be clear? "...when he doesn´t play anymore." , "...when he is not playing anymore." Would there still be any difference between the two sentences after adding the "anymore"?
    – user36394
    Commented Aug 29, 2016 at 6:16
  • When he doesn't play anymore would be understood, but a native speaker would almost always write instead: When he is not (isn't) playing anymore.
    – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica
    Commented Aug 29, 2016 at 6:19

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