Breakdown of По мере того как вафли остывали, джем становился гуще.
становиться
to become
вафля
the waffle
джем
the jam
по мере того как
as
Questions & Answers about По мере того как вафли остывали, джем становился гуще.
What does по мере того как mean here?
It means as, as... gradually, or in proportion as.
So По мере того как вафли остывали, джем становился гуще describes two changes happening alongside each other:
- the waffles were cooling
- the jam was getting thicker
This expression is especially useful when both things change gradually over time.
How is по мере того как different from когда or пока?
They are related, but not the same.
- когда = when
- mainly places one event in time
- пока = while / as long as
- shows two things happening at the same time
- по мере того как = as / in proportion as
- emphasizes that one process develops together with another
So this sentence is not just saying the waffles cooled while the jam thickened. It is saying the jam became thicker as the waffles cooled more and more.
Why is there того in по мере того как? What is it doing?