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Both grammar points seem to express similar sentiments. But I had a practice
question today which said

> 友だちは授業の教室が変わったと（ ）、教えてくれませんでした。

with two choices being 知りながら and 知るのに.

Both choices seem to convey "Despite the classroom having changed, my friends
did not tell me". The practice book marks 知りながら as correct, though. What are
the subtleties that would indicate using one over the other?
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2019-10-26T21:36:19.360
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2019-10-27T18:44:15.840
2019-10-27T00:29:22.580
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question
grammar nuances aspect
What is the difference between ながら and のに for expressing "despite"/"although"?
Your understanding of ながら and のに seems correct. ながら can be used as a more
formal conjunction to form a contradictory connection like "although" and
"despite --ing". Your translation is, however, not correct. It should be:

> Despite knowing that the classroom had been changed, my friend did not tell
> me.

In fact, the problem is not about the nuances of ながら and のに but the aspect of
知る. 知る is not really English "know" but the point at which you change from not
knowing to knowing: "get to know", "come to know", or "learn". The state of
already having the piece of information is conveyed by 知っている.

> ○ 授業の教室が変わったと **知りながら** 、教えてくれませんでした  
>  × 授業の教室が変わったと **知るのに** 、教えてくれませんでした  
>  ○ 授業の教室が変わったと **知っているのに** 、教えてくれませんでした

Whether [a verb expresses a punctual or continuing
action](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexical_aspect) is not apparent from its
form in Japanese (or in English), but there is a strict semantic difference.
ながら ("while") neutralizes this contrast, because due to its meaning,
everything that comes before is naturally an ongoing action. Thus:

  * 着る "put on" 

> **着ながら** 採寸ができる服 _clothes that let you take your size while wearing_

  * 点ける "turn on" 

> 電気を **点けながら** 作業する _do work with the lights on_

  * 向く "turn one's face to" 

> そっぽを **向きながら** 返事をする _reply looking the other way_

You can also add an extra ～ている before ながら, in this case 知っていながら. This is
oftentimes just redundant, but sometimes you may need disambiguation when a
verb takes some time: 見つけながら "while you are trying to find" / "while/though
you have found out" vs 見つけていながら only the latter.
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2019-10-27T01:41:06.530
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answer