Tom was working in the garden while I was sitting in the sun

在这个句子里,习惯用法是用while,不用when.它们的主要区别是：
1.when是at or during the time that,既指时间点,也可指一段时间,while是during the time that,只指一段时间,因此when引导的时间状语从句中的动词可以是终止性动词,也可以是延续性动词,而while从句中的动词必须是延续性动词.
2.when 说明从句的动作和主句的动作可以是同时,也可以是先后发生；while 则强调主句的动作在从句动作的发生的过程中或主从句两个动作同时发生.
3.由when引导的时间状语从句,主句用过去进行时,从句应用一般过去时；如果从句和主句的动作同时发生,两句都用过去进行时的时候,多用while引导,如：
a.When the teacher came in,we were talking.
当此句改变主从句的位置时,则为：
While we were talking,the teacher came in.
b.They were singing while we were dancing.