A while or Awhile?

Because so many writers have trouble with this and have asked me this exact question, I've decided to go ahead and make a post out of this with a very short cheat-sheet (you'll also be able to find this cheat-sheet in my list of Helpful Tips):

A while = a period of time (can be replaced by a definite period of time)
Awhile = for a time (i.e. can be replaced by an adverb*)

Here are a few examples regarding these two terms:

• Ronnie went to the park for a while 
• Ronnie went to the part for an hour 

• Ronnie walked to the park for awhile
• Ronnie walked to the park quickly

*For those who aren't sure what an adverb is, in short it's a verb ending in -ly and can be used like an adjective to describe how something (an action) is completed. You can also think of it like a math equation in which verb + adjective = adverb. You can learn more about adverbs under Helpful Tips - "More About Adverbs" or read Ann Copeland's The ABC's of Writing Fiction chapter "Adverbs"