a. I am staying in his flat while he is away for a while.
Does 'for a while' modify 'I am staying in his flat' or 'he is away'?
Is it possible that the intended meaning is I am staying in his flat during part of the duration of his absence?
Many thanks
- I am staying in his flat [while he is away for a while].
- I am staying in his flat [while he is away] for a while.
(1) is more likely, that is,
I am staying in his flat, while he is away for a while.
As commented, there's no implication about whether the stay is throughout the period or just a part of it.
To mean (2), it would likely be
I am staying in his flat, while he is away, for a while.
or better
I am staying in his flat for a while, while he is away.
I am staying in his flat while he is away for a while.
There is no way to know, without context, whether this is a "house-sitting" scenario or someone letting a friend stay in their flat for a bit while they're away. "while" is variable and imprecise in its meaning. It could mean "for the entire duration" or "for some chunk of time".
