public async Task<T> StartMyTask() { await Foo() // code to execute once foo is done } static void Main() { var myTask = StartMyTask(); // call your method which will return control once it hits await // now you can continue executing code here myTask.Wait() // wait for the task to complete to continue } 

You read the 'await' keyword as "start this long running task, then return control to the calling method". Once the long-running task is done, then it executes the code after it. The code after the await is similar to what used to be CallBack methods. The big difference being the logical flow is not interrupted which makes it much easier to write and read.

public async Task<string> StartMyTask() { await Foo() // code to execute once foo is done } static void Main() { var myTask = StartMyTask(); // call your method which will return control once it hits await // now you can continue executing code here   string result = myTask.Result; // wait for the task to complete to continue // use result } 

You read the 'await' keyword as "start this long running task, then return control to the calling method". Once the long-running task is done, then it executes the code after it. The code after the await is similar to what used to be CallBack methods. The big difference being the logical flow is not interrupted which makes it much easier to write and read.