In this episode we are going to talk about by and until. These two words are a little bit confusing for some English learners. However, you will not be confused if you know two things, the meaning and the words that follow by and until.
The Meaning of By
By means ‘not later than’. We can say that by is used to precede a deadline, the latest time.
- I sent the parcel on Wednesday morning. You should receive it by Friday. ( on or before Friday )
- Where’s the teacher? He should be here by now. (now or before now)
Words that Follow By
By is followed by time words, time phrases, but not time clauses (adverb clauses). See the following table.
| Time Words | Time Phrases |
|---|---|
| now
Soon the months of the year (January, February, March ….) the days of the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, ….) |
the time of the day (one o’clock, two o’clock, five thirty, a quarter to seven, ….)
The year (1970, 2001, 2020, …)
Next day, next week, next month, next year, ….
|
Examples:
Please submit the application letter by Monday.
Can you come back by five o’clock?
We have to finish the project by 2023.
The Meaning of Until
- I will be here until 5 o’clock.
- Do you work until midnight?
- I will stay here until you say “yes”.
- I will make another sentence until you understand.
Until (Till) Followed By Time Words, Time Phrases, and Time Clause
- I’m not leaving until you give me the money. (I will continue staying and I will stop when you give me the money.) (Time Clause/Adverbial Clause)
- This week I will have a mid semester test, so I study until ten or eleven o’clock every night. (Time Phrase)
- We always study until two. (Time Word)
By and Until Exercises
Exercise I
- I’ve been asked to marry him. I have to answer him … next Friday.
- I’ll wait for you … 8 o’clock tomorrow morning.
- If we leave on Monday, we should be in Gothenburg … Tuesday.
- I hope to finish this project …. the end of this year.
- We have to be at the airport … 7 o’clock.
- Please call me … 9 o’clock tonight. Later than that, I will be sleeping.
- The boy teased the girl … she cried.
- Do I need to come here … 9 o’clock next Monday?
- We must stay here …. everyone comes here.
- When do I have to pay the tuition? ….. next Friday.
Exercise II
Answer the questions using by or until.
- How long will you study English?
- When do you think people should get married?
- When is the best time for dinner?
- How long do you think parents should feed their children?
- When do you plan to have a job/set up your own business?
Answers
Exercise I
- I’ve been asked to marry him. I have to answer him by next Friday.
- I’ll wait for you until 8 o’clock tomorrow morning.
- If we leave on Monday, we should be in Gothenburg by Tuesday.
- I hope to finish this project by the end of this year.
- We have to be at the airport by 7 o’clock.
- Please call me by 9 o’clock tonight. Later than that, I will be sleeping.
- The boy teased the girl until she cried.
- Do I need to come here by 9 o’clock next Monday?
- We must stay here until everyone comes here.
- When do I have to pay the tuition? By next Friday.
Exercise II
Different answers are possible.
- I will study until I master it very well.
- I think people should get married by 35.
- We must have dinner by seven p.m.
- I think parents should their children until the children are independent.
- I plan to have a job by 25.
Other Exercises
Useful Video on By and Until
Difference between “By” and “Until”
Save your time by having our ebook Buy 119+ Situations by 16 Tenses here.
or you can also have the paperback book here:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.