Until you say By!
By and Until; two little words that many people have problems with, causing misunderstandings with native speakers.
If you want to say something is happening continuously, up to a certain time, you use Until. This word is always linked to something continuous, occurring without a break.
I’ll be at the office until 5.
Wait here until I get back.
I was so lazy yesterday, I stayed in bed until midday.
In these sentences the subject remains in the same place (the office, here, in bed) up to a certain time (5, when I get back, midday).
By, on the other hand, is used to talk about an action which happens at some point. The key here is that the single action will happen at some point, no later than this time.
You have to pay that bill by the 10th.
I’m not paying every minute of every day up to the 10th. It isn’t a continuous action. It means one single action, which will be carried out at some point, not later than the 10th.
I’m going to visit Melissa for a while but I’ll be back by 6 for dinner.
Maybe I’ll return an hour before dinner, a half hour or even 5 minutes before, but I will definitely be here at 6, at the latest.
If you want me to get you a ticket, let me know by lunchtime on Friday.
You can tell me at anytime tomorrow, Thursday or Friday morning but you have to tell me know later than lunchtime.
It’s easy really. Until is for a something that is continuous (working, waiting, lying in bed). By is for a single action (finish a project, return home, ask for a ticket) that can occur at any point but no later than a certain time point.
Well, by now, I’m sure you’ve got that grammar point under control and you’ll be using those two words correctly until the end of time.
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