This document provides information about the proper use of the terms "by" and "until" in the English language. It explains that "by" is used to indicate a deadline or time at which something must happen, such as "I need to finish this report by 5:00 pm." Meanwhile, "until" refers to a period of time or duration, like "I will be on vacation until next Friday." The document provides examples of correct and incorrect usage of these terms and clarifies the difference between their meanings.

1. UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE
CHIMBORAZO
FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN, HUMANAS Y TECNOLOGÍAS
CARRERA DE IDIOMAS
GRAMMAR VI
“BY AND UNTIL”
RONALD MARROQUÍN
DARIO AMANCHA
2015 - 2016
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2. 2/1/2016 Footer Text 2

3. By
We use by to talk about a deadline when something will
happen before that time.
 By tomorrow
 By next week
 By six o'clock
 By Wednesday
 By summer
 By 2020
 By August...
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4. EXAMPLES
 I'll be back by 7 o'clock.
 I'll have gotten my degree in English by next year.
 Don’t worry; you will get your books by Thursday.
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5.  I’d better pay the phone bill. It has to be
paid by tomorrow.
 She is very busy this week. She has to finish this
report by Wednesday.
 They hope to build the offices by March next year.
 You will need to hand your project in by the end of
next week.
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6. Until / Till
Until and till are the same and interchangeable. Until a
newer word and is usually preferred over till in writing
and in speech. We use until to talk about something that
will keep going on for duration of time from a specific
time to another.
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7. EXAMPLES
 Alan came yesterday. He will stay with us until the
weekend.
 She is very busy this week. She won’t have any
time until Wednesday.
 Dave will be on holiday until Monday.
 Yesterday he stayed in bed until 12:00.
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8. Sometimes we can use both by and until in a sentence
but their meanings differ from one another.
 He has bad fever. He needs to be in bed until 10
o'clock.
He is already in bed and he needs to stay in bed.
 He has bad fever. He needs to be in bed by 10 o'clock.
He is not in bed but for his goodness he needs to go to bed latest at 10
o'clock.
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9. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “BY”
AND “UNTIL”
WRONG
 Write the report until 5 pm.
RIGHT
 Write the report by 5 pm.
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10. As a preposition of time “by”
means “on or before”.
E.g.
 We will send you the documents by Friday.
Use “by” when you refer to a deadline.
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11. “Until” means “up to a particular
time”.
E.g.
 We have until Friday to send out the documents.
Use “until” when you refer to the period of time
before a deadline.
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12. “By” is used to describe an action
or event that happens on or before
a particular moment.
E.g.
 We expect to know the judgment by the end of
November.
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13. “Until” is used to describe a state
or situation in the period of time
up to a particular moment.
E.g.
 The court proceedings are expected to
last until November.
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14.  It was Sunday so I stayed in bed noon.
 I promise to repair your computer the end of
next week.I will call you when I'm done.
 I promise to wait here for you you come back.
 I want to have five kids the time I'm 30.
 She looked after the kids their parents returned
from the theatre.
until
by
until
by
until

15.  Can I borrow the book next month?
 You can keep the bike the end of July. I need it back in
August though.
 You have to finish the task tomorrow afternoon.
 Jack waited for his girlfriend from five seven. I would never do
something like that.
 Fill in the form and return it to the receptionist 3 o'clock this
afternoon.
 He shouldn't come Friday morning.
 He went to the garage at 2 o'clock but they made him wait 3:30!
 The garage mechanic said he had been busy 3.15.
until
until
until
until
until
until
by
by

16.  I thought he would be gone the time the garage mechanic
arrives.
 Are you sure he will have finished the major repairs
Wednesday?
 He can't say the Inspector of Mines gives his report.
 Will he call them next Monday to have an idea?
 He certainly will but not the garage mechanic has tested
the steering gear.
 If he doesn't hear from the mechanic Wednesday, he'll
have a fit of anger.
 I will be taking care of my little brother Allan my
parents come back.
 I will have graduated from Harvard 2016.
 I am so tired. I will sleep noon tomorrow.
 Stay here and don't touch anything I come back.
 I need to turn in my homework Monday.by
by
by
by
by
by
until
until
until
until
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