By or Until?

Hello. You can relax now. Take a deep breath, and relax your shoulders. This will be easy, I promise.

Hi everyone! Welcome to another episode of English Airs, the podcast that gives you effortless accuracy. My name is Parya. I am an English instructor (and some other things) in Tokyo, and today, I am waiting for a package. The post says it will be here by 2 in the afternoon. I am going to be here until 5, so it’s ok, but … it’s just, I really, really, don’t like waiting. So, while I’m waiting, let me help you a little with “by” and “until”. Do you know how to use them? It’s really easy. Come on, I’ll show you.

Look at my case: I am waiting for a package, and the post says it will be here by 2 o’clock. The post here is quite reliable, so I believe them. But, what does it mean when they say “by 2 o’clock”? Is it the same as “at 2 o’clock”? Did you say “no”? Yeah, you’re right, it’s different. At 2 o’clock is just one point. An exact point. What about “by”? Here are some questions ( and answers):

– Is the package going to be here exactly at 2? Maybe.
– Is it going to be here at 1:38? It’s possible.
– Is it going to be here later than 2 o’clock? No! The post has promised me.

So you see? “By” is like a deadline: It means at one point before the deadline, but not later than that. Not difficult, right? Can you think about your life and work these days and tell me a few things? Things like these: “I have to wake up by 6:30 because I have to be at work by 8.”, or “I’m working on a project, and we have to finish it by Thursday.” I’m going to give you some time now. If this is your second time listening to this episode, try to talk about today. Think, and tell me. I’m listening!

Great job! Some of you have very tight deadlines, so well done making time for this episode!

Now we can go back and look at my situation again: As I said, I am going to be home until 5. What do you understand from this? That’s right: I am going to leave at 5. Let me ask you; Will I be here at 4 o’clock? At 3:30? At 1:26? Yes, the answer to all those questions is yes. I’ll be home all the time before 5. All the time. But, after 5, can you find me at home? No!

You got it, right? With “by”, we have a deadline. Something happens before that time. We don’t know exactly when, but we know that it is not after that time.
With “until”, we have a divider: something is true or happens on one side, and is false or does not happen on the other side. It’s like one side is black and the other side is white. You can choose other colors if you want.

Listen to this :
“Today the manager will be at the office until 11.”
Is the manager at the office now?
Will the manager be at the office after 11?
If you answered “yes” and “no”, bravo!

How about this:
“Today the manager will not be at the office until 11.”
Is the manager at the office now?
Will he or she be there after 11?
Well done! The answers are “no” and “yes”.

It’s your turn now. I am going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to answer them using “until”. For example, if I ask “How long did you live in your first home?” You can say ” I lived there until I was 16.” or “Until 2006.” Ready? Let’s go:

How long did you stay up last night?

How long are you going to live in your current home?

How long are you going to work?

Great job everyone! You’ve got the difference, and all you need to do now is to practice using them. Here is how: To practice “by”, think about some goals you have. Use very simple things. Very, very short-term goals. If you choose long-term goals, they will be the same every day, right? Now, set a reminder for yourself at a time when you know you have one or two minutes, and try telling them to yourself out loud. For example “I want to drink three glasses of water by noon.” or “I’m going to finish that book by the end of the week.”

To practice “until”, think about the important times in your life, when something changed. Then every night, say something about one of them. For example, if you got married in 2018, first of all, congratulations! I wish you a happy life! But also, you can say “I was single until 2018”.

That brings us to the end of this episode. Remember that listening more than once and giving new answers to questions gives you more practice. Also, if you listen to the episodes “Tips to improve speaking” and “Remembering what you learn“, it can help you choose the best way to practice.

You can reach me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and tell me what you think, make requests, or ask questions. And if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll have updates about the upcoming workshops! Thank you for introducing this podcast to anyone who might need it or enjoy it. I wish to help as many people as I can, and it’s not possible without your help.

Parya out!