PremiumMobile AppDictionary

Langeek

EN
Night Mode
Learnchevron
Mobile AppPremiumDictionary
profileLogin

By vs. Until 

byprepositions of timeuntil
"By" vs. "Until" in the English grammar

What Is Their Main Difference?

The main difference between 'by' and 'until' is that 'by' talks about deadline while 'until' refers to all the time between the action's starting point to the end of the action.

Talking about Deadline

We use 'by' to talk only about the deadline. When we use 'by' we are emphasizing the time that an action or event came to an end. Have a look:

Example

Your assignments must be on my desk by Wednesday.

I need to be home by 9 p.m.

Talking about a Period of Time

We use 'until' to talk about the time between a starting point and the end of the time period. For example:

Example

I have to work until 4 p.m.

The Zoo is only open until sunset.

With Other Prepositions

'Until' can be used with other prepositions to give more detail about the time period. Have a look:

Example

Our work days are from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The ice festival is open from December until February.

Are They Interchangeable?

'By' and 'until' are not interchangeable. Replacing them with each other will completely change the meaning of the sentence.

Comments

(0)
Loading Recaptcha...
Share on :
Share on :
books
Learn English VocabularyStart learning categorized English vocabulary on Langeek.
Click to start

Recommended

With vs. Through

bookmark
Are you confused about the difference between 'with' and 'through'? In this lesson, we will learn their uses and differences.

From vs. Of

bookmark
In this lesson, we will learn the differences and uses of prepositions 'from' and 'of.'

From vs. Since

bookmark
'From' and 'since' are both used to talk about a specific time period. In this lesson, we will learn their uses and differences.

By vs. Via

bookmark
'By' and 'via' are commonly confused by English learners. In this lesson, we will learn when to use each of them and their uses.

For or On

bookmark
When we are talking about certain times, which preposition of time can we use? In this lesson, we will learn when to use 'for' and 'on.'

From vs. Between

bookmark
'From' and 'between' are prepositions widely used in the English language. In this lesson, we will learn their uses and differences.
LanGeek
Download LanGeek app