WEBVTT FILE

1
00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:04.573
Well hello! I'm Emma from mmmEnglish!

2
00:00:04.573 --> 00:00:07.538
In this lesson today, we're going to focus on

3
00:00:07.538 --> 00:00:10.828
two really important English prepositions,

4
00:00:11.232 --> 00:00:14.315
prepositions that sometimes get confused,

5
00:00:14.661 --> 00:00:16.527
by and until.

6
00:00:17.180 --> 00:00:20.711
These are prepositions of time and they can be used in a

7
00:00:20.711 --> 00:00:24.360
similar way but the biggest mistake that my students make

8
00:00:24.360 --> 00:00:27.927
is using by and until in the same way.

9
00:00:27.927 --> 00:00:29.864
They are not interchangeable.

10
00:00:29.864 --> 00:00:30.888
In fact,

11
00:00:30.888 --> 00:00:32.798
in some situations, they can have 

12
00:00:32.798 --> 00:00:34.501
a completely different meaning

13
00:00:34.501 --> 00:00:37.447
but don't worry at all. Today you're here to learn

14
00:00:37.447 --> 00:00:41.012
how and when to use these prepositions correctly.

15
00:00:41.089 --> 00:00:44.457
Plus, I've included a little test at the end

16
00:00:44.457 --> 00:00:46.753
so that you can make sure that you're using these

17
00:00:46.753 --> 00:00:48.665
prepositions accurately.

18
00:00:48.665 --> 00:00:49.695
Is that okay?

19
00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:51.625
Good! Let's dive in! 

20
00:00:57.360 --> 00:01:00.219
Do you have problems with prepositions?

21
00:01:01.123 --> 00:01:04.670
Prepositions eight by eight is a step course

22
00:01:04.670 --> 00:01:07.361
for intermediate to advanced learners to go

23
00:01:07.361 --> 00:01:11.364
beyond the basics and to learn eight different ways

24
00:01:11.365 --> 00:01:15.881
to use eight prepositions in everyday spoken English.

25
00:01:15.996 --> 00:01:18.569
You'll learn some advanced word patterns that are going to

26
00:01:18.569 --> 00:01:21.649
take your English skills to the next level.

27
00:01:21.919 --> 00:01:26.218
Plus every lesson includes an interactive speaking practice

28
00:01:26.353 --> 00:01:30.532
with me using the English imitation technique.

29
00:01:30.667 --> 00:01:34.245
Now of course, I have a free lesson for you to try so you can

30
00:01:34.245 --> 00:01:36.065
see what you think for yourself,

31
00:01:36.065 --> 00:01:40.393
just click the link in the description or follow that one up there

32
00:01:40.393 --> 00:01:43.442
and enrol and try it out for yourself.

33
00:01:44.257 --> 00:01:49.190
By means at or before a certain time.

34
00:01:49.344 --> 00:01:52.460
Shah will be at the party by 5pm.

35
00:01:52.460 --> 00:01:57.467
The preposition by helps us to know that he will be there at 5pm.

36
00:01:57.467 --> 00:02:01.747
Whether he arrives before it or exactly at that time,

37
00:02:01.747 --> 00:02:04.403
he won't arrive after 5pm.

38
00:02:04.752 --> 00:02:08.439
Now until shows us a state or a situation that

39
00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:11.911
continues up to a certain time.

40
00:02:12.480 --> 00:02:14.433
Can you wait till I get there to cut the cake?

41
00:02:14.817 --> 00:02:18.830
Waiting is the situation and it's going to continue up until

42
00:02:18.830 --> 00:02:21.242
the moment that Shah arrives.

43
00:02:21.243 --> 00:02:25.486
When Shah arrives, the waiting stops and in this case

44
00:02:25.717 --> 00:02:26.879
we get to eat cake.

45
00:02:27.282 --> 00:02:31.073
When you hear a native English speaker using this word

46
00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:34.757
you'll notice that often it's reduced.

47
00:02:34.757 --> 00:02:38.921
Until becomes till.

48
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:41.237
It's unstressed

49
00:02:41.429 --> 00:02:44.417
so it's not an important word in our sentence.

50
00:02:44.417 --> 00:02:46.168
It reduces down.

51
00:02:46.168 --> 00:02:49.895
And so for that reason, it could be a little difficult to hear

52
00:02:49.895 --> 00:02:52.290
unless you know what you're listening for.

53
00:02:52.290 --> 00:02:53.849
I'll wait till five

54
00:02:54.425 --> 00:02:56.434
but then I'm gonna cut the cake without you.

55
00:02:56.589 --> 00:03:00.874
So there's no difference in the meaning between until and til,

56
00:03:01.085 --> 00:03:04.769
til is just easier to say, it flows a little more naturally

57
00:03:04.769 --> 00:03:07.247
so you should try it out when you're speaking.

58
00:03:11.639 --> 00:03:14.230
By and until are really useful

59
00:03:14.231 --> 00:03:16.419
when you're talking about deadlines.

60
00:03:16.554 --> 00:03:18.619
I have to decide by Monday.

61
00:03:18.619 --> 00:03:22.409
I have to decide on or before Monday.

62
00:03:22.409 --> 00:03:25.238
I can't decide after Monday because

63
00:03:25.411 --> 00:03:27.025
by then it's going to be too late.

64
00:03:27.237 --> 00:03:29.187
Monday is the deadline.

65
00:03:29.187 --> 00:03:32.976
So we use by plus time or date

66
00:03:32.976 --> 00:03:36.560
or day to talk about a deadline.

67
00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:40.641
And the focus really is on that endpoint, the moment when

68
00:03:40.641 --> 00:03:45.206
the task must be complete or the action needs to be complete.

69
00:03:45.456 --> 00:03:47.038
But we can also say:

70
00:03:47.384 --> 00:03:50.697
I have until Monday to decide.

71
00:03:50.697 --> 00:03:53.652
So the meaning here is very similar

72
00:03:53.652 --> 00:03:56.086
but it's not exactly the same

73
00:03:56.086 --> 00:03:57.866
because with until,

74
00:03:57.866 --> 00:04:02.885
the focus is on the period of time leading up to the endpoint.

75
00:04:03.193 --> 00:04:06.248
So you have a period of time to decide

76
00:04:06.540 --> 00:04:09.786
from now until Monday.

77
00:04:09.920 --> 00:04:13.947
So with until, we're really focusing on that block or that

78
00:04:13.948 --> 00:04:16.759
section of time before the deadline.

79
00:04:16.759 --> 00:04:20.880
But with by, we're focused on the endpoint.

80
00:04:20.880 --> 00:04:24.034
Now I think an easy way to remember the difference is to

81
00:04:24.035 --> 00:04:26.921
think about the time expression

82
00:04:27.180 --> 00:04:32.415
from something until something or till something.

83
00:04:32.415 --> 00:04:34.557
So let's look at this example again.

84
00:04:34.557 --> 00:04:37.750
I have from today till Monday to decide.

85
00:04:37.750 --> 00:04:41.214
You can see that the beginning of that block of time is really

86
00:04:41.214 --> 00:04:46.241
clearly defined and the end is really clearly defined as well

87
00:04:46.242 --> 00:04:49.440
in this expression. We know from now

88
00:04:50.040 --> 00:04:51.552
till Monday.

89
00:04:51.823 --> 00:04:54.889
When we say: I have until Monday

90
00:04:54.889 --> 00:05:00.343
it's basically the same as saying from now until Monday

91
00:05:00.689 --> 00:05:04.659
but here the starting time is either not important or

92
00:05:04.659 --> 00:05:07.791
it's not relevant or we just assume

93
00:05:07.791 --> 00:05:09.968
that the time is from now.

94
00:05:09.969 --> 00:05:11.473
Another example. 

95
00:05:11.896 --> 00:05:14.380
The party goes til late.

96
00:05:14.380 --> 00:05:17.501
It's not important what time the party starts.

97
00:05:17.502 --> 00:05:21.887
We're emphasising that the party continues into the night.

98
00:05:21.887 --> 00:05:23.312
I'll be here till midday.

99
00:05:23.791 --> 00:05:28.460
This just means I'll be here from now until midday.

100
00:05:28.634 --> 00:05:31.324
Okay this is important to keep in mind.

101
00:05:31.324 --> 00:05:38.011
Both by and until can be used with a precise time, an exact time.

102
00:05:38.011 --> 00:05:40.784
I need the contract by 5 o'clock.

103
00:05:40.784 --> 00:05:44.529
You have until 2pm to sign the contract.

104
00:05:44.529 --> 00:05:48.025
However only until can be used with

105
00:05:48.025 --> 00:05:50.768
less precise time expressions.

106
00:05:50.979 --> 00:05:52.672
He didn't get home until late.

107
00:05:53.038 --> 00:05:55.912
Late is a time expression but

108
00:05:56.028 --> 00:05:59.916
it's not a precise time, it's a general time.

109
00:06:00.108 --> 00:06:04.799
We don't really know whether late means 2am or

110
00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:07.996
9pm but you get the idea.

111
00:06:07.996 --> 00:06:13.648
We can even use until together with a second action or event.

112
00:06:13.649 --> 00:06:17.168
I'll wait until you get here.

113
00:06:17.168 --> 00:06:20.820
He watched TV until he fell asleep.

114
00:06:21.339 --> 00:06:25.142
Bake the cake until it's golden brown.

115
00:06:25.142 --> 00:06:29.810
So in all these examples, until is actually a conjunction.

116
00:06:29.811 --> 00:06:33.885
A conjunction is a linking word that helps to join two clauses

117
00:06:33.885 --> 00:06:36.902
or sentences together and that is why

118
00:06:36.902 --> 00:06:40.939
we can't simply replace until with by

119
00:06:40.939 --> 00:06:44.331
in any of these examples. It doesn't make sense.

120
00:06:44.520 --> 00:06:49.989
Let me show you how easy it is to get confused by by and until.

121
00:06:51.065 --> 00:06:52.889
Do they mean the same thing?

122
00:06:55.089 --> 00:06:55.995
They do not.

123
00:06:55.996 --> 00:06:58.130
They don't mean the same thing

124
00:06:58.515 --> 00:07:00.394
but do you know the difference?

125
00:07:03.540 --> 00:07:08.256
I'll be home by nine so I'm not home now.

126
00:07:08.966 --> 00:07:13.645
But in the time between now and 9 o'clock, I'll arrive home.

127
00:07:13.895 --> 00:07:17.700
So if you come to my house after nine, that's where I'll be.

128
00:07:17.700 --> 00:07:20.189
I'll be home until nine.

129
00:07:20.580 --> 00:07:23.362
Usually means I'm home now.

130
00:07:24.092 --> 00:07:27.720
So I'll be at home from now up until nine.

131
00:07:28.104 --> 00:07:30.605
If you come to my house after nine,

132
00:07:30.933 --> 00:07:32.291
I won't be there.

133
00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.270
So the meaning here is almost

134
00:07:35.270 --> 00:07:38.419
completely opposite in these sentences.

135
00:07:38.640 --> 00:07:41.625
That's why you need to think carefully about using

136
00:07:41.625 --> 00:07:43.179
by or until

137
00:07:43.179 --> 00:07:47.040
because you can see that it's easy to make the wrong choice

138
00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:50.357
and that really could lead to a misunderstanding.

139
00:07:50.895 --> 00:07:53.705
Okay so let's test what you know.

140
00:07:53.705 --> 00:07:57.740
I've prepared a little quiz to help you test your skills

141
00:07:57.741 --> 00:08:01.250
to make sure that you really understand these prepositions.

142
00:08:01.250 --> 00:08:04.808
You'll see a sentence up on screen just like this.

143
00:08:05.340 --> 00:08:09.652
All you need to do is decide whether by or until

144
00:08:09.652 --> 00:08:12.281
is the right way to complete the sentence.

145
00:08:12.281 --> 00:08:16.013
This one is by because the letter could arrive

146
00:08:16.013 --> 00:08:18.373
on or before Tuesday.

147
00:08:18.373 --> 00:08:21.334
And the verb arrive helps us to know that we're focusing

148
00:08:21.334 --> 00:08:23.756
on Tuesday as the deadline.

149
00:08:23.910 --> 00:08:26.772
The letter should arrive by Tuesday.

150
00:08:26.772 --> 00:08:30.214
So are you ready to start the quiz? It's your turn now.

151
00:08:41.350 --> 00:08:43.870
The report is due by Friday.

152
00:08:55.800 --> 00:08:59.280
I waited until 9:30 but no one showed up.

153
00:09:11.220 --> 00:09:13.728
I need to be at the airport by 12

154
00:09:13.881 --> 00:09:16.353
because the flight departs at 1:30.

155
00:09:27.240 --> 00:09:31.307
I forgot my keys, can you wait there until I get home?

156
00:09:42.610 --> 00:09:45.670
The shops stay open until 9pm on Thursday.

157
00:09:47.635 --> 00:09:49.398
So how did you go?

158
00:09:49.571 --> 00:09:51.138
Did you get all of them right?

159
00:09:51.484 --> 00:09:52.986
Let me know down in the comments

160
00:09:52.986 --> 00:09:56.078
or if you have any questions about the quiz, let me know.

161
00:09:56.193 --> 00:09:59.828
Learning to use English prepositions correctly really does

162
00:09:59.828 --> 00:10:02.809
take practice and patience.

163
00:10:02.809 --> 00:10:05.682
But if you want to dive deeper and perfect

164
00:10:05.683 --> 00:10:07.598
your English prepositions with me

165
00:10:07.598 --> 00:10:11.246
then go and check out my prepositions course.

166
00:10:11.246 --> 00:10:14.020
For all of my students here on YouTube, I've got a

167
00:10:14.020 --> 00:10:16.019
twenty per cent discount for you.

168
00:10:16.019 --> 00:10:19.145
Make sure you use this code at the checkout.

169
00:10:19.261 --> 00:10:21.567
The link to my prepositions course is

170
00:10:21.567 --> 00:10:23.453
down in the description below.

171
00:10:23.453 --> 00:10:25.307
Thank you for practising with me today

172
00:10:25.307 --> 00:10:29.040
and for all of your support, I really appreciate it.

173
00:10:29.040 --> 00:10:31.040
I'll see you in the next lesson!