Can I say "until" instead of "by?"

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

No, "until" functions a little differently than "by!" "By" means no later than a certain time. Whereas "until" indicates the point of time something ends. Here, it could work! But the context would change a little. Saying "by Friday" indicates the deadline, "until Friday" would mean that the action of writing cards would end on Friday. Ex: I'll be in the area until Friday. => The person will no longer be in the area after Friday. Ex: I was at the party until five in the afternoon. => The person left the party at five. Ex: A: When did you get to the party? B: I got to the party by five in the afternoon. => The person arrived no later than five

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Popular Q&As

07/15

1
What does "dirty jokes" mean?
A "dirty joke" is a joke that will probably have a sexual reference, coarse language, or is inappropriate. Some people may find them offensive. They're used a lot in American comedies. Ex: Dane tells too many dirty jokes. They're not funny to me. Ex: I made a dirty joke at dinner. Surprisingly, everyone laughed!

2
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"My bad" is a very fun and a very common phrase used in English that means the person saying it made a mistake or an error. Here are some examples of it being used: A: Hey, did you remember to take out the trash? B: Oh crap! I forgot. My bad. Ex: Dang it! I forgot to clock out of work. My bad. A: Why didn't you do your homework? B: I had homework? A: Yes, math homework. B: Crap, my bad. This phrase can be used regularly and in pretty much any situation where there is some type of mistake or error done. If you continuously listen to native English speakers, you will probably hear this phrase.

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Does "how little we know" mean "we almost don't know at all?"
Yes! That's right! It's emphasising that we don't know much about something. Ex: There's little we know about space. Ex: I just realised how little we know about each other.

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What's the difference between "being normal" and "being ordinary"?
"Ordinary" and "normal" are very similar, but they have completely different nuances. "Normal" usually has a positive connotation, and when used to describe someone, it implies that there is nothing wrong or strange about someone. "Ordinary" on the other hand often has a negative connotation. When someone is "ordinary" it usually means they are plain or simple and there is nothing special about them. Ex: She's a very ordinary girl. Ex: Everyone at the school is weird, only a few people seem normal.

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