BEFORE or UNTIL

Question

Well another JTE, Japanese teacher of English, has ambushed me, so I would like to get feedback on whether

this is ok or not.

HERE IS THE NORMAL SENTENCE:

Yuta had lived in India for 3 years before he came back to Japan

NOW IS THIS NEXT SENTENCE OK OR NOT, AND WHY OR WHY NOT. (until will replace before)

Yuta had lived in India for 3 years UNTIL he came back to Japan.

TO ME, I TOLD HER THAT BOTH SENTENCES WERE TOTALLY FINE (AT LEAST GRAMATICALLY),

but maybe the second sentence, sounds a bit off, why....I have no idea.....

-does it actually sound wrong, sentence #2, would I even flinch if I encountered this in real life, no I dont think so,

but because Im here, and someone asks me about this, my mind starts going into overtime trying to figure out if its actaully wrong or not......

no rush on this answer....

its just a teacher...wondering if sentence #2 is ok or not

in her mind, "she has never seen this before", so it doesnt seem quite write to her.....

Jolly wally...over and UP!

..look wayyyyyy up...

ok im done..

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Yuta had lived in India for 3 years before he came back to Japan.

Yuta had lived in India for 3 years until he came back to Japan.

Although the first does not make his residence in India coterminous with his arrival in Japan (while the second does), they both sound 'fine' to me. I use quotes only because past perfect seems a little useless in both.

Yuta lived in India for 3 years before he came back to Japan.

Yuta lived in India for 3 years until he came back to Japan.

Both 'before' and 'until' indicate an earlier other event.

CalifJim · Answer

jollyinjapanYuta had lived in India for 3 years UNTIL he came back to Japan.
TO ME, I TOLD HER THAT BOTH SENTENCES WERE TOTALLY FINE (AT LEAST GRAMMATICALLY),
but maybe the second sentence, sounds a bit off

Being grammatically correct isn't enough. It has to be logical.

Either he lived there for three years or he lived there until he came back to Japan.

In most normal sentences either you measure the time in absolute terms (days, years, whatever) or you measure the time with respect to a given event (the return to Japan).

How does it accidentally happen that both are true at once? Only if he lived there until he came back to Japan three years later, which is what I think the writer was trying to say. The sentence with before is much more to the point, however.

The oddity may be easier to see in terms of space.

You have to drive three miles until you get there is odd because either it's You keep driving until you get there, and that's three miles or it's Drive three miles and you'll be there. You don't keep driving three miles until you get there.

jollyinjapanit doesnt seem quite write to her.

I think I see why you're feeling ambushed.

CJ

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