before / until / while

Question

0What is the difference between by the time, before, until and when in the sentences below. Which ones are interchangeable? What is the difference between 1 a and 1 b?02br02br001. a) The phone stopped 01font00by the time / before / until / when02font00 she got inside.02br02br02br02br00 00b) The phone had stopped 01font00by the time / before / until / when02font00 she got inside.02br02br02br02br002. She didn’t talk to me 01font00by the time / before / until / when02font00 we got home.02br02br02br02br003. She was talking on the phone 01font00by the time / before / until / when02font00 we got home.0-

Paco2004 · Accepted Answer

0 Hello Diamond02br
02br
00I think you want to be answered by native speakers rather than me. But let's me tell my thought a bit.02br
02br
01font00The phone stopped when she got inside02br
02font01font00=The phone stopped at the time she got inside.02font02br
01font00The phone had stopped when she got inside02font02br
01font00=The phone had already stopped at the time she got inside.02font02br
01font00=The phone stopped before she got inside02font02br
02br
01font00The phone (had) stopped before she got inside.02font02br
01font00=The phone (had) stopped before the time she got inside.02font02br
00The use of "had" sounds a bit hypercorrect.02br
02br
01font00The phone (had) stopped by the time she got inside.02font02br
01font00=The phone (had) stopped before or at the time she got inside.02font02br
00The meaning is the same with or without "had". But the use of "had" is preferred because "by-the-time" sub clauses best fit in a combination with a main clause describing an event that leads to some change in some kind of subject's state.02br
01font02br
00The phone stopped until she got inside.02font02br
00This does not make sense. "Until" sub clauses is used with a main clause describing continuation of some kind of subject's state. That is, "Until [event X], [state Y]" means "[state Y] ends when [event X] happens".02br
02br
01font00She didn’t talk to me when we got home.02font02br
00This could make some sense in a certain context but sounds a bit weird when it stands alone. "She didn't talk to me" is "she continued to be silent". That is, this main clause describes a state of the subject "she". On the other hand, "when we got home" is a time point. "When" is a time connector to mean "concurrently". "[State Y] continues when [state X] continues", "[event Y] happens when [event X] happens" and "[event Y] happens when [state X] continues" sound natural. But "[state Y] continues when [event X] happens" sounds a bit unnatural. I feel "She didn’t talk to me when we were at home" may be more natural in this case.02br
02br
01font00She didn’t talk to me by the time we got home.02font02br
00We may paraphrase it as "she continued to be silent before or at the time we got home" but I feel it makes no sense. As I said repeatedly, "by the time" is commonly used in a way like "Some change of state happens by the time an event happens". 02br
02br
01font00She didn’t talk to me until we got home.02font02br
00This is a natural saying. It implies "she began talking to me as soon as we got home".02br
02br
01font00She didn’t talk to me before we got home.02font02br
00This sounds also natural. But it does not necessarily imply "she began talking to me as soon as we got home". It just says "She was silent before we got home". It is possible she continued to be silent even after the arrival at home.02br
02br
00These are my personal opinion, and I am sure I am wrong as usual. Please wait native speakers' opinions.02br
02br
00paco 0-

MrPedantic · Answer

0Just as a supplement:02br
02br
00<The phone stopped until she got inside.>02br
00We might interpret this as "the phone started ringing again when she got inside".02br
02br
00<She didn’t talk to me when we got home.>02br
00You might use this if you had been at a party with your girlfriend, and had said something that displeased her. She had to speak to you during the rest of the party, of course, and even on the way home (someone else gave you a lift); but once you got home, an icy silence fell.02br
02br
00<She didn’t talk to me by the time until we got home.>02br
00(You'd have to omit "by the time" in this one.)02br
02br
00MrP0-

Paco2004 · Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10MrPedantic12cite10<She didn’t talk to me by the time until we got home.>12br
10(You'd have to omit "by the time" in this one.)12br
12br
10MrP12br
12blockquote

10Thank you Mr P for pointing out my careless mistake. I deleted "by the time" now.02br
02br
00paco 0-

before / until / while

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