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Jesusengland Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

By the time / By that time / By this time

Hello.

- By the time / By that time / By this time we get there, it will be closed.
- By the time / By that time / By this time she arrived, most of the other guests had left.

What is the difference in meaning between By the time, by that time and by this time?

Thanks.
  

Top answer

Only these are OK: By the time we get there, it will be closed. By the time she arrived, most of the other guests had left . Time is defined by the rest of the clause (we get there, she arrived ), so the demonstrative adjectives are not possible.

— Mister Micawber

  • Only these are OK: By the time we get there, it will be closed.
  • By the time she arrived, most of the other guests had left .
  • Time is defined by the rest of the clause (we get there, she arrived ), so the demonstrative adjectives are not possible.
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1 Answers
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Only these are OK:

By the time we get there, it will be closed.
By the time she arrived, most of the other guests had left.

Time is defined by the rest of the clause (we get there, she arrived), so the demonstrative adjectives are not possible.
.
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