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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

By vs. Until

Could someone please explain if/why "I have to finish a book report until Friday." is incorrect? Does it absolutely have to be by?

Thanks!
  

Top answer

Anonymous I have to finish a book report until Friday. In this kind of sentence, you can only do things that can be continued until a given time. Once you've finished your report, it's finished.

— CalifJim

  • Anonymous I have to finish a book report until Friday.
  • In this kind of sentence, you can only do things that can be continued until a given time.
  • Once you've finished your report, it's finished.
  • You can't continue finishing it until Friday arrives.
  • So things that happen at a point in time and can't be continued don't normally occur with an "until" phrase.
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1 Answers
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AnonymousI have to finish a book report until Friday.
In this kind of sentence, you can only do things that can be continued until a given time.

Once you've finished your report, it's finished. You can't continue finishing it until Friday arrives.

So things that happen at a point in time and can't be continued don't normally oc
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