Page 262 - Basic English Usage

352 — 353 264

Compare:
‘Can you repair my watch by Tuesday?
(NOT .. -ntit fuesday-)
‘No, fll have to keep it until Saturday.’

until twelve o’clock by twelve o’clock

352 until and to

1. Weusually use until (or til) to talk about ‘time up to’.
| waited for her until six o'clock, but she didn’t come.
(NOT Hwartedferherte-sixo-eteck ...)

2 Wecan use to after from.
/ usually work from nine to five. (OR ... from nine till five.)
We can also use to when we are counting the time until a future event.
It's another three weeks to the holidays. (OR ... until the holidays.)

3 Wedonot use unti! for space — only for time.
We walked to the edge of the forest. (OR ... asfaras ...)
(NOT We-watkedttittihe edge-ot the-forest-)

4 Until and til! mean the same. They are used in the same way, except that
we prefer unti/ in more formal situations.
[> For the difference between unti! and by, see 351.

353 used to + infinitive

1 Used to + infinitive is only used in the past: it has no present form. We
use it to talk about past habits and states which are now finished.
! used to smoke, but I've stopped.
She used to be very shy.
To talk about present habits and states, we usually just use the simple
present tense (see 261).
He smokes. (NOT He-uses-te-smeke-)
Her sister is still very shy.