Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
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Hi guys! This is Kee from BBC Learning English,
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and today I'm going to tell you the differences
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between 'until' and 'by'.
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We use 'until' to talk about doing something
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up to a certain point in time.
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If I say:
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I have to take care of my dog until 5pm,
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it means I will start taking care of my dog now
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and stop taking care of it at 5pm.
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On the other hand,
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we use 'by' to talk about doing something
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before a future time or deadline.
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If I say:
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I have to finish an essay by 5pm,
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it means I can start any time
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but I will make sure that at 5pm
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I have finished writing the essay.
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So, I may even finish it at 3pm or any time before 5.
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So we use 'until' to describe doing something
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up to a certain point in time
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and we use 'by' to describe doing something
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before a future time or deadline.
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