By vs. Until – English Grammar Exercises for B2
Read the furious passenger’s online review regarding a massive flight delay. Choose the best option to complete the sentences.
1 “The captain casually announced that we would have to sit on the runway ______ the severe thunderstorm passed.”
(a) by
(b) until
(c) within
(d) at
2 “I was supposed to be at my sister’s wedding ______ 4:00 PM, but at 3:45 PM, we were still stuck on the tarmac!”
(a) until
(b) for
(c) by
(d) during
3 “We remained trapped inside that sweltering, claustrophobic cabin ______ almost midnight.”
(a) until
(b) by
(c) to
(d) in
4 “______ the time we finally landed in London, my connecting flight to Paris had already departed.”
(a) Until
(b) By
(c) At
(d) During
5 “The flight attendants completely ignored us and refused to serve water ______ passengers literally started shouting in frustration.”
(a) by
(b) until
(c) within
(d) since
6 “When they finally canceled the flight, the airline promised our luggage would be delivered to the hotel ______ the next morning.”
(a) until
(b) in
(c) at
(d) by
7 “I had to endure the agonizing sound of a screaming toddler right behind me ______ the seatbelt sign was finally turned off.”
(a) by
(b) until
(c) by the time
(d) to
8 “My important business conference was completely ruined because I needed to arrive ______ noon, but we landed at 3 PM.”
(a) until
(b) by
(c) for
(d) at
9 “They kept us waiting at the cramped boarding gate ______ the flight crew officially timed out and went home.”
(a) by / by
(b) until
(c) by
(d) to
10 “I specifically told the gate agent: ‘If you cannot get me to my final destination ______ 8:00 PM, I demand a full refund!'”
(a) until
(b) during
(c) in
(d) by
11 “We did not receive a single update or apology from the pilot ______ we had been sitting there in the dark for three hours.”
(a) by
(b) until
(c) at
(d) within
12 “______ the end of this dreadful six-hour delay, every single passenger was exhausted, hungry, and furious.”
(a) Until
(b) For
(c) By
(d) At
13 “You cannot legally keep passengers locked inside a metal tube ______ they beg to be let out!”
(a) by / until
(b) by
(c) during
(d) until
14 “I specifically booked this expensive direct flight to ensure I would reach the concert venue ______ sunset.”
(a) by
(b) within
(c) until
(d) at
15 “The mechanics continued fixing the engine ______ it was too dark to see anything outside.”
(a) until
(b) during
(c) by
(d) since
16 “______ the time they finally offered us a pathetic complimentary snack, we had already been starving for five hours.”
(a) Until
(b) By
(c) To
(d) In
17 “I will never fly with this terrible airline again, and I plan to keep calling their customer service ______ I get a proper apology.”
(a) to
(b) by
(c) within
(d) until
18 “Our scheduled arrival was 2:00 PM, but we didn’t even push back from the departure gate ______ 3:30 PM.”
(a) by
(b) until
(c) to
(d) at
19 “I fully expected to be resting in my comfortable hotel bed ______ midnight, not sleeping on the filthy airport floor.”
(a) until
(b) during
(c) by
(d) to
20 “They delayed the takeoff ______ 5 AM; consequently, ______ the time we arrived, my expensive vacation was already ruined.”
(a) by / until
(b) until / until
(c) until / by
(d) by / by
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Sit on the runway” is a continuous action (a frustrating holding pattern). Until is used to mark the end of this ongoing period of waiting.
- Error Analysis: (a) by (Common Mistake: You cannot continuously “sit” by a time; by is for single, completed actions). (c) within (Structural Error: Requires a duration, like “within an hour”). (d) at (Meaning Trap: “At” means sitting exactly when the storm passes, contradicting the context of waiting).
2 (c) by
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Be at the wedding” implies the punctual achievement of arriving. 4:00 PM is the strict deadline for this completed action.
- Error Analysis: (a) until (Common Mistake: You cannot continuously “arrive” or achieve the goal over a period). (b) for (Structural Error). (d) during (Meaning Trap: Lacks the strict deadline enforcement).
3 (a) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Remained trapped” is an ongoing, continuous state of suffering. The passengers maintained this state up to midnight.
- Error Analysis: (b) by (Common Mistake). (c) to (Structural Error: We say “from morning to midnight”, but not “remained to midnight”). (d) in (Structural Error).
4 (b) By
- Why it is correct (The Key): “By the time” is a standard fixed phrase used before a clause to mean “not later than the moment that.” It highlights that the missed flight was a completed event before their arrival.
- Error Analysis: (a) Until (Common Mistake: “Until the time” implies they were waiting for the landing to happen, which misses the deadline nuance). (c) At (Meaning Trap: “At the time” doesn’t carry the “already too late” perfect-tense nuance). (d) During (Structural Error).
5 (b) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): The negative “refused to serve” creates a continuous state of not doing something. This state of neglect lasted until the condition (passengers shouting) was met.
- Error Analysis: (a) by (Common Mistake). (c) within (Structural Error). (d) since (Structural Error: Refers to the starting point in the past, not the end limit).
6 (d) by
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Be delivered” is a momentary action of completion. The airline sets a deadline for this to happen.
- Error Analysis: (a) until (Common Mistake: Luggage cannot be continuously delivered for hours). (b) in (Structural Error). (c) at (Meaning Trap: “At” allows no flexibility, whereas “by” means it can arrive earlier).
7 (b) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Endure” is an ongoing process of suffering. The annoyance continued up to the time the sign turned off.
- Error Analysis: (a) by (Common Mistake). (c) by the time (Structural Error: Grammatically clunky without a perfect tense here). (d) to (Structural Error).
8 (b) by
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Arrive” is a punctual achievement representing a strict deadline.
- Error Analysis: (a) until (Common Mistake: You cannot continuously arrive). (c) for (Structural Error). (d) at (Meaning Trap: Means exactly at noon, but arriving earlier would have been fine, making “by” the correct choice).
9 (b) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Kept us waiting” is explicitly an ongoing action. The waiting lasted up to the point the crew timed out.
- Error Analysis: (a) by / by (Structural Error). (c) by (Common Mistake). (d) to (Structural Error).
10 (d) by
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Get me to my destination” (arriving) is a completed state serving as a strict deadline.
- Error Analysis: (a) until (Common Mistake). (b) during (Meaning Trap). (c) in (Structural Error).
11 (b) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): The negative “did not receive” establishes a continuous state of silence/waiting.
- Error Analysis: (a) by (Common Mistake). (c) at (Meaning Trap). (d) within (Structural Error).
12 (c) By
- Why it is correct (The Key): Used to indicate the state of things at a specific deadline or completion point (“By the end of the delay”).
- Error Analysis: (a) Until (Common Mistake). (b) For (Structural Error). (d) At (Meaning Trap: “At the end” is possible, but “By the end” strongly emphasizes the cumulative frustration leading up to that point).
13 (d) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Keep passengers locked” is a continuous state of confinement.
- Error Analysis: (a) by / until (Structural Error). (b) by (Common Mistake). (c) during (Meaning Trap).
14 (a) by
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Reach the venue” is a momentary action of arriving. Sunset is the strict deadline for this action.
- Error Analysis: (b) within (Structural Error). (c) until (Common Mistake). (d) at (Meaning Trap).
15 (a) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Continued fixing” is an ongoing process. They maintained this action up to the point it got too dark.
- Error Analysis: (b) during (Meaning Trap). (c) by (Common Mistake). (d) since (Structural Error).
16 (b) By
- Why it is correct (The Key): “By the time” introduces a deadline clause. It emphasizes that a condition (starving for hours) was already fully realized before the snack arrived.
- Error Analysis: (a) Until (Common Mistake). (c) To (Structural Error). (d) In (Structural Error).
17 (d) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Keep calling” is a continuous action of complaining. The action stops only when the condition (getting an apology) is met.
- Error Analysis: (a) to (Structural Error). (b) by (Common Mistake: You cannot continuously keep doing something “by” a time). (c) within (Structural Error).
18 (b) until
- Why it is correct (The Key): The negative “didn’t even push back” creates a state of delay/waiting at the gate. This waiting lasted until 3:30 PM.
- Error Analysis: (a) by (Common Mistake). (c) to (Structural Error). (d) at (Meaning Trap).
19 (c) by
- Why it is correct (The Key): The passenger expected to have already achieved the state of being in bed before midnight. “By” sets the deadline for achieving that state.
- Error Analysis: (a) until (Common Mistake: “Resting until midnight” means they would wake up at midnight, which is not what they wanted). (b) during (Meaning Trap). (d) to (Structural Error).
20 (c) until / by
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Delayed the takeoff” establishes a state of waiting (until 5 AM). “Arrived” is the punctual event serving as a reference point for the ruined vacation (by the time).
- Error Analysis: (a) by / until (Meaning Trap: Reverses the logic). (b) until / until (Common Mistake: “Until the time we arrived” lacks the perfect-tense deadline meaning). (d) by / by (Common Mistake).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
1 UNTIL (The Agony of Waiting):
- Use Until to describe the duration of an ongoing action or state. In the context of flight delays, it perfectly captures the frustration of being trapped or waiting. It answers: How long did we suffer before it stopped?
- Key Verbs: sit, wait, remain, stay, delay, keep (doing), continue.
- Example: “We sat on the tarmac until 3 AM.” (The frustrating action of sitting was continuous up to that point).
2 BY (The Missed Deadlines):
- Use By to indicate a strict deadline for a completed action. In complaints, it emphasizes that a critical moment had already passed or should have been met. It answers: What was the latest possible time this should have happened?
- Key Verbs: arrive, land, reach, finish, deliver.
- Example: “I needed to arrive by noon.” (The arrival is a single moment that must happen before noon).
3 BY THE TIME (The Realization of Failure):
- Use By the time + Clause to express that one event was already completed before another event happened. This is highly effective for emphasizing the severe consequences of a delay.
- Example: “By the time we landed, the concert was over.”
4 The “Do Not” Restriction:
- When a momentary action is negated (e.g., “The plane did not take off”), it creates a continuous state of waiting. Therefore, you must use until.
- Example: “We didn’t leave until midnight.” (We maintained the state of waiting up to that exact moment).