Exercises

119.1 Make sentences with by.

1. I have to be at home not later than 5 o'clock. _I have to be at home by 5 o'clock._

2. I have to be at the airport not later than 10.30. 1 have to be at the airport ---.

3. Let me know not later than Saturday whether you can come to the party.

Let me know ---.

4. Please make sure that you're here not later than 2 o'clock.

Please ---.

5. If we leave now, we should arrive not later than lunchtime.

119.2 Put in by or until.

1. Fred has gone away. He'll be away _until_ Monday.

2. Sorry, but I must go. I have to be at home _by_ 5 o'clock.

3. I've been offered a job. I haven't decided yet whether to accept it or not. I have to decide --- Thursday.

4. I think I'll wait --- Thursday before making a decision.

5. It's too late to go shopping. The shops are only open --- 5. 30. They'll be closed now.

6. I'd better pay the phone bill. It has to be paid --- tomorrow.

7. Don't pay the bill today. Wait --- tomorrow.

8. A: Have you finished redecorating your house?

B: Not yet. We hope to finish --- the end of the week.

9. A: I'm going out now. I'll be back at 4.30. Will you still be here?

B: I don't think so. I'll probably have gone out --- then.

10. I'm moving into my new flat next week. I'm staying with a friend --- then.

11. I've got a lot of work to do. --- the time I finish, it will be time to go to bed.

12. If you want to do the exam, you should enter --- 3 April.

119.3 Use your own ideas to complete these sentences. Use by or until.

1. Fred is away at the moment. He'll be away _until Monday._

2. Fred is away at the moment. He'll be back _by Monday._

3. I'm just going out. I won't be very long. Wait here ---.

4. I'm going shopping. It's 4.30 now. I won't be very long. I'll be back ---.

5. If you want to apply for the job, your application must be received ---.

6. Last night I watched TV ---.

119.4 Read the situations and complete the sentences using By the time...

1 Jane was invited to a party but she got there much later than she intended.

_By the time she got to the party_, most of the other guests had gone.

2. I had to catch a train but it took me longer than expected to get to the station.

---, my train had already gone.

3. I saw two men who looked as if they were trying to steal a car. I called the police but it was some time before they arrived.

---, the two men had disappeared.

4. A man escaped from prison last night. It was a long time before the guards discovered what had happened.

---, the escaped prisoner was miles away.

5. I intended to go shopping after finishing my work. But I finished my work much later than expected.

---, it was too late to go shopping.

UNIT 120 At/on/in (time)

A. Compare at, on and in:

* They arrived at 5 o'clock.

* They arrived on Friday.

* They arrived in October./They arrived in 1968.

We use:

at for the time of day:

at 5 o'clock, at 11.45, at midnight, at lunchtime, at sunset etc.

on for days and dates:

on Friday/on Fridays, on 12 March 1991, on Christmas Day, on my birthday

in for longer periods (for example, months/years/seasons):

in October, in 1968, in the 18th century, in the past, in (the) winter, in the 1970s, in the Middle Ages, in (the) future

B. We use at in these expressions:

at night: I don't like going out at night.

at the weekend/at weekends: Will you be here at the weekend?

at Christmas/at Easter(but on Christmas Day): Do you give each other presents at Christmas?

at the moment/at present: Mr Benn is busy at the moment/at present.

at the same time: Liz and I arrived at the same time.

Note that we usually ask 'What time...? ' (not usually 'At what time...?):

* What time are you going out this evening?

C. We say:

in the morning(s), in the afternoon(s), in the evening(s)

* I'll see you in the morning.

* Do you work in the evenings?

but:

on Friday morning(s), on Sunday afternoon(s), on Monday evening(s) etc.

* I'll be at home on Friday morning.

* Do you usually go out on Saturday evenings?

D. We do not use at/on/in before last/next/this/every:

* I'll see you next Friday. (not 'on next Friday')

* They got married last March.

E. In a few minutes/in six months etc. = a time in the future

* The train will be leaving in a few minutes. (= a few minutes from now)

* Jack has gone away. He'll be back in a week. (= a week from now)

* She'll be here in a moment. (= a moment from now)

You can also say 'in six months' time', 'in a week's time' etc.:

* They're getting married in six months' time. (or... in six months.)

We also use in... to say how long it takes to do something:

* I learnt to drive in four weeks. it took me four weeks to learn)