Page 625 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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My wife will be angry ifI'm not home by 7.00. (NOT My lHife ttJiU be an~ ftnless I get h6me by 7.00. - She will be angry because I'm not home.)
- I'lldriveoverandseeyou,unlessthecarbreaksdown.(=.•.exceptifthecar breaks down.)
I'll be surprised if the car doesn't break down soon (NOT :'U be Sftrprisetl ftftless the eaY breaks @1Htt 366ft. - I'll be surprised because it doesn't break down.)
tenses
In clauses with unless, we usually use present tenses to refer to the future (see 580).
I'll be in all day unless the office phones. (NOT • • • ftnless the 8JJiee ttJiH ph6rte.)
For more about sentences with if. see 256-264.
until
until and till
These two words can be used both as prepositions and conjunctions. They mean exactly the same. Till (ArnE also 'til) is informal.
OK, then, I won't expect you until/till midnight.
I'll wait until/tal I hear from you.
The new timetable will remain in operation until June 30.
until/till and to
To can sometimes be used as a preposition of time with the same meaning as until!till. This happens after from ...
I usually work from nine to five. (OR ••• from nine until/till five.) We can also use to when counting the time until a future event.
It's another three weeks to the holidays. (OR ••• until/tal the holidays.) In other cases, to is not generally used.
I waitedfor heruntilsixo'clock, butshedidn'tcome. (NOT {lHflited:18Yherf(j she 6'el6ek .•.)
For ArnE from . .. through, see 592.
distance and quantity: until/till not used
Until/till is used only to talk about time. To talk about distance, we use to, as far as or up to; up to is also used to talk about quantity.
Wewalkedasfarasluptotheedgeoftheforest. (NOT ••• tiUtheedge...) The minibus can hold up to thirteen people. (NOT ••• ftl'ttil thi1'teett pe6ple.) You can earn up to £500 a week in this job.
tenses with until
Present tenses are used to refer to the future after until (see 580).
I'll wait until she gets here. (NOT •.• Itntil she ttJiU get here.)
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