This week on Ask a Teacher,
we answer a question from Abrahan
Ferrer, who is in Spain.
Question:
Hello there, I am writing to you
because I am quite confused with
these three options here: up to,
until and till. I don't know how to
use it properly. Could you explain
these words to us, please? Thank you
very much for your support in
teaching us English. Keep it up!!
Abrahan Ferrer, Spain.
quite confused: totalmente confundido; how to use it properly: cómo
usarlo correctamente; for your support: por vuestra ayuda; keep it up:
sigan así;
Answer:
Dear Abrahan, Thank you for your
message!
Let’s start with UNTIL, and TILL.
They can be used as
prepositions to describe
time.
The structure in this case is
PREPOSITION + PERIOD OF TIME. Here
is a simple example sentence:
let's start with: empecemos
con; to describe time: para
describir tiempo;
UNTIL yesterday, John did not
realize that UNTIL and TILL had the
same meaning.
HASTA ayer, John
desconocía que UNTIL y TILL
significaban lo mismo.
And also:
TILL yesterday, John did not
realize that UNTIL and TILL had the
same meaning.
HASTA ayer, John desconocía que
UNTIL y TILL significaban lo mismo.
UNTIL (formal use)
UNTIL is used to show the time when
a SITUATION, ACTIVITY, OR PERIOD
ENDS, as in:
to show the time: para
indicar la hora; when a period
ends: cuando termina un período;
as in: como por ejemplo en;
I was up studying UNTIL 3 in
the morning. I am so tired!
Estuve despierto/a estudiando
HASTA las 3 de la mañana. ¡Estoy tan
cansado/a!
UNTIL is also often used with
DEADLINES – a time by which you must
complete something. At work, your
boss might
give you a deadline. The boss may
say:
often used with: usado a
menudo con; deadlines: fechas
límite, vencimientos; your boss:
tu jefe, tu superior; might give
you: podría fijarte;
You have UNTIL Friday to
finish the report.
Tienes HASTA el viernes para
terminar este informe.
TILL (informal use)
TILL can be used in place of UNTIL
in most sentences. Here is one such
example:
in most sentences: en la
mayoría de las oraciones;
I can’t wait TILL next week.
I will finally get to see all my
friends at school again!
No puedo esperar HASTA la semana
próxima. Al fin podré ver a todos
mis amigos en la escuela.
UP TO (formal and informal use)
UP TO is a bit more difficult to
describe. It can act as a
preposition or play a part in a
phrasal verb or phrasal expression.
But here are a few very general
ideas.
a bit more difficult to describe:
un poco más dificil de explicar;
act as a preposition: actuar
como preposición; or play a part
in: o formar parte de;
UP TO can be used to show the
place or level that is reached by
something, as in:
to show the place or level is
reached: para indicar el lugar o
nivel alcanzado; by something:
por algo;
The mud was UP TO to our knees!
¡El barro nos llegaba
HASTA las rodillas!
UP TO can also mean as many or as
much as a given number or amount.
For example, imagine a person buys a
very large car. The person might say:
can also mean: también puede
expresar; as many or as much:
cuánto o cuántos; buys a very
large car: compra un coche muy
grande;
My car holds UP TO 12
people!
¡Mi auto soporta (en mi auto
caben) HASTA 12 personas!
Here is another example. Imagine you
have just taken a major exam. You
really want to know your results.
But you have to wait. A worker at
the testing center tells you:
imagine you have just taken:
imagina que acabas de presentar;
a major exam: un examen
importante; a worker at
the testing center: un empleado
del centro evaluador;
You will have to wait UP TO to
three days for your test results.
Tendrás que esperar HASTA tres
días por los resultados de tu
examen.
The worker might also tell you this:
might also tell you this:
podría también decirlo así;
You will have to wait UNTIL
Monday for your test results.
Tendrás que esperar HASTA el
lunes por los resultados de tu
examen.
Notice that the worker uses UNTIL
in this case because Monday is a
TIME, not a NUMBER or AMOUNT.
notice that: observa que;
a time: una fecha; not a
number or amount: no un número o
una cantidad;
Of course, UP TO has many other
meanings. But we can talk about
those some other time!
of course: desde luego;
many other meanings: muchos
otros significados; some other
time: en algún otro momento;
Well, Abrahan, we hope this helps to
answer your question.
we hope this helps to answer:
esperamos que esto ayude a
responder.
And that’s Ask a Teacher! I’m Armen Kassabian.