Unit

119 during for while

A during
during = at a time between the start and end of something:
I fell asleep during the movie. (= at a time between
the start and end of the movie)
We met some really nice people during our holiday.
The ground is wet. It must have rained during the night.
With ‘time words’ (the morning, the night, the summer etc.),
you can usually say in or during:
It rained in the night. or … during the night.
I fell asleep during the movie.
It’s lovely here during the summer. or … in the summer.

B for and during

We use for (+ a period of time) to say how long something goes on:
We watched TV for two hours last night.
Jess is going away for a week in September.
How are you? I haven’t seen you for ages.
Are you going away for the weekend?
We do not use during to say how long something goes on. We do not say ‘during two hours’,
‘during five years’ etc. :
It rained for three days without stopping. (not during three days)
We use during to say when something happens (not how long). Compare during and for:
‘When did you fall asleep?’ ‘During the movie.’
‘How long were you asleep?’ ‘For half an hour.’

C during and while

Compare:

We use during + noun: We use while + subject + verb:

I fell asleep during the movie. I fell asleep while I was watching TV.
noun subject + verb

We met a lot of interesting people We met a lot of interesting people

during our holiday. while we were on holiday.
Robert suddenly began to feel ill Robert suddenly began to feel ill
during the exam. while he was doing the exam.

Some more examples of while: ALEX AMY

We saw Clare while we were waiting for the bus.
While you were out, there was a phone
call for you.
Alex read a book while Amy watched TV.
When we are talking about the future, we use the present
after while. Do not use ‘will’ (see Unit 25):
I’m going to Moscow next week. I hope the weather
will be good while I’m there. (not while I will be)
What are you going to do while you’re waiting? Alex read a book while Amy
(not while you’ll be waiting) watched TV.

238 for and since ➜ Unit 12A while + -ing ➜ Unit 68B
 Unit
Exercises 119
119.1 Put in for or during.
1 It rained for three days without stopping.
2 I fell asleep during the movie.
3 I went to the theatre last night. I met Sue the interval.
4 I felt really ill last week. I could hardly eat anything three days.
5 The traffic was bad. We were stuck in a traffic jam two hours.
6 Production at the factory was seriously affected the strike.
7 Sarah was very angry with me. She didn’t speak to me a week.
8 I don’t have much free time the week, but I relax at weekends.
9 I need a break. I think I’ll go away a few days.
10 The president gave a short speech. She spoke only ten minutes.
11 We were hungry when we arrived. We hadn’t eaten anything the journey.
12 We were hungry when we arrived. We hadn’t eaten anything eight hours.

119.2 Put in during or while.

1 We met a lot of interesting people while we were on holiday.
2 We met a lot of interesting people during our holiday.
3 I met Mike I was shopping.
4 I was on holiday, I didn’t use my phone at all.
5 I learnt a lot the course. The teachers were very good.
6 There was a lot of noise the night. What was it?
7 I’d been away for many years. Many things had changed that time.
8 What did they say about me I was out of the room?
9 When I fly anywhere, I never eat anything the flight.
10 Please don’t interrupt me I’m speaking.
11 the festival, it’s almost impossible to find a hotel room here.
12 We were hungry when we arrived. We hadn’t eaten anything we were travelling.

119.3 Put in during, for or while.

1 I used to live in Berlin. I lived there five years.
2 One of the runners fell the race but managed to get up and continue.
3 Nobody came to see me I was in hospital.
4 Try to avoid travelling the busy periods of the day.
5 I was very tired. I slept ten hours.
6 Can you hold my bag I try on this jacket?
7 I’m not sure when we’ll arrive, but it will be sometime the afternoon.
8 I wasn’t well last week. I hardly ate anything three days.
9 My phone rang we were having dinner.
10 Nobody knows how many people were killed the war.

119.4 Use your own ideas to complete these sentences.

1 I fell asleep while I was watching TV.
2 I fell asleep during the movie.
3 Can you wait for me while
4 Most of the students looked bored during
5 I was asked a lot of questions during
6 Don’t open the car door while
7 The lights suddenly went out while
8 What are you going to do while
9 It started to rain during
10 It started to rain while

➜ Additional exercise 33 (page 321) 239

Unit
120 by and until by the time …
A by … = not later than:

I sent the documents today, so they should arrive

by Monday.
(= on or before Monday, not later than Monday)
We’d better hurry. We have to be home by 5 o’clock.
(= at or before 5 o’clock, not later than 5 o’clock)
Where’s Sarah? She should be here by now.
(= now or before now – so she should already be here)

This milk has to be used

by 14 August.

B We use until (or till) to say how long a situation continues:

a: Shall we go now?
B: No, let’s wait until it stops raining. or … till it stops raining.
⎧
I was very tired this morning. ⎨ I stayed in bed until half past ten.
⎩ I didn’t get up until half past ten.
Compare until and by:

Something continues until a time in the future: Something happens by a time in the future:
Joe will be away until Monday. Joe will be back by Monday.
(so he’ll be back on Monday) (= not later than Monday)
I’ll be working until 11.30. I’ll have finished my work by 11.30.
(so I’ll stop working at 11.30) (= I’ll finish it not later than 11.30)

C You can say ‘by the time something happens’:

It’s too late to go to the bank now. By the time we get there, it will be closed.
(= it will close between now and the time we get there)
You’ll need plenty of time at the airport. By the time you check in and go through security,
it will be time for your flight.
(= check-in and security will take a long time)
Hurry up! By the time we get to the cinema, the film will already have started.
You can say ‘by the time something happened’ (for the past):
Karen’s car broke down on the way to the party last night. By the time she arrived, most of the
other guests had left.
(= it took her a long time to get there and most of the guests left during this time)
I had a lot of work to do yesterday evening. I was very tired by the time I finished.
(= it took me a long time to do the work, and I became more and more tired)
We went to the cinema last night. It took us a long time to find somewhere to park the car.
By the time we got to the cinema, the film had already started.
You can say by then or by that time:
Karen finally got to the party at midnight, but by then most of the other guests had left.
or … but by that time, most of the other guests had left.

240 will be doing and will have done ➜ Unit 24 by (other uses) ➜ Units 42B, 60B, 128
 Unit
Exercises 120
120.1 Complete the sentences with by.
1 We have to be home not later than 5 o’clock.
We have to be home by 5 o’clock .
2 I have to be at the airport not later than 8.30.
I have to be at the airport .
3 Let me know not later than Saturday whether you can come to the party.
whether you can come to the party.
4 Please make sure that you’re here not later than 2 o’clock.
Please make sure that .
5 If we leave now, we should arrive not later than lunchtime.
If we leave now, .

120.2 Put in by or until.

1 Steve has gone away. He’ll be away until Monday.
2 Sorry, but I must go. I have to be home 5 o’clock.
3 According to the forecast, the bad weather will continue the weekend.
4 I don’t know whether to apply for the job or not. I have to decide Friday.
5 I think I’ll wait Thursday before making a decision.
6 I’m still waiting for Tom to call me. He should have called me now.
7 I need to pay this bill. It has to be paid tomorrow.
8 Don’t pay the bill today. Wait tomorrow.
9 We haven’t finished painting the house yet. We hope to finish Tuesday.
10 ‘Will you still be in the office at 6.30?’ ‘No, I’ll have gone home then.’
11 I’m moving into my new flat next week. I’m staying with a friend then.
12 I’ve got a lot of work to do. the time I finish, it will be time to go to bed.
13 We have plenty of time. The film doesn’t start 8.30.
14 It is hoped that the new bridge will be completed the end of the year.

120.3 Use your own ideas to complete these sentences. Use by or until.
1 David is away at the moment. He’ll be away until Monday .
2 David is away at the moment. He’ll be back by Monday .
3 I’m just going out. I won’t be long. Wait here .
4 I’m just going out. It’s 4.30 now. I won’t be long. I’ll be back .
5 If you want to apply for the job, your application must be received .
6 My passport is valid .
7 I missed the last bus and had to walk home. I didn’t get home .

120.4 Read the situations and complete the sentences using By the time … .
1 I was invited to a party, but I got there much later than I intended.
By the time I got to the party , most of the other guests had left.
2 I intended to catch a train, but it took me longer than expected to get to the station.
, my train had already left.
3 I wanted to go shopping after work. But I finished work much later than expected.
, it was too late to go shopping.
4 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.
5 We climbed a mountain and it took us a long time to get to the top. There wasn’t much
time to enjoy the view.
, we had to come down again.

➜ Additional exercise 33 (page 321) 241