Fill in the blanks with by, until or within.
1I sent the parcel today so that she would get it ............... Friday.
Wrong!
Use "by" for a deadline meaning on or before Friday.
2I have to reach home ............... 7 o'clock.
Wrong!
Use "by" for a deadline meaning no later than 7 o'clock.
3We waited ............... the rain stopped.
Wrong!
Use "until" to show that waiting continued up to the time the rain stopped.
4The meeting has been postponed ............... Friday.
Wrong!
Use "until" when something is delayed and will not happen before Friday.
5Will you wait here ............... I return?
Wrong!
Use "until" to show that waiting should continue up to the time I return.
6I waited ............... 11 p.m. and then I went home.
Wrong!
Use "until" because the waiting continued up to 11 p. m.
7I thought that she would arrive ............... 11 o'clock, but she didn't.
Wrong!
Use "by" for an expected deadline meaning no later than 11 o'clock.
8............... the time we reached the station, the train had already left.
Wrong!
Use "By" in the fixed phrase "By the time" to mean before or at that time.
9They said that they would finish the job ............... two hours.
Wrong!
Use "within" to mean before the end of a period of two hours.
10............... the time they found him, he was already dead.
Wrong!
Use "By" in the fixed phrase "By the time" to mean before or at that time.
11............... the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.
Wrong!
Use "By" in the fixed phrase "By the time" to show it was already too late then.
12They are going away. They will be away ............... Friday.
Wrong!
Use "until" because being away continues up to Friday.
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- I sent the parcel today so that she would get it by Friday.
- I have to reach home by 7 o’clock.
- We waited until the rain stopped.
- The meeting has been postponed until Friday.
- Will you wait here until I return?
- I waited until 11 p.m. and then I went home.
- I thought that she would arrive by 11 o’clock, but she didn’t.
- By the time we reached the station, the train had already left.
- They said that they would finish the job within two hours.
- By the time they found him, he was already dead.
- By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.
- They are going away. They will be away until Friday.

