Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles Well, have you ever heard people use the word unless, many times you may have heard people say ‘until’, okay, and sometimes you may have heard people use both of them in the same sentence. Well, that is what we are going to take a look at in today’s lesson, using ‘unless’ and ‘until’. Hey friends I’m Rachna and I’m back with a new lesson. Well, many times you may have heard people use ‘unless’ or even ‘until’ or maybe used both of them in the same sentence. Well, that’s what we’re going to learn in today’s class. We’re going to take a look at two words ‘unless’ and ‘until’ okay. So, first let’s understand what do you understand by ‘unless’ Now ‘unless’ is a word that shows a precondition. Okay, it’s a precondition and you never use it in the negative because it has already got a kind of negative connotation . So, in simple words, unless means ‘except if’. So, that means yes, it’s a precondition. Okay, now let’s take a look at a sentence. Can you turn off the radio unless you’re listening to it. Now use unless here because it means except if you’re listening. That means if you’re not listening, then turn it off. But, except if you’re listening, it’s alright, let it go on. So, here it means except if. It’s a precondition. So, except if you’re listening to it, it’s ok, it can go on. So, except if, unless you’re listening to it. So it’s a precondition. Now remember, you never use unless in negative, you don’t use negative with unless. So, you can’t say unless you’re not listening to it. I mean, two negatives do not work, okay. So can you turn off the radio, unless you’re listening to it, okay. Now let’s take a look at until. Now, until means up to, the particular moment you’re talking about or the particular time. Okay. So, until means up to the particular time., till that particular time. Okay, from a time before up to that particular time. So, I tell you, I listen to music until I feel sleepy. That means, until, till I feel sleepy or till the moment, the moment I feel sleepy. Okay, so up to the moment I feel sleepy. So, they are completely two different words, ‘unless’ is except if, ‘until’ is till. So yes, you can use till. I listen to music till I fall, feel sleepy. Only until is more formal, till is informal, okay. Let’s take a look at another example. Unless y0u pay now, now remember friends, when you start your sentence with ‘unless clause’, this clause, you always put a comma here, okay. So unless you pay now, we can’t guarantee your ticket. Except if you pay now, it’s a precondition, well if you do pay now, we guarantee you your ticket. Alright, so, except if you pay now, you’re putting a condition, okay, so it’s already a precondition. Unless you pay now, we can’t guarantee your ticket. Now, one thing you need to remember, after ‘unless’ you never use the future tense immediately, though you imply a future action., okay. So, you never say you will pay Unless you’ll pay, no, never. Remember, never use the future rather ‘will’ immediately with the verb after ‘unless’, okay. So remember, when you start with an ‘unless’ clause, unless you pay now comma, you have to remember this, very important, we can’t guarantee your tickets. So, there is a condition here, except if, okay. So, yes, if you pay now, we guarantee you your ticket, okay. Now, using until, please wait in the lobby until they call your name. So, that means up to this particular time. What time? The time they call your name, you need to wait in the lobby. So remember, till-a more formal way, so you say, please wait in the lobby until they call your name. Till a particular moment, the moment being the time they call your name. So, wait until, okay, I hope you’re getting it now. The last example, the bank will not provide you with a loan, unless you show then your income proof. Now there is a precondition, you don’t show your income documents, you don’t get a loan., it’s as simple as that. So, you say except if. You meet this condition of providing your, uh, income proof, you definitely get a bank loan, alright. So, here we use un,unless because it is a precondition, you have to meet this condition to get what you want. SO, use ‘unless’ you show them your income proof. Okay, so except if you show them , you don’t show them, you don’t get a bank loan., it’s as simple as that. Okay, so now we have a sentence with until. He sat patiently, oops, until dinner was served. Until-so till dinner was served he sat quietly, didn’t utter a word. Maybe he got noisy after dinner, but till dinner was served he sat quietly., patiently, like a sweet child. So, he sat patiently, until –till the time dinner was served ,okay. So remember, they are two different words., they have different meaning. ‘Unless’ is except if, precondition, okay , and ‘until’ means till a particular moment , up to a particular moment you’re talking about. You can use ‘till’ , till is informal , ‘until’ is formal., okay. So well, this is how you use ‘unless’ and ‘until’ independently in different sentences. Now we’re going to take a look at how they are used in the same sentence. Okay, so now let’s take a look at using ‘unless’ and ‘until’ in the same sentence. Now remember, you just learned ‘unless’ is a precondition, except if, ‘until’ is in context of time , up to the particular moment., okay. Now, when do we use both in the same sentence? Well remember, they don’t mean the same., okay. We use ‘unless’ and ‘until’ in the same sentence when a situation, uh, has both, the, it, inn, involves the condition and the time., okay. So, let’s understand the condition or the precondition and time, okay. So, if I say, you will not get to play with your toys, you will not get to play with your toys unless and until you complete your homework. Now, why do I use both these words in the same sentence? That’ s because the condition is unless, unless means a condition. What’s the condition? You’ve put a condition on your child. Your homework, you complete your homework, so this is the condition, okay. So that means, if you don’t complete your homework, you don’t get to play with your toys., right? That is what it means., you are putting a condition., condition being, you are completing your homework. So, why do we use ‘until’? ‘Until’ because the time you complete your homework. So, say if you complete your homework at 6 in the evening, you have met both the conditions, completing your homework and till 6 O’clock., that’s the time you choose to complete your homework., you can’t play. So, it has both the context, the condition and the time. So, the time is, till you complete your homework., okay. So, that means , you complete your homework and then you can go down to play. So remember, you cannot always use the two in the same sentence, unless, okay, that is, except if, the situation calls for both-the condition and the time., okay. Another sentence for you here, I can’t refund you your money unless, so there is a condition, and until, there is a time, so sorry, okay., so until you send me the original receipt. Now remember, both the things are involved, the condition-what is the condition? The precondition-send me the receipt. So well, if you don’t send me the original receipt, I surely can’t refund you your money., okay, that’s the condition you put, you give me the receipt, I give you the money, okay, that’s condition. So well, if you tell the person I’ve lost the receipt, too bad, you do not get your refund. But, if you meet the condition, what condition? Of producing or publishing your original receipt, you are entitled to a refund. So, first is condition, okay, and the time is when you send me the receipt. So well, if I receive the copy, the hard copy in my hand, you have met both, the condition and the time. The condition being, you have shown me the orig or sent me the original receipt, the time is, well I have it here right now with me, so now I can process the refund , uh, uh payment, okay. So, we have condition and time. The time is when you send it, okay. So remember, this situation involves both, condition and time, and that is why we use ‘unless’ and ‘until’ in the same sentence, okay. And the last example, I can’t start work on this project unless and until the plans are approved. Okay, So I can’t start work, why? Two things, condition and time. What is the condition? The pan being approved., okay, and of course till the time it is approved, so that’s your time. Till the time it is approved, okay. So remember, when you use both of them, it is because, they need to meet, have both the context -time and condition, okay friends. Oh well, this brings me to the end of this lesson, I hope you enjoyed watching it. I do have a test for you. I would never know how well you have understood unless and until you take the test. So, go ahead, take the test, do let me know your scores,. I’ll be back soon with a new lesson, till then take care and bye.
A2 US condition precondition homework sentence receipt refund Learn English - Difference between 'Unless' & 'Until' (English Grammar Lesson) 425 53 林永振 posted on 2015/09/21 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary