Have you ever hesitated with the choice of words while using ‘till’ and ‘until’? It is not just you but many others who might have felt the same way. The question is – how to make sure that when you are using ‘till’ and ‘until’, you are using them in the proper contexts? Students who know how to use the correct word in the correct sentence always remain a step ahead of others.
The English Language can turn out to be intimidating to students if they don’t have a proper framework of grammar and vocabulary of the language. Once the students are taught what they should bear in their minds while using the words ‘till’ and ‘until’, it becomes simpler for them to understand and implement these kinds of words in sentences. The following topics will explain everything that students need to know about the proper usage of ‘till’ and ‘until’.
- Table Summarising the Difference between Till and Until
- The Difference between Till and Until – Meanings
- Examples of Till and Until
- Till and Until – Conclusion
Table Summarising the Difference between Till and Until
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Till |
Until |
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| Meaning | The term till denotes an action up to a specific/particular point in time. | The word until refers to up to the point of time or till a specified time. |
| Usage | It is used as a Preposition and Conjunction. | It is used as a Preposition and Conjunction. |
| Example | I was awake till late in the night. | I will wait until my mother arrives. |
If you look at the table minutely, you will notice that both the words ‘till’ and ‘until’ have the same meaning and one can use them synonymously and interchangeably. The following examples will help you to understand these words more clearly.
The Difference between Till and Until- Meanings
The words ‘till’ and ‘until’ have the same meanings, and both can be used synonymously and interchangeably. The only point of difference between them is that the former is used more frequently than the latter. Both of these terms are the exact same thing, i.e. a representation of time related to an action/event continuing up to a particular point in time. The word ‘until’ is used in formal notices/letters or any other form of writing, whereas the word ‘till’ has a more casual tone to it. Both these words can be used either as prepositions or conjunctions and have precisely the same meaning in both cases. Students can simply use these terms in place of one another without making any errors.
Examples of Till and Until
The examples below will be beneficial for students to understand the words ‘till’ and ‘until’:
Till – i) The baby slept till 8 o’clock. (preposition)
ii) I didn’t go out till it stopped raining. (conjunction)
Until – i) The bank gave us time to submit our documents until tomorrow. (preposition)
ii) You don’t know your true potential until you push your limits. (conjunction)
The examples will prove to be helpful for the students in understanding that ‘till’ and ‘until’ both are synonymous and interchangeable, except that ‘till’ is commonly used and has a casual tone to it.
Till and Until – Conclusion
Summing up, the words ‘till’ and ‘until’ can be used in place of one another and are synonymous. The only difference is that the latter is used more formally than the former. This article points out that there’s absolutely no difference between ‘till’ and ‘until’ and makes it easier for students to use them in sentences without any confusion. BYJU’S offers various articles on many such ‘Difference Between’ two words that students often get confused with.
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