until意為「到…時,直到…為止」,既可以用作介詞,又可以用作連詞。
That may last until Friday. 那也許會持續到周五。 (until用作介詞)
There will be a wonderful match tonight. I will watch it until it finishes.
今晚有一場精彩的比賽。我要看完它。(until用作連詞)
1)用於肯定句,意為「到…時;直到…為止」,引導時間狀語從句,主句謂語動詞用延續性動詞。
I will stay here until you come back. 我將呆在這裡直到你回來。(stay是延續性動詞)
Continue in this direction until you see a sign.一直沿著這個方向走,直到你看見一個指示牌為止。(主句是祈使句,continue是延續性動詞)
He worked until it was dark. 他一直工作到天黑。(work是延續性動詞)
2)用於否定句,not...until的意思是「直到…才」,引導時間狀語從句,主句謂語動詞一般用短暫性動詞。短暫性動詞就是瞬間完成的動詞,如go,come,leave, die, arrive,buy, enter等, 以enter為例,我們「進」這個動作一瞬間就完成了,不會持續。
I hadn』t realized she was foreign until she spoke. 直到她講話我才意識到她是外國人。
(realize是短暫性動詞)
I didn』t manage to do it until you had explained now. 直到你解釋了以後我才會做。
(manage是短暫性動詞,manage to do something努力做某事,設法做某事,設法做成某事)
He didn』t leave the office until he finished his work.他完成工作才離開了辦公室。
(leave是短暫性動詞)
3)Not...until的強調句式:It is/was not until... that...(注意that從句中謂語不能再用否定。)
It was not until late in the evening that her husband arrived home.
直到很晚的時候她的丈夫才回到家。
It was not until it stopped that we got off the bus. 直到公共汽車停下我們才下車。
4)Not...until的倒裝句句式:Not until ...+助動詞/系動詞/情態動詞+主語+其他。
即:not until+詞組放在句首時,後面謂語部分要使用部分倒裝,即只把謂語部分的助動詞/系動詞/情態動詞提前,而謂語部分的實義動詞依然放在主語的後面;not until+從句放在句首時,後面的主句謂語部分要使用部分倒裝,並且主句不能再用否定。(注意:從句不倒裝)
將上面的兩個例句改成倒裝句
Not until late in the morning did her husband arrive home.直到很晚的時候她的丈夫才回到家。
(注意:這裡arrived要變成原形,前面要使用助動詞did。)
Not until it stopped did we get off the bus.直到公共汽車停下我們才下車。
(這裡主句使用助動詞did,got off 變成原形get off.)
下面再看這個句子
He didn』t understand me until I told it to him.直到我告訴他才明白我的意思。
這裡didn』t understand是主句的複合謂語,把它改成倒裝句時,只把did提前,understand不能提前,主句改為肯定句。為Not until I told it to him did he understand me.
改為強調句It was not until I told it to him that he understood me.直到我告訴他才明白我的意思。
我們再來看個句子:Until that happens, you need to protect yourself.
在那之前,你必須保護你自己。(這裡until+從句提前,主句不倒裝。只有not until放在句首,後面才倒裝。)
我們再來翻譯一個句子:直到地震兩周後他才發現他的媽媽活著。
Not until two weeks after the earthquake did he find his mother alive.
(he後面的發現不能用found,必須用原形find。)
直到她媽媽給她讀了一個故事這個小女孩才睡著。
Not until her mother read her a story did the little girl fall asleep.
或者 The little girl didn』t fall asleep until her mother read her a story.
例句You can』t have this football back until you promise not to kick it in class.
直到你保證不再上課時踢球你才能拿回這個球。
改為倒裝句Not until you promise not to kick it in class can you have this football back.
直到你保證不再上課時踢球你才能拿回這個球。
改為強調句It is not until you promise not to kick it in class that you can have this football back.直到你保證不再上課時踢球你才能拿回這個球。