Thread: Could you help me with English, please.

Which sentences are correct?

1. I cannot move to Los Angeles_ before the week after _ next.
2. I cannot move to Los Angeles_ until the week after _ next.

3. I will not move to Los Angeles_ before the week after _ next.
4. I will not move to Los Angeles_ until the week after _ next.

5. I am not going to move to Los Angeles_ before the week after _ next.
6. I am not going to move to Los Angeles_ until the week after _ next.

I think 2, 3 and 5 are right but I'm not sure.

They are all ok.

Originally Posted by chaika

They are all ok.

But isn't it the same like words 'until' and 'by'?

We use until to talk about a situation or state that will continue up to a certain moment.
"Can I stay until the weekend?"

We use by to talk about an action that will happen on or before a future moment.
"You'll have to leave by Monday midday at the latest."

I've written that from "Basic English Usage" by Michael Swan, Oxford

I think "can" is a state or situation in 1st and 2nd sentences so we have to use 'until'.
Am I wrong?

Thank you for your help.

They are all ok, they are equivalent.

BTW: Los Angeles_

Originally Posted by XPaul

What sentences are right?

1. I can not move to Los Angeless before the week after the next.
2. I can not move to Los Angeless until the week after the next.

3. I will not move to Los Angeless before the week after the next.
4. I will not move to Los Angeless until the week after the next.

5. I am not going to move to Los Angeless before the week after the next.
6. I am not going to move to Los Angeless until the week after the next.

I think 2, 3 and 5 are right but I'm not sure.

None of them! The reason: Angeless. However, it's a Spanish word.

The rest is fine... hehe!

C

Originally Posted by XPaul

What sentences are right?

1. I can not move to Los Angeless before the week after the next.
2. I can not move to Los Angeless until the week after the next.

3. I will not move to Los Angeless before the week after the next.
4. I will not move to Los Angeless until the week after the next.

5. I am not going to move to Los Angeless before the week after the next.
6. I am not going to move to Los Angeless until the week after the next.

I think 2, 3 and 5 are right but I'm not sure.

As a native speaker they all sound fine.

Two things:

Which sentences are correct?

And it's Los Angeles (with one S at the end).

Thank you for your help.

Originally Posted by XPaul

I think "can" is a state or situation in 1st and 2nd sentences so we have to use 'until'.
Am I wrong?

Actually, I think you're right. I'm not thinking of any grammar rule, but using "before" there sounds weird to me. "Until" is much more natural, to my ear, at least.

It's where the speaker's focus is. One way the focus is on BEFORE some point in time (week after next) and the other it is AFTER some time (start of the week after next).

I can't write any more until Monday.
= once Monday arrives, I can write.

I can't write any more before Monday.
= from now through Monday I can't write.

And one more example.

1. I go for a walk before breakfast. (I think in Russian it means 'перед завтраком я хожу на прогулку', i. e. 'go for a walk' is an event which usually happens)

2. I go for a walk until breakfast (7 o'clock). (I think in Russian it means 'я гуляю вплоть до завтрака (до 7 часов)', i. e. in this case, 'go for a walk' is a state or process which continues.)

As for me those sentences aren't equivalent.
What do you think about them?

People are saying that not only are these sentences all grammatical, but they also mean the same. With regards to the latter, I beg to disagree. Before is before, i.e. preceding. Until means until, i.e. when the event is due to occur. So you've got preceding the following week, or you've got on the following week.

Originally Posted by XPaul

Which sentences are correct?

1. I can not move to Los Angeles_ before the week after the next.
2. I can not move to Los Angeles_ until the week after the next.

3. I will not move to Los Angeles_ before the week after the next.
4. I will not move to Los Angeles_ until the week after the next.

5. I am not going to move to Los Angeles_ before the week after the next.
6. I am not going to move to Los Angeles_ until the week after the next.

I think 2, 3 and 5 are right but I'm not sure.

XPaul, "cannot" is written as one word in English. Also, "the week after next" is the expression, "the next" doesn't sound native.

Otherwise, they are correct, and chaika is correct about the different meanings using "before" and "until."

This is how it sounds to me. Cases 4 and 6 suggest that the move will definitely happen, and at some point in the week after the next. 3 and 5 are more open: You may or may not move in the near future, but if you do, it will not be before the week after the next.

1 and 2 are harder to seperate.

Originally Posted by ski-ops

This is how it sounds to me. Cases 4 and 6 suggest that the move will definitely happen, and at some point in the week after the next. 3 and 5 are more open: You may or may not move in the near future, but if you do, it will not be before the week after the next.

1 and 2 are harder to seperate.

Basically, yes.