TOEIC Decision Point

By the Time vs Until: Complete by a Point or Continue to It

In TOEIC Part 5, by the time and until can appear in sentences about deadlines, office hours, temporary systems, project stages, and scheduled arrivals.

A useful question is: must something be complete by that point, or does an action continue up to that point?

By the time = complete no later than that event. Until = continue up to that event or time.

The quick choice

Build a quick timeline. Does the sentence focus on a result that must already be ready, or a situation that remains true and then stops?

By the time

A result is complete no later than another event: by the time the meeting begins, by the time the shipment arrives.

Until

An action or condition continues and then ends: remain closed until noon, use the old system until testing finishes.

The signal to remember

Ready by that point = by the time. Continues to that point = until.

This is the MTC move. Follow the shape of the timeline.

By the time the client arrives, the meeting room will be ready.
The room must already be ready when the client arrives. Choose by the time.

The meeting room will remain closed until the client arrives.
The closed condition continues and then ends. Choose until.

By the time production begins, all materials should have arrived.
Arrival must be complete no later than the start of production.

The temporary supplier will remain responsible until production begins.
The responsibility continues up to that point.

What to notice

The action around the blank can help identify the answer.

will be ready / will have finished / should have arrived
These can point to a result that must be complete by another event.

remain open / continue operating / stay in effect
These can point to a condition continuing up to another event.

Watch the action before the blank

The main action can give a useful signal before you read the entire sentence.

Completion signal

Ready, complete, finish, submit, deliver, install, approve.

Continuation signal

Remain, continue, stay, operate, wait, hold, keep.

The update will be complete by the time employees return.
Completion is the goal.

The old system will remain active until employees return.
The old system continues and then stops.

Under pressure, ask one question: complete by then, or continue until then?

Quick TOEIC check

Choose first. Then read the feedback. Use the quick check: finished by the point, or continuing to the point?

1. ___ the office reopens on Monday, the software update will have been completed.

By the time Until

Correct: By the time

The update must already be complete when the office reopens.

Not quite.

The sentence focuses on a completed result, not an action continuing. Choose By the time.

2. The reception desk will remain closed ___ 1 p.m. while the staff attend training.

by the time until

Not quite.

The closed condition continues up to 1 p.m. Choose until.

Correct: until

The desk remains closed and then reopens at that point.

3. ___ the auditors arrive, all supporting documents should be ready for review.

By the time Until

Correct: By the time

The documents must already be ready when the auditors arrive.

Not quite.

The sentence focuses on readiness by a deadline point. Choose By the time.

4. The temporary booking system will remain in use ___ the new platform is fully tested.

by the time until

Not quite.

The temporary system continues up to the testing point. Choose until.

Correct: until

The temporary system remains active and then stops being used.

The mistake to avoid

Do not choose from a future event alone. Check whether the main action completes or continues.

Weak choice

Treat both expressions as a general way to say “before this future point.”

Better choice

Check the main action: result complete, or condition continuing?

Keep the action pattern clear

In English, the choice depends on whether the action is complete by the time point or continues up to it.

Do not translate only the time expression. Follow the action across the timeline.

Quick tool: complete by that event = by the time. Continue to that event = until.

Related practice

Continue building time-reference decisions

Use these related pages to keep practising deadlines, reference points, and action timelines.

Read In Time vs On Time Read Ago vs Before Read Still vs Yet

Next step

Use review to choose the next practice

If a question feels clear during review but was difficult during practice, compare the action pattern with the choice you made.

The Learning Block Diagnostic reviews six MTC study patterns: Speed Trap, Memoriser, Over Thinker, Translator, Passive Listener, and Burnout.

Take the Learning Block Diagnostic Find Your TOEIC Plan Browse the Strategy Library

Continue reading

Use these pages for more grammar and review practice.