Until

Question

Hello, could you please specify that when I use "until" in the context "he is on holiday from Monday until Thursday" it will mean Thursday inclusive or exclusive? Rgds

Raul · Accepted Answer

Thursday is included.  "Until" has that connotation.

Hitchhiker · Answer

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Goggij2 · Answer

The use of 'until' or 'to' is a bit abiguous to most of us despite its definition. Until is exclusive, both in the understand of until as "before a certain time" or "up to the time that." If "we danced until dawn," dawn marks the time at which, not through which, we danced.
If I say to you, "I don't have a day off at work until friday," you assume I have friday off (exclusive, i don't work on friday). If i say, "I work until five every day," the assumption is i leave work at five (exclusive again, I am not working at 5:59, i've gone home).

If you mean he will return thusday(exclusive, thursday is not a holiday) the best bet would be to say something like starting monday he is on holiday and will return on thursday. If Thursday is inclusive, "...will return on friday." Or some would say, "through thursday," through is understood as inclusive.

Maj · Answer

Let me ask you one question i'm not sure about: If "we danced until dawn," dawn marks the time at which, not through which, we danced. So when is it that we started dancing?

Goggij2 · Answer

I'll say, "We danced from dusk until dawn." I had not indicated when we started dancing in my first post. Sorry

James

Until

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