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don’t need / need

English translation: not...until

13:21 Mar 29, 2023
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: don’t need / need
I am puzzled by the alternatives in an English language test question:

"Task: Choose correct words:
We don’t need / need to hand this in until next week."

"don’t need / need" are written in italics as alternative options.

In my opinion, both sentences are grammatically correct.
- We don’t need to hand this in until next week.
- We need to hand this in until next week.
Is there any reason why one would be more correct than the other?

TIA!
Vesna Zivcic
Local time: 17:04
Selected answer:not...until
Explanation:
The construction here is "not...until"

We don't need to hand this in until next week

OR

We need to hand this in [or - we have to hand this in] **by** next week

If you had "we need to hand this in until next week", it refers to a continuous action (e.g. "we need to keep stirring the eggs until they are well-mixed) - which obviously doesn't make sense here.
Selected response from:

Jennifer Caisley
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:04
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +9not...until
Jennifer Caisley
5 +2Until vs by
Mihaela C N Plamadeala
5 -1We don’t need / need to hand this in until next week.
VICTOR ORNGU


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
not...until


Explanation:
The construction here is "not...until"

We don't need to hand this in until next week

OR

We need to hand this in [or - we have to hand this in] **by** next week

If you had "we need to hand this in until next week", it refers to a continuous action (e.g. "we need to keep stirring the eggs until they are well-mixed) - which obviously doesn't make sense here.


    https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/not-until
Jennifer Caisley
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M
20 mins
agree  philgoddard
22 mins
agree  Nadja Wieser
25 mins
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: Basic grammar
1 hr
agree  Arabic & More
1 hr
agree  Sarah Lewis-Morgan
2 hrs
agree  Jaime Oriard
2 hrs
agree  AllegroTrans: Understandable confusion as I think "by" and "until" are expressed with one single word in some languages
4 hrs
agree  writeaway
9 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Until vs by


Explanation:
The explanation lies in the use of the word "until" which în this example can only be used with "we don't need"

It is incorrect to say we need to hand it in UNTIL next week. The correct version would be " we need to hand it in BY next week.

So:
We don't need to hand it in until next week
We need to hand it in by next week.

Is it more clear? Hope it helps

Mihaela C N Plamadeala
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in RomanianRomanian
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Arabic & More
1 hr
neutral  AllegroTrans: This is essentially the same answer as Jennifer's, with which you could have agreed
8 hrs
  -> Yes absolutely. When I started typing there were no answers. Jennifer published her answer first. I think the main goal here is to be helpful, and 2 people can explain the same thing in different ways, no harm done. No need for judgement here.
agree  Christopher Schröder: @AllegroTrans, they were clearly typing at the same time...
1 day 20 hrs
  -> Thank you Ice Scream, exactly right!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
We don’t need / need to hand this in until next week.


Explanation:
We don’t need / need to hand this in until next week. this is because the there a subject i this

VICTOR ORNGU
Nigeria
Local time: 16:04
Native speaker of: Nigerian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  AllegroTrans: The question has already been answered and "this is because the there a subject i this" makes no sense whatever
16 hrs
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