not until 句型用法

not ... until 意为“直到……才”，表示主句谓语的动作直到until状语的时间才发生，主句的谓语动词表示的是动作的开始。until引导从句时，如果主句中的谓语动词是延续性动作，则主句用肯定式；如果主句中的谓语动词是短暂性动词，则用否定形式。

until可用作介词或连词，意为“到……时候为止”、“到……时候才”或“在……时候以前不”。什么情况下表达什么意思，关键要看（主）句中的谓语动词是终止性动词还是延续性动词。

1. 如果（主）句中的谓语动词是终止性动词，应采用“... not ... until ...”结构，意为“……到……时候才……”。例如：

You mustn’t eat anything until you see the doctor.

看过医生之后，你才能吃东西。

Don’t get off the bus until it has stopped.

车停稳了以后再下车。

2. 如果（主）句中的谓语动词是延续性动词，那么谓语动词用肯定式或否定式，它们所表达的意思有所不同。

1）如果谓语动词为肯定式，则until译为“到……时候为止”。例如：

I watched TV until she came back.

我看电视一直看到她回来。

2）如果谓语动词为否定式，则until应译为“到……时候才”，即“在……以前不”。例如：

I did not watch TV until she came back. （= I began to watch TV when/after she came back.）

直到她回来我才开始看电视。

3. 用终止性动词作谓语时，until既可以和not连用，又可以和never，nobody，nothing，few，little，seldom，hardly等含否定意义的词连用。例如：

I had not seen him until 1990. （= I had never seen him until 1990.）1990年以前我从未见过他。

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. （= Never put

off what you can do today till tomorrow.）

今日事，今日毕。

4. 连词until引导的从句中谓语动词的时态。

1）主句的谓语动词为一般现在时或一般将来时时，until从句中的谓语动词为现在完成时，用来强调从句谓语动词表示的动作发生在主句谓语动词表示的动作之前。试比较：

I won’t go to bed until I have finished my homework.

我要完成作业才睡觉。

2）主句中的谓语动词为一般过去时时，从句中的谓语动词为过去完成时，用来强调从句谓语动词的动作发生在主句谓语动词表示的动作之前。试比较：

Li Lei didn’t c ome until the film had begun.

直到电影开演，李雷才来。

“It is/was not until+被强调的部分+that ...”相当于“Not until (i)

(does, do, is ...)+主语 ...”意为“直到……才”，是强调形式。

You must stay in bed until your temperature is normal.

体温正常后，你才能起床。

He didn’t leave until the meeting was o ver.

直到会议结束他才离开。

It was not until she took off her dark glasses that I realized she was a film star.

=Not until she took off her dark glasses did I realize she was a film star.

=I didn’t realize she was a famous film star until she took off her dark glasses.

直到她摘下墨镜我才认出她是一位电影明星。

高手过招

单项填空

①Not until , settle the problem. （2010·潍坊一轮验收）

A. he returns; can we

B. he returns; we can

C. does he returns; we can

D. does he return; we can

②It was back home after the experiment.

A. not until midnight did he go

B. until midnight that he didn’t go

C. not until midnight that he went

D. until midnight when he didn’t go

①解析：选A。当not until位于句首时句子需倒装。句意为：直到他回来我们才能解决这个问题。

②解析：选C。强调句型It is/was ...that对not until ...进行强调时，需把not until ...放到强调结构中，故选C。