Cấu trúc Not Until và Only When trong tiếng Anh đã được làm rõ

1. Định nghĩa chi tiết 

Trong tiếng Anh, Until là giới từ mang nghĩa “cho đến khi” hoặc “đến bây giờ”. Cấu trúc Not until vì thế mang nghĩa là “mãi cho đến khi”.

E.g.: It was not until yesterday that she finished her exercises. (Mãi đến hôm qua thì cô ta mới làm xong bài tập.)

Trong khi đó, Only when có nghĩa là “chỉ đến khi”.

E.g.: It was only when he finally drifted off to sleep that the headaches eased. (Chỉ khi cuối cùng anh cũng chìm vào giấc ngủ thì cơn đau đầu mới dịu đi.)

2. Cấu trúc Not until rõ ràng hơn

Trong tiếng Anh, Not until thường đi cùng với từ, cụm từ hoặc thậm chí là câu chỉ thời gian, nhấn mạnh khoảng thời gian hay thời điểm xảy ra sự việc ở câu sau. Đặc biệt, cần chú ý rằng động từ sẽ chia theo thì với động từ to be ở đầu câu.

2.1. Cấu trúc Not until kết hợp với cụm từ chỉ thời gian

Chúng ta sử dụng cấu trúc này để nhấn mạnh vào thời điểm sự việc xảy ra.

E.g.:

• It was not until 1911 that the first of the vitamins was identified. (Mãi đến năm 1911, vitamin đầu tiên mới được xác định.)

= Vitamin đầu tiên không được xác định cho đến năm 1911.

• It was not until late in the evening that he came home. (Mãi cho đến tối muộn anh ta mới về nhà.)

= He didn’t return to his house until the late hours of the evening.

2.2. Cấu trúc Not until đi đi cùng câu chỉ thời gian

Cấu trúc này được sử dụng để nhấn mạnh khoảng thời gian mà ai đó thực hiện một hành động cụ thể.

E.g.:

• It was not until he passed away that Van Gogh became famous for his paintings. (Mãi cho đến khi qua đời, Van Gogh mới trở nên nổi tiếng với những bức tranh của ông.)

= Van Gogh không trở nên nổi tiếng với các bức tranh của mình cho đến khi ông qua đời.

• It was not until she was 30 that Helen knew the truth. (Mãi cho đến năm 30 tuổi thì Helen mới biết sự thật.)

= Helen không biết sự thật cho đến khi bà ấy tròn 30 tuổi.

2.3. Dạng đảo ngữ của cấu trúc Not until

Trong dạng đảo ngữ này, Not until sẽ được đặt lên đầu câu và mệnh đề sau until được giữ nguyên. Điều này biến mệnh đề chính thành một câu khẳng định và một cách đảo ngữ sử dụng trợ động từ hoặc động từ 'to be'.

E.g.: Not until darkness fell did he realize he hadn’t done half of his work. (Mãi cho đến khi bóng tối buông xuống, anh mới nhận ra mình chưa hoàn thành một nửa công việc của mình.)

= It wasn’t until darkness fell that he realized he hadn’t done half of his work.

Khi làm bài kiểm tra hoặc thi, bạn có thể gặp loại câu viết lại sử dụng đảo ngữ Not until như sau:

E.g.: Michael didn’t talk to Alex until last month. (Michael đã không nói chuyện với bạn Alex cho đến tháng trước.)

⇒ It was not until last month that Michael talked to Alex.

3. Cấu trúc Only when

Only when có nghĩa là “chỉ khi”. Cấu trúc này được dùng để nhấn mạnh thời điểm xảy ra sự việc được đề cập trong mệnh đề sau.

E.g.: Only when the police confronted the thief with evidence did she admit that she had stolen the money. (Chỉ khi cảnh sát đối chứng kẻ cắp với bằng chứng, ả ta mới thừa nhận rằng mình đã lấy trộm tiền.)

Cấu trúc Only when có ý nghĩa về thời gian tương tự như Not until, vì vậy trong một số trường hợp chúng có thể thay thế lẫn nhau, làm rõ thêm cho cụm từ hoặc mệnh đề về mốc thời gian xác định trong câu.

E.g.: The thief didn’t admit that she had stolen the money until the police confronted her with evidence. (Tên trộm không thừa nhận rằng ả đã lấy trộm tiền cho đến khi cảnh sát đối chứng với ả bằng chứng.)

⇒ Not until the police confronted the thief with evidence did she admit that she had stolen the money.

⇒ Only when the police confronted the thief with evidence did she admit that she had stolen the money.

4. Bài tập cấu trúc Not until và Only when

4.1. Bài tập

Bài 1: Choose the correct answer

1. It wasn't until midnight that John came back home.

A. did John come      B. had John come    C. that John had come      D. that John came

2. It wasn't until September that I left this school.

A. leave         B. leaves            C. leaving                   D. left

3. It wasn't until 2000 that I saw him.

A. teach                B. teaching                      C. to teach                   D. taught

4. It wasn't until 1994 that this school was built.

A. builds              B. built                     C. had built                      D. was built

5. It wasn't until I went to a new school that my mother bought me a new bike.

A. go                   B. went                    C. am going                       D. will go

6. It wasn't until 2000 that I met him.

A. in                  B. at                      C. until                            D. by

Bài 2: Rewrite these sentences with Not until, It was/is not until or Only when

1. Only when I told him did he call me.

⇒ Only when ______________________________________.

2. Only when my teacher graded my paper poorly did I realize that there was a mistake.

⇒ Not until my teacher helped me could I finish my homework.

3. I could only finish my homework when my teacher helped me.

⇒ It was not until yesterday that the letter arrived.

4. The letter didn’t arrive until yesterday.

⇒ It was not until yesterday that the letter arrived.

5. She only called him when she noticed the missed call.

⇒ Not until she noticed the missed call did she call him.

6. She didn’t become a teacher until 1990.

⇒ It wasn't until she noticed the missed call that she called him.

7. He could not swim until he was 15 years old.

⇒ Not until he was 15 did he learn how to swim.

8. They only began to learn English in 1980.

⇒ It was not until 1980 that they began to learn English.

9. The police made accusations only when they had some proof.

⇒ Only when they had some proof did the police make accusations.

10. The boy did his homework only when his father came home.

⇒ It was not until the lights were on that the football match started.

11. The football match started not until the lights were on.

⇒ Not until I had the information could I comment further.

12. I could not comment further until I had the information.

⇒ It was not until I had the information that I could comment further.

13. Only when their teacher came did the boy stop singing.

⇒ Only when their teacher came did the boy stop singing.

14. It was not until the end of last summer that we finished the project.

⇒ It was not until the end of last summer that we finished the project.

15. Cinema did not become an industry until 1915.

⇒ It was not until ______________________________________.

4.2. Answer

Bài 1:

1. D. that John came; 2. D. left; 3. D. taught

4. D. was built; 5. B. went; 6. C. until

1. Only when I told him did he visit me.
2. Not until did my teacher grade my paper poorly that I realized that there was a mistake.
3. It was not until my teacher helped me could I finish my homework.
4. It was not until yesterday that the letter arrived.
5. Not until she noticed the call she missed did she call him.
6. It was not until 1990 that she became a teacher.
7. Not until he was 15 did he know how to swim.
8. It was not until 1980 that they began to learn English.
9. Only when the police had some proof did they make any accusations.
10. It was not until his father came home that the boy did his homework.
11. Not until the lights were on did the football match start.
12. It was not until I had the information that I could comment further.
13. Only when their teacher came did the boy stop singing.
14. It was not until the end of last summer that we finished it.
15. It was not until 1915 that cinema became an industry.