Understanding Prepositions of Time

The question asks us to choose the most appropriate preposition or determiner to complete the sentence: "Steve has gone away. He will be away ________ Monday."

We need to select a word that correctly indicates the duration of Steve's absence, specifically when it is expected to end.

Let's examine the given options:

1. on
2. by
3. until
4. from

Analyzing Each Option

• on: The preposition 'on' is used with specific days of the week (e.g., on Monday, on Tuesday) or dates (e.g., on August 15th). While Monday is a day, saying "He will be away on Monday" implies he will be away *during* Monday, but doesn't clearly state when his absence *ends*. It's not the best fit for indicating the end point of a duration.
• by: The preposition 'by' is used to indicate a deadline or a point in time when something should be finished or achieved (e.g., "Submit the report by Friday"). "He will be back by Monday" would mean he will return on or before Monday. "He will be away by Monday" sounds incorrect; it doesn't convey that his absence lasts up to Monday.
• until: The preposition 'until' is used to indicate the point in time when something stops or an action/state continues up to that point (e.g., "I waited until 6 pm," "The shops are open until 9 pm"). Saying "He will be away until Monday" means his absence will continue up to Monday and will likely end on Monday or shortly after the period ending Monday begins. This precisely describes the end point of his continuous state of being away.
• from: The preposition 'from' is typically used to indicate the starting point of a period of time (e.g., "from Monday to Friday"). It requires an endpoint as well ("from X to Y") or is used in phrases like "from now on". "He will be away from Monday" would indicate his absence *starts* on Monday, which contradicts the first sentence "Steve has gone away" (implying he is already away or just left).

Determining the Correct Preposition

Based on the analysis, the preposition 'until' is the most appropriate choice because it clearly indicates the end point of Steve's period of being away.

The completed sentence reads: "Steve has gone away. He will be away until Monday."

Therefore, 'until' is the word that best fits the blank, specifying the end time of Steve's absence.

Revision Table: Key Prepositions for Duration and End Points

Additional Information: Using Prepositions with Time

Choosing the correct preposition to talk about time can be tricky, but understanding the specific function of each preposition helps a lot.

• 'On' is for specific days and dates.
• 'In' is for months, seasons, years, centuries, and longer periods, or parts of the day (e.g., in the morning, in December, in 2024).
• 'At' is for specific times (e.g., at 3 o'clock, at noon, at midnight) and holidays (e.g., at Christmas).
• 'Until' specifies when something stops or ends.
• 'By' specifies a deadline.
• 'From' specifies a starting point.
• 'For' specifies the length of a duration.
• 'Since' specifies a starting point in the past, continuing until now (used with perfect tenses).

In this question, we needed a word to show the end of the time Steve is away, and 'until' serves this purpose perfectly.