By the time the letter arrives, I will have left. vs By the time the letter arrives,

The first option is a complete and correctly worded sentence, but the second option is only a partial phrase and not a complete thought. Option one conveys a complete idea about leaving before the letter arrives, while the second phrase lacks a verb to complete the thought.

Explained by Gregg
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: September 14, 2024 • 16980 views

By the time the letter arrives, I will have left.

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express leaving before the arrival of the letter.

This phrase is used to indicate that an action will be completed before a specific point in the future, in this case, before the letter arrives.

Examples:

By the time you finish reading this book, I will have already started another one.
By the time the guests arrive, we will have prepared dinner.
By the time the concert starts, the band will have finished their soundcheck.
By the time the train departs, I will have bought my ticket.
By the time the movie ends, I will have fallen asleep.

By the time the letter arrives,

This phrase is incomplete and lacks a verb to convey a complete idea. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.

This phrase needs to be followed by a verb to complete the thought and convey a clear message.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 06, 2024

Jan 28, 2015 ... Unfortunately, by the time the letter arrives, the father has been diagnosed with cancer. During his illness he encourages his daughter to ...
Sep 17, 2022 ... ... by the time the letter arrives. If you have some ambitious long range plans, quarterly-review letters can be helpful. Each quarter write a ...
Jun 24, 2018 ... If physically in writing by registered post, the original email could have expired by the time the letter arrives, so they could claim not ...
Jun 24, 2024 ... ... by the time the letter arrives has probably already been fixed.. Quote. Link to comment. Share on other sites. More sharing options ...
Jan 30, 2024 ... ... by the time the letter arrives the payment date has already passed. Is this really acceptable for Belgians? Do they care so much more about ...
8. Before the crew paves the driveway, they . (use future tense [one-time action]). 9. By the time the letter arrives, .
Aug 13, 2014 ... ... by the time the letter arrives. Here are three ways smart nonprofits use their “downtime:”. 1) Opening a bank account. In order to raise, to ...
Dec 5, 2023 ... The postal service is very intermittent and I'm worried that I will lose the ability to pay 50% by the time the letter arrives. Thanks. K ...
Feb 13, 2018 ... It's not always apparent when someone is offended or upset by a particular attempt at humor, but by the time the letter arrives from the ...
Jul 8, 2022 ... ... by the time the letter arrives. Why? It will remind you of what you enjoy, what makes you happy, and of what makes you, well, you. And ...

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By the time the letter arrives, I will have left. vs By the time the letter arrives,

By the time the letter arrives, I will have left.

By the time the letter arrives,

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