Up until now

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Up until now" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate a time frame that extends from the past to the present moment. Example: "Up until now, we have not encountered any major issues with the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"I've been patient up until now.

The New York Times

"Nothing done up until now really seems to be working".

The New York Times

His thinking is different from thinking up until now.

The New York Times - Arts

And that was the worst up until now.

Forbes

"And I've competed up until now with that same gun.

BBC

Morphing as a means of teaching chemistry/science has up until now been used very little.

Journal of Cheminformatics

And the system has worked up until now.

Huffington Post

Life has had you in training up until now.

Huffington Post

You are ruining what we've built up until now".

Huffington Post

Up until now, that is.

The Guardian

Up until now, this has been healthy.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "Up until now" to introduce a change or contrast, highlighting how a situation has evolved over time. This phrase is most effective when setting up a comparison between past and present conditions.

Common error

Avoid using past perfect tense directly after "Up until now". The phrase already implies a duration leading to the present, so using the present perfect or simple past in the subsequent clause is generally more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "Up until now" functions as an adverbial phrase of time. It modifies a verb or clause, indicating the duration of an action or state leading to the present. As seen in Ludwig, it sets a temporal boundary, highlighting what has occurred or been true up to the current moment.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

34%

Formal & Business

16%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "Up until now" is a versatile adverbial phrase of time used to indicate a state or action's duration leading to the present. As noted by Ludwig, it functions to provide temporal perspective and contrast past and present situations. While grammatically correct and very common across diverse contexts, including news, media, and science, it is best used to introduce a change or realization. When writing, be mindful of the tense agreement in subsequent clauses and consider more formal alternatives like "until the present time" for academic or scientific contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Up to the present

Synonymous, but places emphasis on the present as the endpoint.

Until the present time

More formal and emphasizes the continuous period leading to the current moment.

Until this moment

Emphasizes the immediacy and specificity of the present.

So far

Simple and common alternative that focuses on the duration leading to now.

To this point

Highlights a specific moment that serves as a reference.

Thus far

Slightly more formal; indicates progress made up to the current time.

Until today

Specifically refers to the current day as the endpoint.

To date

Commonly used in business contexts to indicate progress or status.

Up to this stage

Emphasizes the progression and steps taken to reach the present.

Hitherto

More formal and less common; emphasizes the past.

FAQs

How can I use "Up until now" in a sentence?

You can use "Up until now" to indicate that a situation has been true or a certain way until the present moment. For instance, "Up until now, the project has been successful".

What are some alternatives to "Up until now"?

Alternatives include phrases like "so far", "to date", or "until the present", each carrying slightly different connotations of time and duration.

Is it more formal or informal to use "Up until now"?

"Up until now" is generally considered neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, alternatives like "hitherto" lean towards more formal usage.

What's the difference between "Up until now" and "until then"?

"Up until now" refers to a period extending to the present, whereas "until then" refers to a specific point in the past or future. "Until then, we waited" implies a specific time in the past or future, unlike "Up until now".