not…until…是近年来高考英语的一个高频考点,它的基本意思是“直到……才”。如:
　　He didn’t come until yesterday.直到昨天他才来。
　　He didn’t go to bed until his wife came back.直到他妻子回来他才睡觉。
　　I didn’t manage to do it until you had explained how.直到你给我解释了理由,我才会做。
　　综观近几年的高考英语考题,我们发现针对该考点的命题角度主要有以下两个方面:
　　热点一:考查其倒装句式
　　【典型考例】
　　Not until I came home last night___to bed.(2009年四川卷)
　　A.Mum did go B.did Mum go
　　C.went Mum D.Mum went
　　此题答案为B。根据英语语法习惯,当一个表示否定意义的状语置于句首时,其后句子应用部分倒装的形式。对于not…until…来说,当not until…这一否定状语置于句首时,其后也要用倒装语序。
　　【句式归纳】
　　not…until…句式的倒装形式为:
　　Not until…. 部分倒装 ……
　　【实用例句】
　　Not until the rain stopped did he leave the room.雨停了之后他才离开这房间。
　　Not until a few months later did he know the story.直到几个月后,他才知道这故事。
　　Not until his friend offered to help could he do it.直到他的朋友帮助他,他才有办法做那事。
　　Not until I began to work did I realize how much time I had wasted.直到参加工作,我才意识到我曾浪费了多少时间。
　　热点二:考查其强调句式
　　【典型考例】
　　It was___he came back from Africa that year___he met the girl he would like to marry.(2009年江西卷)
　　A.when; then B.not; until
　　C.not until; that D.only; when
　　此题答案为C。考查not…until…句式在强调句中的运用。注意该句式有其特殊的句型结构,不可简单地套用It was…that…格式。
　　【句式归纳】
　　not…until…句式的强调句形式为:
　　It was not until…that…(句子时态需根据语境来确定)
　　【实用例句】
　　It was not until yesterday that I noticed it.直到昨天我才注意到此事。
　　It was not until I met you that I knew real happiness.直到遇到你以后,我才真正体会到幸福。
　　It was not until the 1940s that such machines could be built.直到20世纪40年代,这种机器才能制造。
　　It was not until I saw him laughing that I realized what a fool I had been.直到看见他笑了,我才意识到自己是多么笨。
　　It was not until she took off her dark glasses that I realized she was a famous film star.直到她取下墨镜,我才意识到她是一位著名影星。
　　(编辑 陈根花)