
Nosheen I. answered 08/30/23
Professional Certified English Lecturer & Grammar Expert
Here's the breakdown of the sentence:
- · "I didn't know that" - This is the main clause indicating the speaker's lack of knowledge.
- · "until lately" - This is a subordinate clause that provides additional information about the timing of the speaker's knowledge. "Until" is a preposition that introduces this subordinate clause, and "lately" is an adverb that specifies the time when the speaker's lack of knowledge changed.
In the sentence "I didn't know that until lately," the word "until" is indeed followed by the adverb "lately." This might seem a bit confusing, as prepositions are typically followed by nouns, and "lately" is an adverb. However, there's a logical explanation for this construction.
In this sentence, "lately" is actually acting as a complement to the preposition "until." The word "lately" is indicating a point in time – it tells us when the action of not knowing ended or changed. In this context, "lately" is functioning as a time adverb, modifying the verb "know."
Khin Cho T.
Thanks for your answer08/30/23