"So far" vs. "Until Now": What's the difference?

We often see students use "until now" and "so far" incorrectly, so we want to help students clarify.

So far and until now are two very common ways to talk about time. "So far" refers to a point in time, while "until now" refers to the time period that has passed since that point.

Both phrases can be used in different ways, so it's important to understand how they are used.

"So far" is used to describe a point in time, and it's often used to refer to a specific time or event.

For example, "We haven't eaten so far."

Until now mentions something that happened or did not happen till the present moment. Its future occurrence is indefinite.

Ex: Until now, no woman has spoken ill of me.

Until now, we haven’t hired an outsider as a part time lecturer.

so far” tells that the incident may not change, and its future continuity is also more likely to occur as in the past.

"so far" is rather informal is more suitable for writing an article, news indicating the progress of something

Ex: So far, man has not been able to find another earth.

So far, no one has tried to challenge me.

Note : Both of them are not interchangeable.

I haven't bought any gift for her until now/so far. ( both options have different meanings. )

Michael Goodine gave a really good explanation for this:





Use "so far" to describe a condition that is ongoing. As in:

"I moved to New York five weeks ago and I haven't met anyone so far." (this means that I still don't have any friends)

Use "until now" to talk about a condition that has just stopped occurring. As in:

"I didn't call you because I didn't have your phone number until now." (this means I just now got your phone number)

Don't use "until now" to talk about a condition that is ongoing. Here's a very common error I see:

"We met in high school and have been friends until now." (this means that you just stopped being friends... likely the opposite of your intended meaning!)

Here's an error that inspired this post:

"I took the TOEFL five weeks ago, and haven't gotten my scores until now."

The student wants to say that he is still waiting for his scores, so the proper sentence is:

"I took the TOEFL five weeks ago, and haven't gotten my scores so far."