We use by in a number of different ways:
We use by. in many expressions to say bow we do something. For example, you can:
send something by post, do something by hand, pay by cheque/by credit card (but pay in cash)
or something can happen by mistake/by accident/by chance (but do something on purpose):
* Did you pay by cheque or in cash?
* We hadn't arranged to meet. We met by chance.
In these expressions we use by + noun without 'a' or 'the'. We say by chance/by cheque etc. (not 'by a chance/by a cheque').
In the same way we use by. to say how somebody travels:
by car/by train/by plane/by boat/by ship/by bus/by bicycle etc.
and by road/by rail/by air/by sea/by underground
* Liz usually goes to work by bus.
* Do you prefer to travel by air or by train?
But we say 'on foot':
* Did you come here by car or on foot?
You cannot use by if you say 'my car'/'the train' 'a taxi' etc. We use by + noun without , a/the/my' etc.
We say:
by car but in my car (not 'by my car')
by train but on the train (not 'by the train')
We use in for cars and taxis:
* They didn't come in their car. They came in a taxi.
We use on for bicycles and public transport (buses, trains etc.):
* We travelled on the 6.45 train.
We say 'something is done by somebody/something' (passive- 41-43):
* Have you ever been bitten by a dog?
* The programme was watched by millions of people.
Compare by and with:
* The door must have been opened with a key. (not 'by a key') (= somebody used a key to open it)
* The door must have been opened by somebody with a key.
We say 'a play by Shakespeare', 'a painting by Rembrandt', 'a novel by Tolstoy' etc.
* Have you read any books by Agatha Christie?
By also means next to/beside:
* Come and sit by me. (= beside me)
* 'Where's the light switch?' 'By the door.'
Note the following use of by ...:
* Clare's salary has just gone up from 1,000 pounds a month to 1,100 pounds. So it has increased by 100 pounds/by ten per cent.
* John and Roger had a race over 100 metres. Roger won by about five metres.
EXERCISES
127.1 Complete the sentences using by + one of the following:
chance chance cheque hand ,mistake satellite
1. We hadn't arranged to meet. We met _by chance._
2. I didn't intend to take your umbrella. I took it ---.
3. I didn't put the pullover in the washing machine. I washed it ---.
4, If you haven't got any cash, you can pay ---.
5. The two cities were connected --- for a television programme.
6. I never suspected anything. It was only --- that I found out what had happened.
127.2 Put in by, in or on.
1. Liz usually goes to work _by_ bus.
2. I saw Jane this morning. She was --- the bus.
3. How did you get here? Did you come --- train?
4. How did you get here? Did you come --- the train?
5. I decided not to go --- car. I went --- my bike instead.
6. I didn't feel like walking home, so I came home --- a taxi.
7. Sorry we're late. We missed the bus, so we had to come --- foot.
8. How long does it take to cross the Atlantic --- sea?
127.3 Write three sentences like the examples. Write about a book, a song, a painting, a film etc.
1. _'War and Peace' is a book by Tolstoy._
2. _'Romeo and Juliet' is a play by Shakespeare._
3. ---.
4. ---.
5. ---.
127.4 Put in the correct preposition: by, in, on or with.
1. Who is that man standing --- the window?
2. I managed to put the fire out --- a fire extinguisher.
3. The plane was badly damaged --- lightning.
4. These photographs were taken --- a friend of mine.
5. These photographs were taken --- a very good camera.
6. I don't mind going --- car but I don't want to go your car.
7. Shall we get a taxi or shall we go --- foot?
8. What's that music? I know it's --- Beethoven but I can't remember what it's called.
9. There was a small table --- the bed a lamp and a clock it.
10. Our team lost the game only because of a mistake --- one of our players.
127.5 Complete the sentences using by.
1. Clare's salary was 1,000 pounds a month. Now it is 1,100 pounds.
Her salary _has increased by 100 pounds a month._
2. My daily newspaper used to cost 50 pence. From today it costs 60 pence.
The price has gone up ---.
3. There was an election. Helen got 25 votes and Norman got 23.
Helen won ---.
4. I went to Kate's house to see her but she had gone out five minutes before I arrived.
I missed ---.
127.1
2 by mistake
3 by hand
4 by cheque
5 by satellite
6 by chance
127.2
2 on 3 by 4 on
5 by car ... on my bike
6 in 7 on 8 by
127.3
Example answers:
3 Ulysses is a novel by James Joyce.
4 Yesterday is a song by Paul McCartney.
5 Gurnica is a painting by Pablo Picasso.
127.4
1 by 2 with 3 by
4 by 5 with
6 by car ... in your car
7 on 8 by
9 by the bed with a lamp and a clock on it
10 by
127.5
2 by ten pence.
3 by two votes.
4 Kate by five minutes./her by five minutes.
