By

Use by + transport to say how you travel: by car, by bus, by train, by plane, by taxi, by bike, by boat; also by air, by sea, by road. After by there is no article and no my / the.

• I usually go to work by bus.

• We travelled to Hue by train.

But walking is on foot. And when the vehicle has a / the / my / his… before it, you don't use by: use in (car, taxi) or on (bus, train, plane, bike).

by also says how something is done: by email, by post (American: by mail), by phone, by card, by bank transfer. For money in notes and coins, say in cash (or pay cash).

• Can you send me the file by email?

• Can I pay by card? — Sorry, we only take cash.

• I paid for the tickets in cash.

  not: by cash

• by mistake = in error, without meaning to
• by accident / by chance = not planned, by luck
• by hand = made or done by a person, not a machine
• by + -ing = the way you do something (see the lesson “Preposition + -ing”)
• by myself / by yourself / by herself… = alone, without help

• Sorry, I took your umbrella by mistake.

• We met by chance at the market.

• These bags are made by hand.

• She learned English by watching films.

• Did you make this cake by yourself?

💡For a tool you hold in your hand, use with, not by: cut it with a knife, write with a pen. By is for transport and the general method: by bus, by email, by hand.

by + a time = not later than that time — at that time or before. It's a deadline. Compare until = something continues up to that time (see the lesson “By vs until”).

• Please finish the report by Friday.

  not later than Friday

• I'll be home by six, I promise.

• You must return the book by Monday.

  deadline

• You can keep the book until Monday.

  you keep it the whole time up to Monday

by + a person says who wrote or made something: a poem by Nguyen Du, a song by Trinh Cong Son, a film by… In the passive, by introduces the person or thing that does the action (see the lesson “Passive voice”).

• The Tale of Kieu is a famous poem by Nguyen Du.

• Have you read anything by Haruki Murakami?

• This picture was painted by my grandfather.

• The village was hit by a storm last night.

Careful: a picture by my grandfather = he painted it; a picture of my grandfather = it shows him. For the author or maker, use by, not of or from.

by = right next to (close to next to / beside): by the window, by the door, by the sea, by the river.

• She always sits by the window.

• We stayed in a small hotel by the sea.

by + a number says how much something changed or how big a difference was. It often follows increase, rise, go up, fall, drop, win, lose, miss…

• The price of rice went up by 10% last year.

• We lost the match by two goals.

• I missed the bus by a minute.

• Some other fixed phrases: by the way (introducing a new topic), one by one, little by little (slowly, gradually), step by step.
• paid by the hour = paid for each hour worked; a room 4 metres by 5 metres = a room measuring 4 × 5 m.

• ✗She goes to school by the bike.

  ✓She goes to school by bike.

  by + transport takes no article.

• ✗We went to Vung Tau by my dad's car.

  ✓We went to Vung Tau in my dad's car.

  With my/his/the → in (car) / on (bus, bike).

• ✗We came here by foot.

  ✓We came here on foot.

  Walking: the standard phrase is on foot.

• ✗This picture was painted from my grandfather.

  ✓This picture was painted by my grandfather.

  The doer in a passive sentence → by.

• ✗You must return the book until Monday.

  ✓You must return the book by Monday.

  A deadline → by; until means continuing up to.

• ✗He cut the cake by a knife.

  ✓He cut the cake with a knife.

  A tool → with.