The rule, as people use it
"By" is small but busy. It has four common jobs.
It tells you how you travel or pay: by bus, by train, by car, by card, by email. Notice there's no "the" or "a" after it. You go by bus, not by the bus. The one exception people learn early is "on foot", because "by foot" sounds odd to most American ears.
It names who did something, after a passive verb. "The song was written by a teenager in Manchester." "By" points back at the person or thing responsible.
It means next to. "She sat by the window" is close to "next to", with a slightly softer, relaxed feeling. A house by the sea, a bench by the river.
And it gives a deadline: by Friday, by six o'clock, meaning no later than. That one gets its own lesson, because learners often confuse it with "until".
Examples
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
Fill the gap
Type the missing words, then check. The full sentence plays when you get it.
- 1
We traveled from Mumbai to Delhi (train).
- 2
The painting was done (a local artist).
- 3
I'd like to pay (credit card), please.
- 4
They built a little house (the river).
- 5
You can reach me (phone) most afternoons.
- 6
Send me the report (Thursday) at the latest.
- 7
Omar improved his cooking (watch) his grandmother.
- 8
The school is close, so the kids go (foot).
Practice · 3 min
Write one sentence for each job of "by" about your own life, then read all five out loud.
- How you travel: I usually get to ___ by ___ .
- How you pay: At the store, I usually pay by ___ .
- Who made it: My favorite song was written by ___ .
- Next to: At home, I like to sit by the ___ .
- How you learned: I learned ___ by ___ -ing.
Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.