The rule, as people use it

"With" means together, or using something. "I went with my sister." "Cut it with a sharp knife." It also describes someone by what they have: "the guy with the red hat", "an apartment with a balcony". And in conversation, "I'm with you" means I agree, and "Are you with me?" means do you follow.

"Over" is above or across: over the bridge, a lamp over the table. It also means more than ("over fifty people came"), during ("over the weekend") and finished ("the game is over"). You'll hear it in phrasal verbs all day too: come over, think it over, get over a cold.

"By" has three everyday jobs. It means next to: "by the window". It gives a deadline: "by Friday" means Friday at the latest. And it names how you travel or pay: by bus, by train, by card. After a passive verb it names who did it: "a song written by her sister".

The slip to watch is "by" with a deadline versus "until". "By six" means before or at six, then it's done. "Until six" means the whole time up to six. "Send it by Monday" and "The store is open until Monday" are very different promises. Also, "by car" and "by train" take no "the" or "my". Once you add one, switch to "in" or "on": "in my car", "on the early train".

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. 1

    I usually pay (with / by) card.

  2. 2

    Grace went to the movies (with / by) her cousins.

  3. 3

    Please return the form (by / until) Friday.

  4. 4

    The library stays open (by / until) nine tonight.

  5. 5

    The meeting is (over / by). Everyone left.

  6. 6

    We drove (over / with) the bridge into the city.

  7. 7

    Lucas opened the box (with / by) a pair of scissors.

  8. 8

    Haruto came here (by / in) train from Osaka.

Practice · 3 min

Plan a small weekend trip on paper. Write two sentences with "with" (who you'll go with, what you'll take), two with "by" (how you'll travel, when you'll book it by), and two with "over" (what you'll do over the weekend, a place you'll go over or past). Say them out loud. Then write one sentence that uses "until" and check that it means the whole time, not a deadline.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.