1. 1
BY
By isused to indicate proximity.Example:
• Can I sitby you?
• He wasstandingbyme.
• The post office isbybank.
By isusedto indicate the personthatdoessomethinginapassive voice sentence.Example:
• The microwave wasfixedbymechanic.
• The flowerswere deliveredbypostman.
• The branch office wasclosedbyheadoffice.
By isusedto indicate anactionwith a particularpurpose.Example:
• You can pass the exambypreparingforit.
• I expressedmyfeelingtowardherbywritingaletter.
• She finallybroke the recordbypure effort.
By isusedto indicate ameanor method.Example:
• Please sendthispackage toRussiabyairmail.
• I came here bysubway.
We use byto talk abouta deadline whensomethingwill happenbefore thattime. Example:
• By tomorrow
• By nextweek
• By six o'clock
• By Wednesday
• By summer
By isusedto showthe personor thingthat doessomething.Example:
• The motorcycle wasdrivenby tinybald man.
• I'm readingsome shortstories byChekhov.
• I feltfrightenedby angerinhisvoice.
By isusedto showhowsomethingisdone.Example:
2. 2
• TheytravelledacrossEurope bytrain.
• He learnedEnglishbylisteningtothe radio.
I refuse tolive bytheirrules.
By as a prepositionisusedtoexpressnearorat the side of.Example:
• A small childstoodsullenlybyherside.
• He wantedtokeepherclose byhimalways.
• The policewomanwalkedbythemwithoutsayingaword.
By isusedto showmeasurementsoramounts.Examples:
• Our office floorspace measuredtwelve metersbyten.
• Theirwageswere increasedby15 percent.
• Freelance workersare paidby hour.
• These phoneshave soldbythousand(=several thousandhave beensold).
By isusedto say that somethingincreasesorchangeswitheveryminute,hour,day,etc.Example:
• The deathtoll from the hurricane wasclimbingminute byminute.
• The credibilityof the campaignhasdeterioratedmonthbymonth.
By isusedto describe orshowwhat happenseveryminute,hour,etc. Example:
• A minute-by-minute timelineof the incident.
• The book paintsa detailed,week-by-weekportraitof hisfather'sillness.
By isusedwhendescribingsomeone'scharacter,job, etc.Example:
• She is,by nature,a sunny,positive kindof person.
• He's a plumberbytrade.
• She was,by profession,alawyer.
With
Usedto indicate "using":
3. 3
• eat witha fork;made us laughwithhisjokes.
I wrote a letterwiththe penyougave me.
(talkenglish.coms.f.)
BESIDE
Is usedonlyasa preposition,whichmeansthereisalwaysanounfollowingit.Itmeanseither“next
to” or “comparedto,” as showninthe examplesbelow.The firstmeaning,“nextto,”ismore
common.
• She sat beside (=nextto) himduringdinner.
• I like tositbeside myfriend.
(Mairs s.f.)
Bibliography:
Mairs, Jane. Meriab Webster. s.f.http://www.learnersdictionary.com/qa/difference-between-beside-
and-besides-preposition-adverb(últimoacceso:14de Enerode 2016).
talkenglish.com. s.f.http://es.talkenglish.com/grammar/prepositions-with-over-by.aspx(último
acceso:14 de enerode 2016).
