By | Meaning, Part of Speech & Phrases
The word by typically functions as a preposition, indicating who or what performs the action in a passive voice sentence, how something is done, and information such as locations, deadlines, and dimensions.
You can contact us by email.
What’s that over there by the blue car?
All applications must be submitted by the end of March.
It’s a standard size dishwasher: 24 by 35 inches.
By meaning
By is a preposition that works in combination with the other elements of a sentence to convey information such as location (e.g., “By the couch”), how something is carried out (e.g., “By hand”) and the agent of an action in the passive voice (e.g., “… was chosen by Billie Jean”).
By part of speech
The word by is a preposition (e.g., “He’s standing by that tree”). However, its part of speech can also be an adverb (e.g., “He just walked by”).
By can also function as a particle of a phrasal verb (e.g., “I came by this map on a trip to Europe”).
Is by a preposition?
By is used as a preposition to indicate the person or thing that performs an action (the agent) when the sentence is in the passive voice.
The random numbers were generated by a computer.
This form has to be signed by a teacher.
Your order is being processed by a member of our team right now.
The word by also functions as a preposition in many other contexts, communicating a wide variety of meanings in combination with the other elements of the sentence.
| Meaning | Example in a sentence |
|---|---|
| To indicate how something is done | You turn it on and off by flipping this switch. |
| I love traveling by train. | |
| The lights came on as if by magic. | |
| To indicate a location near to or next to something | There’s a water cooler over there by the reception desk. |
| We stayed in a cottage by the lake. | |
| I found this package by the door on my way in. | |
| No later than | She said she wanted our essays by Friday. |
| Your dry cleaning will be ready for pickup by 4 p.m. | |
| We’re hoping to move into our new house by summer. | |
| According to | By my calculations, it will cost about three times as much if we fly instead of driving. |
| By law, you have to notify the city if you’re planning major renovations like that. | |
| Past (further than) | Roger walked by me a couple of minutes ago. |
| Have you driven by a gas station yet? | |
| To indicate a number that is multiplied or divided, or a dimension | Two multiplied by four is eight. |
| Eight divided by four is two. | |
| The room is about 12 by 16 feet. |
Is by an adverb?
By can function as an adverb meaning “past” with verbs of movement such as “walk,” “run,” and “drive” (e.g., “I called out to him, but he just walked by”). However, it’s a preposition when it’s introducing a noun or object pronoun (e.g., “But he just walked by me”).
By in phrasal verbs
The word by is a particle when it forms part of a phrasal verb.
Why don’t you drop by on your way home? [Phrasal verb “drop by,” meaning make a short, informal visit]
I’ve got an idea that I’d like to run by you. [Phrasal verb “run by,” meaning tell someone about something so they can give you their opinion about it]
Is by a verb?
By is not a verb. However, its homophone “buy” is a verb (e.g., “How many eggs should I buy?”).
Is by a noun?
The word by rarely functions as a noun. However, its part of speech is a noun in the phrase “by the by,” for example (the first “by” is a preposition and the second “by” is its object).
The phrase “by the by” is used in British English and means “not important” or “by the way” (e.g., “I don’t like it, but that’s by the by because it’s your decision,” “I went back and bought that jacket I tried on, by the by”). An alternative spelling of this phrase is “by the bye.”
Is by a conjunction?
By is not a conjunction. However, “by” is used as a preposition in many common phrases that can be used at the beginning of a sentence.
By contrast, her brother is very shy. [Where “by contrast” means “oppositely”]
By the same token, we have to ask ourselves if this is the right decision. [Where “by the same token” means “And for the same reason”]
Is by a coordinating conjunction?
The word by is not a coordinating conjunction. The term “coordinating conjunction” is used in traditional grammars to refer to the conjunctions “for,” “and,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” and “so.”
Phrases with by
By is part of commonly used phrases such as “by the way” and “by and large.”
By the way meaning
You say by the way to introduce a new, unrelated topic into a conversation, or to give a piece of information that is unrelated to the conversation so far.
Oh, and by the way, don’t forget to call Grandma.
By and large meaning
The phrase by and large means “in general” or “mostly.”
By and large, the feedback on the event has been very positive.
Stand by meaning
The phrasal verb stand by can mean “wait in a prepared state,” “observe and take no action,” “give support to someone,” and “not change an opinion or decision.”
I saw that she needed help and I didn’t just want to stand by and do nothing.
My parents stood by me throughout that difficult time in my life.
It was the right thing to do and I stand by my decision.
If you are on standby, it means that you are ready to act as a substitute at short notice or you are waiting, ready to act if needed.
I’m not working this weekend, but I’ll be on standby, so I could be called in at short notice if there’s an emergency.
A standby ticket for the theater or an airline flight is a special ticket that allows you to see the show or take the flight if there is an available seat left just before the performance starts or boarding is complete. Flying on standby means waiting for a flight that you can only board if a seat becomes available just before departure.
By and by meaning
The adverb by and by means “eventually” or “soon.” It is not very common in modern English.
I will answer your question by and by, but first let me tell you a story.
The noun by-and-by means “some time in the future” and is also rarely used in modern English (e.g., “We need help right now, not in the by-and-by”).
By extension meaning
The phrase by extension means “therefore” or “as a result.”
By extension, this means that the entire project could be delayed.
By association meaning
The phrase by association means “as a result of being connected with someone or something.”
Guilt by association is the blame for something negative based only on a connection with the person or group who is actually responsible for it.
Frequently asked questions about by
- Is it on accident or by accident?
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The original and correct phrase is “by accident.” However, “on accident” is an error likely formed by people trying to say the opposite of “on purpose.” Although it’s a common mistake, the right way to say this phrase is “by accident.”
You can avoid this error by replacing “by accident” with “accidentally” (e.g., “I broke the lamp by accident” vs. “I broke the lamp accidentally”). Make sure not to replace it with “accidently,” as this is considered a common misspelling.
- Is it led by or lead by?
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It can be led by or lead by.
It is led by in passive sentences where it means “managed by” (e.g., “This project was led by Helen, our head of Marketing”).
It is lead by in the phrase “lead by example” (when used in the present tense), which means setting an example for the people you are managing by behaving the way you would like them to behave, (e.g., “If you want your team to be honest with you, you need to lead by example by being honest with them”).
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you to avoid mistakes with tricky irregular verbs like “lead.”
- Is it affected by or effected by?
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It can be affected by or effected by.
It is typically affected by, meaning “influenced by” (e.g., “The harvest was badly affected by the poor weather conditions”).
However, it can be “effected by” if you mean “initiated by,” “implemented by,” or “caused by” (e.g., “This was one of the positive changes effected by the organization”). The word effect is not commonly used as a verb like this in everyday language.
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you to avoid errors with commonly confused words like “affect” and “effect.”
- Is it by whom or by who?
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By whom (not “by who”) is the correct choice at the beginning of a question (e.g., “By whom was it written?”).
But “whom” has a very formal stylistic effect, which you may want to avoid, so in most everyday contexts it is better to use “who” and put the preposition “by” at the end (e.g., “Who was it written by?”).
“By whom” (not “by who”) is also the grammatically correct choice at the beginning of an adjective clause (e.g., “The Rector, by whom he was appointed, made no comment”). But again, “who” is often the better option, with “by” in a later position (e.g., “The Rector, who he was appointed by, made no comment”).
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help ensure you’re using “who” and “whom” correctly.
- Is it by or bye?
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It can be by or bye.
Spell it “bye” if you mean “goodbye.”
Spell it by if you are using it as a preposition (e.g., “… written by Shakespeare,” “A town by the sea,” “… painted by hand”).
Have you tried QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker? It can help you to avoid mistakes with homophones like “by” and “bye.”
