UNIT 128. By ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

UNIT 128. By

A	We use by in many expressions to say how we do something. For example, you can: send something by post contact somebody by phone I by email do something by hand pay by credit card /by cheque √ Can I pay by credit card? You can contact me by phone or by email. √ But we say pay cash or pay in cash (not usually by cash). We also say that something happens by mistake /by accident /by chance: √ We hadn't arranged to meet. We met by chance. But we say 'do something on purpose' (=you mean to do it): √ I didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident. Note that we say by chance, by credit card etc. (not by the chance /by a credit card). In these expressions we use by+ noun without the or a.
B	In the same way we use by ... to say how somebody travels: by car /by train /by plane /by boat /by ship /by bus /by bike etc. by road /by rail /by air /by sea √ Jess usually goes to work by bus. But we say on foot: √ Did you come here by car or on foot? You cannot use by if you say my car /the train /a taxi etc. We say: by car           but         in my car (not by my car) by train        but         on the train (not by the train) We use in for cars and taxis: √ They didn’t come in their car. They came in a taxi. We use on for bikes and public transport (buses, trains etc.): √ We travelled on the 6.45 train.
C	We say that 'something is done by somebody/something' (passive): √ Have you ever been bitten by a dog? The programme was watched by millions of people. √ Compare by and with: √ The door must have been opened with a key. (not by a key) (=somebody used a key to open it) √ The door must have been opened by somebody with a key. We say 'a play by Shakespeare' / 'a painting by Rembrandt' /I 'a novel by Tolstoy' etc. : √ Have you read anything by Ernest Hemingway?
D	By also means 'next to /beside': √ Come and sit by me. (=next to me) 'Where's the light switch?' 'By the door.' √
E	Note the following use of by: √ Clare's salary has just gone up from £2,500 a month to £2,750. So it has increased by £250 / by ten per cent. √ Carl and Mike had a race over 200 metres. Carl won by about three metres.

EXERCISES

128.1	Complete the sentences using by + the following canal chance credit card hand mistake 1 We hadn't arranged to meet. We met ___ by chance_____. 2 I didn't intend to take your umbrella. I took it ______________. Don't put the sweater in the washing machine. It has to be washed ______________. I don't need cash. I can pay the bill ______________. The town is not on the coast, but is connected to the sea ______________. 3 4 5
128.2	Put in by, in or on. 1 Jess usually goes to work ___ by ___ bus. 2 I saw Jane this morning. She was __________ the bus. How did you get here? Did you come __________ train? I decided not to go __________ car. I went __________ my bike instead. I didn't feel like walking home, so I came home __________ a taxi. Sorry we're late. We missed the bus, so we had to come __________ foot. How long does it take to cross the Atlantic __________ ship? 3 4 5 6 7
128.3	All these sentences have a mistake. Correct them. 1 Did you come here by Kate’s car or yours? ___ in Kate’s car. ____ 2 I don't like travelling on bus. These photographs were taken by a very good camera. ______________________ 3 ______________________ 4 I know this music is from Beethoven, but I can't remember what it's called. ______________________ 5 I couldn't pay by cash - I didn't have any money on me. ______________________ 6 We lost the game because of a mistake of one of our players. ______________________
128.4	Write three sentences like the examples. Write about a song, a painting, a film, a book etc. 1 ___ War and Peace is a book by Tolstoy.________________ 2 ____ Romeo and Juliet is a play by Shakespeare. ____________________ 3 ___________________________________________________________ 4 ___________________________________________________________ 5 ___________________________________________________________
128.5	Put in by, in, on or with. 1 Have you ever been bitten ___ by _____ a dog? 2 The plane was badly damaged _____________ lightning. We managed to put the fire out _____________ a fire extinguisher. Who is that man standing _____________ the window? These photographs were taken _____________ a friend of mine. I don't mind going _____________ car, but I don't want to go _____________ your car. There was a small table _____________ the bed _____________ a lamp and a dock _____________ it. 3 4 5 6 7
128.6	Complete the sentences using by. 1 Clare's salary was £2,500 a month. Now it is £2,750. Her salary ___ has increased by£250. ________ 2 My daily newspaper used to cost 80 pence. From today it costs 90. The price has gone up _______________________. 3 There was an election. Helen won. She got 25 votes and James got 23. Helen won _______________________. 4 I went to Kate's house to see her, but she had gone out five minutes before I arrived. I missed _______________________.

ANSWER KEY