BY?

How to use BY

The meaning of by is the same as beside,
at the side of, next to or near somebody/something

Examples:

Were you sitting by (beside) the door?

Jana parked her car by (beside) mine.

The police station is by the church isn’t it?

Showing motion usually shows movement past a place:

We walked by your office this morning.

Who was that man who just ran by us?

Action

To show who or what does, creates or causes something:

He was knocked down by a bus.

A play written by Shakespeare.

Who’s that book by?

I was frightened by the noise of the storm.

To show how something is done:

We send a postcard or a letter by post.

We contact someone by phone or by email.

Travel

To show how someone travels:

They came by car/ by taxi/ by train/ by plane.

For an amount

‘We sell tomatoes by the kilo.’

‘By’ as ‘alone’

By can be used with:

myself/yourself/himself/herself/ourselves/yourselves/themselves

These all show someone or something being alone:

‘I stayed at home by myself and read the newspaper.’

‘The cat opened the door by himself.’