When English describes how something is done — the means, method, instrument, or medium — it uses a small set of prepositions that are not always predictable from their other uses. By describes the means of transport, communication, or the method by which an action is performed. With describes the instrument or tool used. In describes the language or medium of communication. Through describes the means by which a result is achieved, often involving effort or an intermediary. These four prepositions cause significant errors because learners often use one where another is needed, or use their own language's equivalent preposition which does not match English.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
Look at what follows by in each sentence. Is it a vehicle? A method? A means of communication? What do all of these have in common?
By is used to describe the means by which something is done — the method, mode of transport, or channel of communication. By bus, by train, by car, by foot (meaning on foot — though on foot is actually the standard expression) describe transport. By hand, by machine, by email, by phone, by post describe methods or channels. In these expressions, the noun after by has no article — by bus (not by a bus or by the bus), by email (not by an email), by hand (not by a hand). This is a consistent pattern: by + method/means always takes a bare noun (no article). This zero-article rule is one of the clearest features of this prepositional use and prevents a common learner error.
Now look at what follows with. In each case, what is the relationship between with and the noun? Is it a method or an instrument?
With is used for the instrument or tool that is physically held or used to perform an action. A marker, a key, a pen, her hands — these are all physical instruments that the person uses directly. The key distinction from by is that with refers to the tool in hand, while by refers to the broader method or means. Compare: She wrote by hand (the method — as opposed to by computer) versus She wrote with a pen (the tool she held). Both can describe the same act of writing but give different information. Importantly, with takes an article (with a marker, with a key) unlike by which takes a bare noun. This article difference is a reliable signal of which preposition is correct.
Through hard work and persistence, she became the best teacher in the district.
She found out about the training through a colleague.
The school improved its results through consistent use of formative assessment.
In the first group, what does in describe? In the second group, what does through describe? How are these different from by and with?
In is used for the language, medium, or form in which something is expressed or communicated: in English, in French, in writing, in simple terms, in formal language. It describes the code or form of the communication. Through is used to describe the means by which a result is achieved — often involving effort, an intermediary person, or a process: through hard work, through a colleague, through consistent practice. Through carries a sense of a path or channel that leads to a result — there is effort, time, or an agent involved. This distinguishes it from by, which describes a more direct method, and with, which describes a tool. Through is especially common in formal and academic writing to describe how achievements are reached.'
| Form | Use / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Preposition | Describes | Example |
| by | Means, method, transport, communication channel — bare noun, no article | by bus, by email, by hand, by examination, by phone |
| with | Physical instrument or tool used — article required | with a pen, with a key, with her hands, with a marker |
| in | Language, medium, or form of communication | in English, in writing, in simple terms, in French |
| through | Means of achieving a result — effort, process, or intermediary | through hard work, through a colleague, through regular practice |
| by in passives | The agent who performed the action in a passive sentence | The report was written by the head teacher. |
BY IN PASSIVE SENTENCES
By has a separate but related use in passive sentences — it marks the agent (the person or thing that performed the action): The report was written by the head teacher. The new curriculum was introduced by the ministry. This agent-marking by is distinct from the method-marking by (by hand, by email) but they share the same underlying idea: something happened through the agency of something or someone. Teachers should be aware of both uses so they can explain them when learners ask why by appears in different contexts.
ON THE PHONE VERSUS BY PHONE
Both on the phone and by phone are correct and common in English. By phone treats the phone as a communication channel (the method). On the phone describes the act of being engaged in a call — she is on the phone means she is currently in a call. In everyday speech, on the phone is more common for the act of communicating; by phone tends to appear in formal or written contexts to describe the method. A similar distinction applies to on the internet/online versus by internet.
WITH VERSUS USING
In informal speech, using is often a natural alternative to with for instruments: She wrote it using a pen. He opened it using the key. Using tends to be more explicit about the deliberate, active deployment of a tool, while with is more neutral. Both are correct and can often be interchanged. In formal writing, with is slightly more concise.
WHICH MANNER/MEANS PREPOSITION DO I NEED? - Describing transport, communication channel, or method (bare noun, no article)? → By. - Describing a physical instrument or tool held in the hand (article needed)? → With. - Describing the language, medium, or form of communication? → In. - Describing how a result was achieved through effort, process, or an intermediary? → Through. - Is it a passive sentence and the agent is named? → By. - Is the noun after by taking an article? → Stop and check — by + method always takes a bare noun.
Choose the correct preposition — by, with, in, or through — to complete each sentence.
Each sentence has one error with a manner or means preposition. Write the correct sentence and explain the mistake.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — MEANS OR TOOL? (7 minutes): Write two sentences on the board: She wrote by hand and She wrote with a pen. Ask learners: what information does each sentence give? Establish: by = the method (hand vs machine), with = the tool (the specific instrument). Then introduce the article rule: by + bare noun (no article) versus with + article. Ask learners to produce two more pairs using a different verb.
STEP 2 — BY FOR TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION (6 minutes): Write ten expressions on the board: by bus, by email, by hand, by car, by post, by phone, by plane, by vote, by chance, by mistake. Ask learners: what do all of these have in common? Confirm: no article after by in these expressions. Ask learners to produce three sentences using by with transport, communication, and method.
STEP 3 — IN FOR LANGUAGE AND FORM (6 minutes): Write: she spoke ______ English / in French / in a quiet voice / in writing / in simple terms. Ask learners to fill in the blank. Confirm: in is used for the language, register, medium, or form of communication. Ask learners: what is the difference between She spoke in English and She spoke with English? Confirm that with English is not natural in English.
STEP 4 — THROUGH FOR ACHIEVEMENT AND PROCESS (8 minutes): Write three sentences using by and three using through for achieving results. Ask learners: when does through sound more natural? Draw out the idea that through emphasises sustained effort, a process over time, or working via an intermediary. Ask learners to produce two through sentences about how teachers develop their skills.
STEP 5 — PRODUCE AND CHECK (8 minutes): Ask learners to write five sentences describing how things happen in their school — how they communicate, how students are assessed, what language is used, how results are achieved. They must use each of the four prepositions at least once. Share with a partner for checking. Address article errors after by as the top priority.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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