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From: Robbie <robbie.nospam@ntlworld.com>
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Subject: Re: usage of "by"
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Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 03:37:32 +0100
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Fanny wrote:
> " Now this can only happen by some defect in your conduct."
>
> I wonder if the above sentence may be rewritten another way like
> this:
>
> "Now this can only happen because of some defect in your
> conduct."
>
> The whole difficulty is that I seldom come across the usage of
> "by" in this sentence. Anyone can tell me more sentences about the
> usage of "by"?
You're right, in this sentence "by" means something like "because of",
or more precisely "by means of", "through". I would have written
"through" in that sentence. This is a rare usage of "by" in modern
English. I can't think offhand of any other sentence to illustrate it.
Chambers Dictionary gives the following definitions for "by" as a
preposition. I have left out the Scottish and archaic meanings. I've
added illustrative phrases where I could think of any.
1. at the side of [standing by the tree]
2. near to
3. along a route passing through, via [flying to Rome, I'll go by Paris]
4. past [the car drove by the house]
5. (in oaths) in the presence of, or with the witness of [swear by God]
6. to the extent of
7. in quantity measurable in terms of [buy sugar by the pound]
8. in terms of
9. in accordance with [play by the rules]
10. in respect of
11. (of time) not after [the report is due by Friday]
12. during (day, night, etc.) [work by day and sleep by night]
13. multiplied into, or combined with another dimension of [multiply two
by three; the rectangle measures five by ten metres]
14. in succession to
15. (of horses, etc.) sired by
I can't place your sentence anywhere in this list! Maybe it comes under
number 10, "in respect of".
Robbie
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