VOA - Ask a teacher: The Preposition ‘By’ - Lesson 14

Hello everyone. Today, I will read ASL teacher, the preposition by. If you can write or speak even just a little English, you have thoroughly used preposition. Words like to, in, on, at, and by. The preposition is a word or group of words that shows direction, location, or time. Today, on ASL teacher, we have a question about one such word. Hi, I'm Frank John from Tanzania. I don't know how to use by in a sentence. Hello, Frank. It sounds like you know the meaning of by, but are unsure of how to use it in another word. Let me try to help. By is usually a preposition, but sometimes acts like an adverb. It can be used in many ways. But today, we will talk about 4 uses as a preposition and show you where it is placed in a sentence. Let's start with using by to show place or location. When we use this way, it means close to, next to, or beside. Here are two examples. Note that by comes before the place. Meet me at the shop. I'll be standing by the door. The university is by the sea. Now for the second use. When by is placed after a motion-related verb like run, drive, and walk, it often shows moments past a place. Let's listen. I walked by the river on Sunday. It was a beautiful day. Did you drive by my building today? I thought I saw you. Another way we use by is to talk about time on the clock. When we use it this way, it means not later than. The word by comes before the time. Have a listen. Your appointment is at 1. Please arrive by 12.45. We should leave by 7 to beat the crowd. The last use we will consider today is about doing something alone or without any help. We make this meaning with by following with relaxive pronouns such as myself or yourself. Here are two examples. He smoothed the heavy table all by himself. I'm sorry. I could go. Did you go by yourself? And that's as a teacher. I'm Alex Brighton. Do you have a question for us as a teacher? Write to us in the comment area and be sure to tell us what country are you from or tell us some way that you use by. Word in this story. Location. A position or place. Adverb. A word that is often used to show time, members, place or degree. Receive. Relative. Showing that actions in a sentence happen to the person or thing that do the action. Thank you for hearing me read. As a teacher, the preposition by. Goodbye.