How can I practice By / With?

Step Ahead Grammar offers free practice questions on By / With with instant feedback, answers and Hindi explanations. You can also take timed tests.

Is By / With important for exams?

By / With appears in school exams and competitive exams like SSC and Bank PO English sections. Practising with exam-style questions improves accuracy and speed.

By / With

Prepositions intermediate medium

By = doer/means/transport; with = instrument/tool.

Prepositions — Time, place and direction prepositions.

Rules

1. by + doer (passive): The letter was written by Ravi. 2. by + means of transport: travel by bus, by train, by air. 3. by + method: learn by heart, pay by card. 4. with + instrument: cut with a knife, write with a pen. 5. by + deadline: finish by 5 o'clock. 6. with + feature: a man with grey hair. 7. with + feeling: trembling with fear.

Explanation

Use "by" for the person/agent or the way of doing something; use "with" for the tool: "written by Ravi with a pen".

हिंदी में

By = करने वाला/साधन/समय-सीमा; with = औज़ार। "कट with a knife" पर "travel by bus" याद रखें।

Examples

The novel was written by Premchand. — यह उपन्यास प्रेमचंद ने लिखा था।
She cut the paper with scissors. — उसने कैंची से कागज़ काटा।

Common Mistakes

{"mistake":"He wrote the letter with a pen by Ravi (mixed).","correction":"The letter was written by Ravi with a pen.","note":"\"by\" for the person, \"with\" for the tool."}

Practice Questions

Q1. Fill in the blank: "She writes ___ a blue pen."

with
by
from
in

Answer: with

💡 Tool/instrument → with.

Q2. This painting was made ___ a famous artist.

by
with
from
of

Answer: by

💡 Agent (person who did it) → by.

Q3. The cake was cut ___ a knife.

with
by
from
of

Answer: with

💡 Instrument → with.

Practice & Test Yourself

Take a free placement test to find your level, practise By / With with instant feedback, then take a timed test.

Open By / With lesson → Free practice — Sign up

Topic	Level	What it covers
To / From	elementary	To for destination; from for origin.
Into / In	intermediate	In for position; into for movement to the inside.
In / On / At	elementary	The three most common time and place prepositions.
Between / Among	intermediate	Between for two; among for more than two.
Common Preposition Errors	intermediate	The most frequently misused prepositions.