Hi, welcome to a new episode of The Art of Business English. This week we have the third instalment of my mini-series on prepositional phrases that you will find useful for business. On this occasion I will teach you some which include the preposition “by”.
If you haven’t taken a look at episodes 1 and 2 of the mini-series, then you can review episode 190 here, and 191 here.
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Let’s dive in!
By chance
Meaning:
Without plan or intent; accidentally.
Example:
“Public relations campaigns don't happen by chance; they require time, effort, and planning.”
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By all accounts
Meaning:
As said by most people.
Example:
“The subcontractor who performed much of the training did a poor job by all accounts.”
By all means
Meaning:
Without hesitation or doubt; certainly.
Example:
“John, could you please help me with this proposal, as the deadline to have it finished is fast approaching.”
“By all means Chris, how can I help?”
By design
Meaning:
Deliberately, rather than by accident.
Example:
“We must focus on developing new technological methods and establishing the principle of privacy by design.”
By means of
Meaning:
With the use or help of.
Example:
“Improvements to our methodology takes place by means of joint research projects and initiatives in the field of education.”
By mistake
Meaning:
By accident; unintentionally.
Example:
“I think I have deleted an important file by mistake. You better call the IT department and get them to restore a backup.”
By law
Meaning:
Something that you must or mustn’t do according to the State’s regulations.
Example:
“Unfortunately, by law, we are unable to sell you this product without also providing you with specific safety training first.”
By sight
Meaning:
To know someone/something by appearance; by recognizing but not through being acquainted.
Example:
“I know her by sight, but not by name. Could you formally introduce us?”
By far
Meaning:
By a great amount; considerably.
Example:
“The transport sector is by far the major source of air pollution.”
By heart
Meaning:
To learn something in such a way that you can say it from memory.
Example:
“When practicing your presentation, it is a good idea to learn the main ideas by heart, but not to sound like you are reading from a script.”
Final thoughts
Well, there you have it folks, my list of ten prepositional phrases with “by” for business. I hope you found this episode interesting and useful. If you have any questions or would like to add your own phrasal verbs to the list, then why don’t you send me a message on speakpipe or drop me a comment on the blog.
If you're interested in expanding your knowledge of vocabulary, download your copy of my eBook, "500 business English collocations for everyday use" which also includes the pronunciation in mp3 format for free.
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See you next week. Take care.
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