By vs With:邊個做嘅,又用咗啲乜?

「The cake was made with my grandmother.」等等,你嫲嫲係焗餅嗰個,定係其中一樣材料?歡迎嚟到 by vs with 嘅難題,單單一個 preposition 就決定你句嘢係溫馨,定係意外咁恐怖。

快速答案

By 話畀你聽邊個做咗某件事,又或者點樣喺 method 層面發生(交通、付款、channel)。With 話畀你聽用咗 咩工具,或者 邊個一齊嚟。如果你可以答到「by whom?」—— 用 by。如果你可以答到「using what?」或者「alongside whom?」—— 用 with。

簡單規則

By = agent(「The novel was written by Murakami」)同 method(「I came by train」、「I'll pay by card」、「Reach me by email」)。
With = instrument 或者 tool(「Cut it with scissors」、「She wrote with a pencil」)同 accompaniment(「I went with a friend」)。

快速 mental test:如果攞走個 preposition,個名詞變成 做嘢嗰個,用 by。如果個名詞係 被用嘅嘢 或者 companion,用 with。

真實例句

Agent(做嘢嗰個)—— by

The painting was finished by a student.
This song was written by a teenager.
The window was broken by the storm.

交通、付款、通訊 method —— by

I usually go to work by bike.
Can I pay by card?
Just send the document by email.
She contacted me by phone.

工具或者 instrument —— with

He opened the bottle with a coin.
She drew the diagram with a red pen.
I cleaned the screen with a soft cloth.

Accompaniment —— with

I had dinner with my parents.
He arrived with two enormous suitcases.
She left the party with a headache.(字面上唔係 companion,但係同一種 accompaniment pattern。)

有趣個 case:pay by vs pay with

兩句都啱,native speaker 都會用:

「I paid by credit card.」—— 講緊付款嘅 method,好似填表時 tick 個 box 咁。
「I paid with my credit card.」—— 講緊嗰一刻你用嘅 實物工具。

喺嚴謹嘅商業書寫同表格上面,by 聽落比較正式同抽象(「Payment by card accepted」)。喺日常口語英文,with 聽落比較具體(「I'll just pay with my card」)。兩個都自然。呢個係少數 by 同 with 嘅界線真係軟咗嘅地方。

常見錯誤

「The book was written with Hemingway.」 → 「The book was written by Hemingway.」 · Hemingway 係作者(agent),唔係工具。
「I cut the paper by scissors.」 → 「I cut the paper with scissors.」 · 剪刀係你手上嘅工具,所以用 with。
「I'll go to the airport with bus.」 → 「I'll go to the airport by bus.」 · 交通 mode 用 by,無 article。
「She came at the meeting by her boss.」 → 「She came to the meeting with her boss.」 · Companion 用 with,唔用 by。
「We talked with phone for an hour.」 → 「We talked by phone for an hour.」(或者「on the phone」) · 通訊 channel 用 by。

一個 nice 嘅小 trick:當 by 後面跟住交通 method,英文通常會 drop 咗 article。我哋講「by car」、「by bus」、「by plane」—— 冇「a」或者「the」。但一轉 in/on(可以睇下我哋嗰篇交通工具文章),article 即刻返嚟:「in the car」、「on the bus」。

考試陷阱

閱讀同聆聽題好鍾意將 by 同 with 塞埋同一句嘢,等啲考生混淆。例子 pattern:「The report was prepared by the marketing team with input from external consultants.」comprehension question 之後可能問邊個 prepare 份 report,邊個貢獻。如果你冇分清 by(做嘢嗰個)同 with(幫手嘅人或者工具),就會撈亂。TOEIC Part 5 同 Part 6 都會喺被動句藏呢樣嘢:好似「The proposal was reviewed ___ a panel of experts」一定要 by,因為「a panel of experts」係 agent,唔係工具。慢落嚟,問「邊個做嘅?」對「用咗咩?」,答案自己會跌出嚟。

小測試

The email was sent _____ the project manager last night.
She fixed the chair _____ a screwdriver and some glue.
We can confirm the booking _____ email or phone.
He traveled across the country _____ his best friend.
Most students get to campus _____ bike.

答案

by —— Project manager 係被動動詞 was sent 嘅 agent。
with —— Screwdriver 同 glue 都係工具。
by —— Email 同 phone 係通訊 channel,所以用 by。
with —— Companion 用 with。
by —— 交通 mode 用 by,無 article。

一句總結

By = 邊個做嘅(agent)或者點樣喺 method 層面做(by train、by email、by card)。
With = 咩工具 被用(with a knife)或者 邊個一齊嚟(with a friend)。
Pay by card 同 pay with a card 兩個都得;by 偏正式,with 偏具體。
喺交通 by 後面永遠 drop 咗 article(「by bus」唔係「by the bus」)。

揀之前問自己兩條問題:邊個喺度做緊? 同 佢哋用緊咩? 答到呢兩條,by 同 with 就唔再係 guessing game。