TOEIC Decision Point

By vs With: Choose by Deadline, Route, or Tool

Do not stop to name the rule. Check the signal after the blank: deadline, route, doer, tool, extra item, or together?

Man writing in a notebook beside an open laptop at a study desk

In Part 5-style business sentences, by and with can both look familiar. The faster decision comes from the business picture in the sentence.

Core decision: by often points to a deadline, a travel/communication route, or who did the work. With often points to a tool, an included item/detail, or someone/something together.

These are the patterns trained on this page, not every possible meaning of by and with.

Make the decision from the signal

Look at the words immediately after the blank. Do not build a long explanation first.

Choose by

Deadline: by Friday, by 5 p.m.
Route: by email, by train.
Doer: by the finance team.

Choose with

Tool: with a card, with special equipment.
Included item/detail: with the form, with updated figures.
Together: with a colleague.

Please submit the report by Friday.
Friday is the final limit.

Please submit the report with the signed form.
The signed form goes together with the report.

Route or extra item?

This contrast is useful because the same business action can take either word depending on what the next words show.

The invoice was sent by email.
Email shows how it was sent.

The invoice was sent with the receipt.
The receipt was included.

Fast check: If the next words show how something travels or is sent, by may fit. If they show what is included or used, with may fit.

Business-sentence signals worth noticing

Deadline signals

Monday, 5 p.m., the deadline, the end of the month → usually by.

Route signals

Email, phone, courier, train → often by when they show how something is sent, communicated, or travelled.

Included-item signals

Form, receipt, attachment, ID copy, updated figures → often with.

Tool / together signals

Card, equipment, colleague → often with.

One small signal can change the answer. Read what the next words are doing in the sentence instead of choosing from memory alone.

Quick TOEIC check

Choose first. Then read the feedback and compare your decision with the signal in the sentence.

1. All applications must be submitted ___ Friday.

2. Please return the form ___ a copy of your ID.

3. The confirmation will be sent ___ email.

4. The analyst updated the report ___ the latest sales figures.

A rushed-reading mistake

Fast readers may choose a familiar business combination without checking what the next words actually show.

Weak choice

“I have seen these words together before.”

Better choice

“Deadline, route, doer, tool, extra item, or together?”

Decision tool: deadline / route / doer → by. Tool / extra item / together → with.

Use repeated mistakes as evidence

A single missed item does not establish a Learning Block. If the same error appears repeatedly across several attempts, review whether you are rushing, relying on familiar combinations, translating before checking the signal, or continuing to debate after the sentence picture is already clear.

Speed Trap

You may choose before checking the signal after the blank.

Memoriser

You may recognise a familiar combination without checking whether the sentence shows a deadline, route, tool, or included item.

Translator

You may translate both choices before checking the business picture first.

Over Thinker

You may keep debating after the signal has already narrowed the answer.

Next step

Use small TOEIC mistakes as a diagnostic

If the same by/with error keeps appearing in timed practice, review the decision pattern as well as the words. One missed item alone is not enough evidence to identify a Learning Block.

Take the Learning Block DiagnosticRead Unless vs If NotFind Your TOEIC Plan

Continue reading

Use these pages to turn small Part 5 mistakes into faster, cleaner decisions.

Back to topPart 5 DrillsLearning Block DiagnosticTOEIC Plan FinderPart 5 GuideLate vs LaterNear vs Nearly
🧠 SEO FAQ — By vs With What is the difference between “by” and “with”? “By” shows who did the action. “With” shows what was used to do the action. When should I use “by” in a sentence? Use “by” when you’re talking about a person or group that did something. Example: The report was written by the manager. When should I use “with”? Use “with” when you want to show the tool, method, or thing that helped do the action. Example: The report was written with a laptop. Can I use “by” and “with” in the same sentence? Yes. Example: The photo was taken by the assistant with a smartphone. Why does TOEIC test “by” and “with”? Because many learners mix them up. TOEIC checks if you know the difference between who did it and what was used. Is “with” always used for tools? Usually yes. “With” shows the object or method used to do something. Is “by” only used with people? “By” is mostly used for people, teams, or companies that take action. It’s common in passive voice. Can I say “The email was sent with the client”? Not usually. That sounds like the client was included. If the client sent it, say “by the client.” Is it correct to say “by using a pen”? Yes, but that’s a different structure. “By using a pen” means how something was done. “With a pen” is more common and simpler. How can I know which one is correct in TOEIC questions? Check the focus of the sentence. Is it about who did the action? → use “by”. Is it about what was used? → use “with”.