Question
Updated on
31 Oct 2014
- Korean
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English (US)
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Japanese
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Question about English (US)
'I went for a walk by the river to get some fresh air.' What does 'by' mean? And can I use 'to' instead? Does this sound natural?
'I went for a walk by the river to get some fresh air.' What does 'by' mean? And can I use 'to' instead? Does this sound natural?
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31 Oct 2014
Featured answer
- English (US)
Natural
A walk BY the river = you are walking next to the river, alongside it, maybe close enough that you are walking on the riverbank. Not just that you can see the river from where you are--more that you are close to it.
A walk TO the river = the river is the destination or endpoint of your walk. ("Where are you going?" "(I'm going) To the river."
So, you could use either "by" or "to," depending on what you want to convey.
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- English (US)
- English (US)
Natural
A walk BY the river = you are walking next to the river, alongside it, maybe close enough that you are walking on the riverbank. Not just that you can see the river from where you are--more that you are close to it.
A walk TO the river = the river is the destination or endpoint of your walk. ("Where are you going?" "(I'm going) To the river."
So, you could use either "by" or "to," depending on what you want to convey.
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