Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'by' in passive sentences to mention who or what performed the action while keeping the focus on the result.
- Place 'by' after the past participle to introduce the doer: 'The song was sung by Adele.'
- Only use 'by' if the person or thing doing the action is important information.
- Don't confuse 'by' (the doer) with 'with' (the tool used): 'The door was opened by John with a key.'
Overview
The evidence was discovered by a local farmer라고 말하는 것을 들어본 적이 있을지도 모릅니다. 이 작은 단어 by는 영어에서 매우 강력한 역할을 합니다.by + 행위자(agent) 패턴이 등장합니다.How This Grammar Works
내 피자가행위자는 단순히 행동을 수행한 사람이나 사물입니다.내 룸메이트에 의해(by my roommate) 먹혔어.
by 뒤에 행위자를 문장 끝에 배치함으로써 초점이 바뀝니다.
Formation Pattern
to be 동사의 알맞은 형태를 추가하세요. 이는 원래 능동태 문장의 시제와 일치해야 합니다.
by를 추가하세요.
When To Use It
치료법이가 될 것입니다.과학자들에 의해(by scientists) 발견되었다
. 셋째, 긴장감을 조성할 때. 추리 소설에서
문이 그림자에 의해` 열렸다"라고 읽을 수 있습니다. 마지막으로, 누군가를 직접 비난하는 것을 피하고 싶지만 언급은 해야 할 때.유리잔이 짐에 의해 깨졌다는 «짐이 유리잔을 깼어!»보다 조금 덜 공격적으로 느껴집니다.
Common Mistakes
by 대신 with를 사용하는 것입니다. 기억하세요: by는 사람(행위자)을 위한 것이고, with는 도구(수단)를 위한 것입니다. 편지가 셰익스피어고 말하지 마세요. 그것은 마치 그의 몸을 펜으로 사용했다는 뜻처럼 들립니다. 또 다른 실수는와 함께(with) 쓰였다
to be 동사를 잊는 것입니다. The photo taken by me는 문장이 아닙니다. The photo was taken by me가 되어야 합니다. 또한 대명사에 주의하세요! 행위자가 대명사라면 목적격 형태여야 합니다: by him, by her, by them. 마지막으로 행위자를 너무 남용하지 마세요. 행위자가 '누군가'나 '사람들'이라면 생략하는 것이 좋습니다.Contrast With Similar Patterns
by + 행위자와 with + 도구를 혼동하기 쉽습니다. 앞서 언급했듯이 by는 «누가?»에 답하고, with는 «어떤 도구로?»에 답합니다. 예를 들어: 케이크가또 다른 대비는 행위자 없는 수동태입니다. 대부분의 수동태 문장은 행위자가 아예 필요 없습니다. «내 자전거를 도둑맞았어»는 누가 했는지 모르기 때문에 그 자체로 완벽한 문장입니다. 행위자 정보가 가치를 더하거나 크레딧이 필요한 경우에만셰프에 의해(행위자)은색 칼로(도구) 잘렸다.
by + 행위자를 추가하세요.Quick FAQ
행위자를 항상 포함해야 하나요?
아니요! 흥미롭거나 중요하거나 놀라운 경우에만 포함하세요.
사람 말고 사물에도 by를 쓸 수 있나요?
네!
마을이 폭풍에 의해 파괴되었다처럼 쓸 수 있습니다.
이 패턴은 말하기와 쓰기 중 어디에서 더 흔한가요?
공식적인 글쓰기에서 더 자주 보이지만, 강조를 위해 말할 때도 항상 사용합니다.
Passive Voice with 'By' Across Tenses
| Tense | Subject | Verb 'Be' | Past Participle | By + Agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
The reports
|
are
|
written
|
by the staff.
|
|
Past Simple
|
The report
|
was
|
written
|
by the manager.
|
|
Present Continuous
|
The report
|
is being
|
written
|
by the intern.
|
|
Past Continuous
|
The report
|
was being
|
written
|
by Sarah.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
The report
|
has been
|
written
|
by the team.
|
|
Future (Will)
|
The report
|
will be
|
written
|
by the director.
|
|
Modals
|
The report
|
must be
|
written
|
by you.
|
Meanings
The passive voice with 'by' is used to identify the 'agent' (the person or thing that performs the action) when the sentence structure is passive. It allows the speaker to emphasize the receiver of the action while still providing credit or responsibility to the doer.
Artistic & Intellectual Credit
Used to attribute books, paintings, songs, or inventions to their creators.
“This novel was written by George Orwell.”
“The symphony was composed by Beethoven.”
Official & Legal Responsibility
Used in news or legal documents to state who performed an official action.
“The law was passed by the parliament.”
“The decision was made by the CEO.”
Unexpected Agents
Used when the doer of the action is surprising or particularly noteworthy.
“The window was broken by a falling branch.”
“The cake was eaten by the dog!”
Reference Table
| 구조 | 예시 | 의미 | 사용 시점 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Active Voice
|
Sarah wrote the report.
|
사라(행위자)가 행동을 했어요.
|
행위자에 초점을 맞출 때.
|
|
Passive Voice (no agent)
|
The report was written.
|
보고서(대상)가 행동을 받았어요.
|
행위자가 알려지지 않았거나 중요하지 않을 때.
|
|
Passive Voice (with 'by')
|
The report was written by Sarah.
|
보고서(대상)가 행동을 받았고, 사라가 행동한 주체예요.
|
행위자가 중요하거나 공로를 인정할 때.
|
|
Present Simple Passive
|
The coffee is brewed by her.
|
그녀가 커피를 내려요.
|
일상적인 행동, 공로를 나타낼 때.
|
|
Past Simple Passive
|
The song was sung by him.
|
그가 그 노래를 불렀어요.
|
과거 행동, 공로/식별.
|
|
Future Simple Passive
|
The project will be managed by them.
|
그들이 프로젝트를 관리할 거예요.
|
미래 계획, 할당.
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
The manuscript was authored by an unknown scholar. (Literature)
The book was written by a local author. (Literature)
It was written by some guy I know. (Literature)
This was penned by my homie. (Literature)
수동태: 'By'를 사용한 개념 지도
구조
- Subject + Be + V3 + by + Agent 형성
- Be (conjugated) 조동사
- Past Participle (V3) 주동사 형태
사용 시점
- Give Credit/Blame 책임/공로 부여
- Important/Unexpected Agent 행위자 강조
- Formal Contexts 격식 있는 상황
- Clarity 명확성
주요 구분
- By (Agent) 누가 또는 무엇이 행동을 하는가
- With (Instrument) 행동에 사용되는 도구
- Omit 'by' if unimportant 중요하지 않으면 'by' 생략
예시
- was written by Sarah 작성 공로
- is designed by Apple 회사 주체
- will be delivered by drone 방법/주체
수동태에서 'By' vs. 'With' 비교
'By + Agent'를 사용해야 할까?
이 문장은 수동태인가요?
행위자(행동을 한 사람/것)가 알려져 있거나 중요한가요?
'행위자'가 사실 도구/기구인가요?
수동태 문장의 행위자
사람
- • The book was read by a student.
- • The meal was prepared by the chef.
조직
- • The car was manufactured by Tesla.
- • The software was developed by Google.
동물
- • The food was eaten by the dog.
- • The sheep were herded by the dog.
힘/원인
- • The tree was struck by lightning.
- • The bridge was damaged by the earthquake.
수준별 예문
The book was written by him.
El libro fue escrito por él.
The cake was made by my dad.
El pastel fue hecho por mi papá.
The car was washed by Sam.
El coche fue lavado por Sam.
The photo was taken by her.
La foto fue tomada por ella.
The window was broken by a ball.
La ventana fue rota por una pelota.
The songs were sung by a famous choir.
Las canciones fueron cantadas por un coro famoso.
The house was built by my grandfather in 1950.
La casa fue construida por mi abuelo en 1950.
The emails were sent by the secretary.
Los correos fueron enviados por la secretaria.
The new law was signed by the President yesterday.
La nueva ley fue firmada por el Presidente ayer.
The bridge was designed by a French architect.
El puente fue diseñado por un arquitecto francés.
The missing child was found by a local hiker.
El niño desaparecido fue encontrado por un excursionista local.
The dinner was prepared by a professional chef.
La cena fue preparada por un chef profesional.
The experiment was conducted by a team of researchers from Oxford.
El experimento fue realizado por un equipo de investigadores de Oxford.
The company was founded by two brothers in their garage.
La empresa fue fundada por dos hermanos en su garaje.
The mural was painted by an anonymous artist overnight.
El mural fue pintado por un artista anónimo durante la noche.
The decision was heavily criticized by the local media.
La decisión fue fuertemente criticada por los medios locales.
The initiative was spearheaded by a coalition of environmental NGOs.
La iniciativa fue encabezada por una coalición de ONGs ambientales.
The manuscript was discovered by chance by a young librarian.
El manuscrito fue descubierto por casualidad por un joven bibliotecario.
The city's infrastructure was severely damaged by the hurricane.
La infraestructura de la ciudad fue gravemente dañada por el huracán.
The role was originally intended to be played by a younger actor.
El papel estaba originalmente destinado a ser interpretado por un actor más joven.
The silence was eventually broken by the rhythmic ticking of the clock.
El silencio fue finalmente roto por el tictac rítmico del reloj.
The policy was implemented by the government in the face of mounting public pressure.
La política fue implementada por el gobierno ante la creciente presión pública.
The intricate patterns were woven by hand by artisans in the remote village.
Los intrincados patrones fueron tejidos a mano por artesanos en la remota aldea.
The verdict was reached by the jury after three days of deliberation.
El veredicto fue alcanzado por el jurado tras tres días de deliberación.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners use 'by' for tools and 'with' for people.
In many languages, the word for 'from' is used for the passive agent.
Learners say 'He is known by everyone.'
자주 하는 실수
The book was written from Mark.
The book was written by Mark.
The cake was make by Mom.
The cake was made by Mom.
The car was wash by Sam.
The car was washed by Sam.
It was by him written.
It was written by him.
The window was broken by a hammer.
The window was broken with a hammer.
The song was sang by her.
The song was sung by her.
The letter was by me sent.
The letter was sent by me.
The house was built of my father.
The house was built by my father.
The decision was made by the meeting.
The decision was made at the meeting.
He was known by everyone.
He was known to everyone.
The room was filled by smoke.
The room was filled with smoke.
문장 패턴
The ___ was ___ by ___.
Has the ___ been ___ by ___ yet?
The ___ is being ___ by ___ right now.
It is believed that the ___ was ___ by ___.
Real World Usage
This sculpture was created by a local artist.
The bank was robbed by three masked men.
Photo by @TravelGuru.
The project was managed by me and two colleagues.
The pyramids were built by thousands of workers.
Your ticket is being handled by our senior engineer.
행위자가 중요해요!
The painting was painted by Picasso.
By vs. With
The lock was broken by the thief with a crowbar.
초점을 유지하세요!
격식 vs. 비격식
The new law was passed by the parliament.
대명사 확인!
by I나 by she라고 말하면 문법 검사기가 깜짝 놀랄 거예요! The gift was given by him.
Smart Tips
Always use 'by' to credit the creator. It's the most natural way to speak in English.
Pause and check if you should use 'with' instead of 'by'.
Put it at the end of the sentence with 'by' to make the sentence easier to read.
Ask yourself: 'Is it important to know who did this?' If no, delete the 'by' phrase.
발음
The 'By' Connection
The word 'by' is usually unstressed. It sounds like /baɪ/ but is said very quickly, linking the verb to the agent.
End-Focus
The book was written by SHAKESPEARE. ↘
The stress often falls on the agent at the end of the sentence because it is the new information.
암기하기
기억법
B.Y. stands for 'Behold the Yesterday-doer' — it brings the person from the past action back to the end of the sentence.
시각적 연상
Imagine a movie poster where the title is huge at the top (the Object), and the director's name is in small letters at the bottom after the word 'By'. The focus is the movie, but the credit is at the end.
Rhyme
When the action is done and the object is first, use 'by' for the person or the bubble will burst!
Story
A famous painting was stolen from a museum. The news said 'The painting was taken' (Passive). Everyone asked 'Who?'. The news updated: 'The painting was taken BY a clever thief.' The 'by' solved the mystery.
Word Web
챌린지
Look around your room. Find three items and say who they were made or bought by. (e.g., 'This lamp was bought by my sister.')
문화 노트
In Western academic writing, the passive with 'by' is used to show objectivity. However, modern styles (like APA) now encourage the active voice ('We found that...') to be more direct.
The BBC and other UK news outlets frequently use the passive with 'by' to report crimes or official statements to avoid sounding biased.
In galleries worldwide, 'by' is the standard way to attribute work. You will almost never see 'from' or 'of' on a painting's label.
The use of 'by' to indicate an agent comes from Old English 'be', which originally meant 'near' or 'at'. Over time, it evolved to mean 'through the agency of'.
대화 시작하기
What is your favorite book, and who was it written by?
Think of a famous invention. Who was it invented by?
Was your house built by a company or an individual?
If your life were a movie, who would it be directed by?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
The famous novel was written ___ an acclaimed author.
Find and fix the mistake:
The delicious pizza was eaten with my brother.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'La presentación fue dada por la profesora.'
Answer starts with: ["T...
Score: /4
연습 문제
8 exercisesThe letter was written ___ a fountain pen ___ my grandfather.
Which sentence correctly gives credit to the artist?
Find and fix the mistake:
The cake was eaten from the dog.
Active: 'Steve Jobs founded Apple.'
Match the following:
broken / by / was / window / the / him
You must always use 'by' in every passive sentence.
A: Who fixed your computer? B: It ___ by my brother.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
14 exercisesThis famous cathedral ___ built ___ hundreds of workers.
The delicious cake was baked by a special recipe.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'El problema fue resuelto por mi colega.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the sentences:
The decision has already ___ made ___ the committee.
The new rules was announced by the principal.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'El trabajo de casa fue terminado por todos los estudiantes.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the fragments:
Many classic novels ___ still read ___ students today.
The new software is being developed by a small team of engineers now.
Score: /14
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
Don't use `by` if the agent is obvious (e.g., 'He was arrested'), unknown (e.g., 'My bike was stolen'), or unimportant (e.g., 'The road was paved').
Yes, but it's rare. Usually, we use the specific noun or a person's name. 'The window was broken by it' is grammatically correct but 'The window was broken by the wind' is better.
The passive voice itself is often formal, but adding `by` is just a way to provide information. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
Use `by` for the person or force that does the action. Use `with` for the tool or object used to do it. 'The tree was cut by the lumberjack with an axe.'
Absolutely. 'The office is cleaned by a professional crew every night.'
In creative writing, 'by' can make sentences feel long and slow. However, in academic and technical writing, it is essential for accuracy.
Yes. 'He got caught by the police.' This is more informal than 'He was caught by the police.'
Usually, yes. However, you can add time phrases after it: 'The book was written by him in 1990.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
por
Spanish speakers might confuse 'by' with 'for' because 'por' can mean both.
par
French sometimes uses 'de' for states (e.g., 'aimé de tous'), whereas English usually sticks to 'by' or 'to'.
von
German word order is much more flexible, often placing the 'von' phrase before the verb.
ni / ni yotte
Japanese passives often imply that the subject is 'adversely affected' by the action, which English doesn't necessarily do.
min qibal
In Arabic, it is often considered stylistically better to avoid mentioning the agent in a passive sentence.
bèi
In Chinese, the 'bèi' structure is traditionally used for negative or unpleasant events, though this is changing in modern usage.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
관련 동영상
![South Park (Funniest Moments) [Seasons 1-5]](https://sublearn.com/storage/thumbnails/HYz5mDlwxJw.jpg)
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