ENGLISH
REFERENCE

drive by

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to pass a person or place while you are in a car or other vehicle.

phr. v.. to pass a specific location or person while operating or traveling in a motor vehicle; often used intransitively to describe the act of passing without stopping.


SIMPLE

I drive by your house every morning on my way to work.

CONTEXTUAL

We decided to drive by the old school to see how much the neighborhood had changed over the years.

COMPLEX

The witnesses reported seeing a dark sedan drive by the storefront several times shortly before the alarm was triggered.

Particles
by
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
drive + by + object
Usage

usually followed by a location or person, but can stand alone to describe the action of passing.

Teaching tip

distinguish between the literal movement and the noun 'drive-by' which often refers to a crime; focus on the preposition 'by' indicating proximity and movement.

Pitfall

I drove at your house yesterday.I drove by your house yesterday.the preposition 'by' is necessary to show you passed the location rather than arriving at it.

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