Phrasal verb
drive by
Definition
phrasal verb. to pass a person or place while you are in a car or other vehicle.
phrasal verb. 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.
Examples
“I drive by your house every morning on my way to work.”
“We decided to drive by the old school to see how much the neighborhood had changed over the years.”
“The witnesses reported seeing a dark sedan drive by the storefront several times shortly before the alarm was triggered.”
Examples
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.”
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.
Phrasal verb
Particles
by
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
drive + by + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/drive-by