Another set of sentences that confuse me..

happy9527673 · Post by **happy9527673** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 12:41 am

We went by train instead of car.
We went by train instead of bycar.

Are these both correct?

Thanks in advance ^^

woodcutter · Post by **woodcutter** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 1:14 am

I think that we usually would not say the first, but we possibly might, and I can't see any grounds for pronouncing it "wrong".

saerf · Post by **saerf** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 4:19 am

Both of the sentences are correct. The object of "by" can be joined with correct parallel structure in the first sentence or the "by" can be repeated so that the parallel structure is two prepositional phrases rather than objects. Usually we see the use of the second "by" when the objects contain many words and the second "by" reminds us that we are still talking about the "by" used in the first prepositional phrase (is that too convoluted or what?)
For example: Are we going by the bus which arrives at the station next or by the train which immediately follows it?

By repeating the "by" after "or" we don't get lost in the long objects.