take a picture <by camera / using a camera> [usage 'by']

[Tippuri]

Hi

Word "by" causes me confusion sometimes. Here I have few examples to explain the problem. I'm not sure about correctness of these sentences.

1. You can take a picture by camera
2. You can take a picture by using a camera
3. You can take a picture using a camera.
4. He won the competition by driving fastest.
5. He won the competition driving fastest.

Could you explain me the logic whether to use "by" or not in generally, please.

Thank you

 

[Madrid001]

You can say: You can take a picture with a camera
You can take a picture using a camera

 

[Madrid001]

He won the competition by driving really fast
He won the competition cause he was the fastest competitor

 

[sdgraham]

He won the competition by driving really fast
He won the competition cause he was the fastest competitor

The word is "because"

 

[Tippuri]

Thank you for answers. I still have one question.

Sentences below looks very similar but one of them has "by" before verb+ing. Why not to use by in other clause as well?

"He won the competition by driving really fast." "You can take a picture using a camera."


Thank you

 

[PaulQ]

Hi

Word "by" causes me confusion sometimes. Here I have few examples to explain the problem. I'm not sure about correctness of these sentences.

1. You can take a picture by camera
2. You can take a picture by using a camera
3. You can take a picture using a camera.
4. He won the competition by driving fastest.
5. He won the competition driving fastest.

1. As the only way of taking a picture is by camera, the by sounds strange. Normally, you would say, “You can take a picture with a camera.”

The use of ‘by’ is unusual. It means “through the means of a/any” and is restrictive because the sentence, “You can take a picture by camera.” has the nuance: “You can take a picture only by camera but you cannot take a picture by using anything else.”

By < ø instrument> is used when this latter meaning is needed: “Do not lift by hand!” = “Do not try to lift this with your hands, use something else.” (The something else is usually specified in the message.)

2 “by using a camera” is used in the context of answering the question “How…?”:
A: “How am I going to take a picture?”
B: “You can take a picture by using a camera.”

3. “ø using a camera.” is used when making a suggestion:
“Here is the famous statue. You can take a picture using a camera.”

4. He won the competition by driving fastest. = “He won the competition through the means of driving fastest” = “He won the competition using the method of driving fastest”

5. “He won the competition driving fastest.” = “At the time that he won the competition, he was driving fastest.” Because the by has been omitted, the sentence loses its meaning of "through the means of".