which is the correct sentence?
Mr. Parkash leads a very busy life so he goes everywhere by a scooter.
Mr. Parkash leads a very busy life so he goes everywhere on a scooter.
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Both are correct. "By" describes the means/method; "On" describes the place/location - he is on a scooter.– user81561Commented Feb 18, 2020 at 10:32
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3The first is unidiomatic; 'by scooter' rather than 'by a scooter' is used, in line with 'by bus', 'by train', 'by plane' etc. It is the more common usage; 'on a scooter' is informal, almost chatty.– Edwin AshworthCommented Feb 18, 2020 at 10:52
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As Edwin says, you wouldn't go anywhere by a scooter, just like you wouldn't go anywhere by a car or by a foot.– ЯegDwightCommented Feb 18, 2020 at 10:56
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I overlooked the first "a"...– user81561Commented Feb 18, 2020 at 10:59
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1 Answer
If you drop the article "a" from your sentence using "by", you have two idiomatic ways of essentially saying the same thing:
Mr. Parkash leads a very busy life so he goes everywhere by scooter.
Mr. Parkash leads a very busy life so he goes everywhere on a scooter.
Both are correct. By car, by train, by plane, by boat etc are all idiomatic ways of describing the mode or transport. You can also say by air, by sea, by road etc which does not specify the type of vehicle but broadly describes the mode of travel.
When you specificy the vehicle, you have to use the appropriate preposition. For example, you would say in a car, but on a bike or scooter (because you sit atop them).
answered Feb 18, 2020 at 11:26
