When we talk about walking, we can say you go on foot or by foot, as a mode of transport. Which preposition is correct? Technically, on is more accurate, and common, and in exams you may be marked incorrect for using by foot. But why is by foot a mistake? Or is it a mistake at all? This is a perfect example of English grammar as a matter of style, not accuracy – and as you’ll see here, both are actually possible.
We can use say both – with these justifications:
Why you should say on foot
We usually use on for movements or actions that involve using body parts. You can rest on your elbows, you can pray on your knees, and you can lie on your back. Walking is no different – the action takes place on foot.
Why you could say by foot
We use by to describe a tool used for movements or actions. You can travel by plane, by boat or by car, for instance. You can send letters by post, and you can write by hand. It stands to reason, then, that you can travel by foot.
The problem
When you need to decide on proper preposition use, there are sometimes two possibilities which apparently have the same meaning, though one may be more common and seen as correct. This is particularly true when there is some crossover between the use of the preposition to link nouns. In this case, on can be used to mean the object, surface or means we travel atop, while by can mean the method transport we use. Travelling on something and using something to travel (by) can therefore produce the same meaning, with a different grammatical construction.
So which is more correct?
You move with your feet in contact with the ground, supported by your feet, making on foot a more literal description of the action. Yet your feet are also a tool of sorts, so if we want to describe what you use to travel, by foot makes perfect sense. It is not reasonable, then, to say one is more correct than the other. Yet you may be told that by foot is incorrect. Why? For the same reason that many rules exist in English:
Because on foot is more commonly used than by foot.
The English language has adapted over many centuries, and different rules come and go when it comes to grammar. It is important to recognise when a rule emerges as a matter of style, or a matter of meaning, however. Many grammar rules exist to help clarify what is said. In this case, there is no firm rule, because one expression is not more clear than the other.
You may find English people argue about this, and many other rules and sayings, because one style sounds strange to the person who uses the other. These arguments serve no grammatical purpose, and work only to limit the language. When it comes to matters of style, choose the option that you prefer. You will not be misunderstood.
Hi, I’m an English teacher and my students are confused about the grammar, based on this writing. I understand perfectly what you meant here but when we ask the question, how long does it take to get there on foot, ‘by foot’ instead of ‘on foot’ is also gramatically correct? I understand that by foot, on foot, by feet, on feet they yet all make sense and people wud easily understand what they want to say but there are certain gramatical rules, aren’t there? If you say to choose the option that you prefer when it comes to matters of style, I should teach any forms out of on foot, by foot, on feet and by feet are all up to their choices and nothing’s wrong with each, while the cambridge dictionary says ‘on foot’ is correct in grammar when we specifically talk about the means of transportation. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/…/grammatica…/by
Hi Jamie, I can understand why you would prefer to simplify teaching such expressions for students and can certainly let them know that ‘on foot’ is the more common, and more commonly accepted, form, but unless you have a clear reason why ‘by foot’ should NOT be used (other than the fact it is not contained in a dictionary), then I wouldn’t recognise it as a grammar rule. As you say yourself it make senses and would be easily understood, what, then, is the rule? That we should only teach what is contained in a dictionary?
To be a rule of grammar, there would have to be a clear difference in meaning and room for misunderstanding: for example, ‘by car’ relates to usage, ‘on a car’ refers to a position on the vehicle. These are two very distinct meanings. If you don’t have that distinction between ‘on foot’ and ‘by foot’, and both are commonly understood, we do not have a rule of grammar, we have a matter of style, and indeed a choice. It’s certainly not something you have to teach, and students can get by on the most accepted definition alone, but I write articles like this because students come to me asking why they’ve been told a commonly used expression is incorrect, when it’s not incorrect, and will not cause confusion, it’s just less common.
Hi, thanks for your article. What do you think about the question below? I answered 3 but it’s incorrect. I’m wondering if answer1 is a better choice. Do people say “I go to work by bus?” Or “I go to work by taking a bus”? Thank you.
Linda: ______ do you go to work? Jimmy: ______ *
1.How ; I go to work by taking a bus.
2.In what way ; I go to work in the MRT.
3.How ; I go there by foot.
4.How long ; I ride a train to there.
Hi Orla,
I don’t see anything wrong with 3, “I go there by foot” is acceptable. “I got there by bus” is also acceptable, yes – but “I go there by taking a bus” would sound a bit unnatural in casual speech. It’s not grammatically wrong but specifying ‘taking a bus’ sounds a rather elaborate – as we could more simply say ‘I go by bus’ or ‘I take the bus’.
thank you
What about by feet or by foot? While we are walking we use both of feet.
Hi Vlad, We use the singular as describing the method, rather than a literal description. This would be same for describing any method, similar to adjective forms of nouns, where we use singular as a descriptor (unless specifically trying to highlight different types of a noun). For example, “All the partygoers arrived by car.” (method – not telling us how many cars), or “All oven-baked bread tastes great.” (where “oven” describes the method regardless of how many ovens are used).
Hi, Phil, very useful! T now I will stick more to “on foot”! Another Q; A boy carried a knife carefully not to cut his finger..or to not… or in order not to… which is correct? thanks
Hi Victor, ‘to not’ or ‘in order not to’ would be best, for your version it would be more appropriate to use an adjective ograse: ‘a boy carried a knife, careful not to…’
‘BY’ stands for ‘by means of…’ it’s perfectly correct to use it when the means are are not part of your body.
Having said that you say ‘…by hand’. Hand
being a tool. Although ‘…on foot’ is the more appropriate expression because the foot is the very essence of standing for the human body.
Hi Phil,
I have a doubt on whether to use “on foot” or “by foot” in the following sentence:
Jawaharlal Nehru went from village to village _ foot
On/By
Please help me out with this one.
Thank you for your time and attention
Best Regards
Sreehari
Hi Sreehari,
As per the article, the more common/accepted option would be ‘on foot’, but you’d likely find many people would also say ‘by foot’ without any difference.
Best,
Phil
Hi Phil,
Thanking you once again for the clarification.
Best Regards
Sreehari
You’re welcome!
I tell my students to simply use the verb to walk. It’s what native speakers use 95%+ of the time.
How did you get here?
I walked.
That’s one way around it!
hello sir wiliams , I have a question about cycling what should we use by cycle or on cycle because here we use both foot and a mean for transportaion.
Hi Irfan – for cycling, we would refer to the bike/bicyle, as a mode of transport; “by bike/bicycle” or “on a bike/bicycle” – or for the verb, “by cycling”.
Are you going ____ foot ? (by/on)
Thank you Phil
Very good explanation. It will help me to remember the correct option
It is always easier to learn some rules when you know the reason why it is like that
You’re welcome! And yes, that’s generally been my philosophy; and indeed, if we don’t know the reason for rules, we may always question their purpose/validity…