Martina
GET BY ON/ GET BY WITH What is the difference between GET BY ON and GET BY WITH? Pls show example sentences, thanks.
Aug 28, 2017 10:46 AM
Comments · 4

The second sentence is fine.

The first isn't quite right. You could say  "My speaking skills are not very good but they're enough (for me) to get by (with) ".  'You' are the subject of the verb 'get by', so it's best if you are included in some way in that part of the sentence.

August 31, 2017

And can I say: My speaking skills are not very good but it is enough to get by.

                          My speaking skills are not very good but I can get by.

August 30, 2017
alright, thanks :)
August 28, 2017

I haven't thought this through, so this is just my view:

The meaning is the same, but the preposition used depends on the object.

Get by 'on' is mainly used with quantifiable resources that can be 'spent'. For example "I can't get by on the money I earn" or "You can get by on 800 calories a day".

Get by 'with' is for other situations, for example, "If you're a tourist, you can get by with English, but if you're going to live there, it's better to learn the local language."

August 28, 2017