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Preposition after verb

Amend by or amend in?

Amend is usually followed by a direct object. Amend by is used for methods or amounts of change, while amend in is uncommon as a direct verb pattern.

Quick answer

How do you use amend with prepositions?

Use amend with a direct object: They amended the contract. Amend by is standard when showing the method or amount of change: amend by adding a clause. Amend in is not a usual pattern after amend, although in can appear separately as a place or context adjunct.

The committee amended the proposal yesterday.
They amended the law by adding a new section.
Changes were made in the document after review.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
amend + object

Changing a document, law, or statement

Use amend directly with the thing being changed.

The editor amended the report.
Congress amended the constitution.
2
amend + object + by + method

Explaining how something is changed

By introduces the action or method used to make the amendment.

They amended the policy by removing outdated rules.
She amended the draft by adding examples.
3
amendment to + noun

Referring to the changed version

Use amendment to when naming the change itself.

The senator proposed an amendment to the bill.
We accepted the amendment to the agreement.
4
amend for + purpose

Adjusting something for a situation

In formal contexts, amend for can show the purpose of a change.

The figures were amended for inflation.
The data was amended for clarity.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
amend by
They amended the contract by adding a deadline.
Standard for showing the method or means of amendment.
amend in
They made changes in the contract.
In can describe location or context, but amend in is not a standard direct pattern.
amend + object
The board amended the rules.
The most common and direct structure.
amendment to
The amendment to the law passed easily.
Standard noun pattern referring to a change.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using amend in as the main verb pattern

Amend is not normally followed directly by in.

✕ They amended in the policy. ✓ They amended the policy.

Forgetting the object

Amend usually needs the thing being changed.

✕ The lawyer amended by adding a paragraph. ✓ The lawyer amended the contract by adding a paragraph.

Using by without an action

By should introduce a method, action, or amount of change.

✕ They amended the law by the committee. ✓ The committee amended the law.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The company amended the rules ___ adding a new requirement.
2. The editor amended ___ before publication.
3. We reviewed the amendment ___ the agreement.

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Frequently asked questions

Is amend in correct English?

Not usually as a direct verb pattern. In may appear separately to show location or context, as in changes in the document.

Can amend be used without by?

Yes. The basic structure is amend plus a direct object: amend the law, amend the report.

What does amend by mean?

It explains how a change is made, often followed by a gerund or amount: amend by deleting a section.

abandon, by, abandon, in "abduct by", "abduct in" or "abduct from"? abide by, in, with, to or on? "abolish in" or "abolish by"? "abound in" or "abound with"? "absorb by", "absorb into" or "absorb in"? "accelerate by", "accelerate to" or "accelerate in"? accentuate by, with, in or under? accept by, in, as, for or into? "accommodate in", "accommodate for" or "accommodate to"? "accomplish by" or "accomplish in"? "accord to" or "accord with"?

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