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Prepositions after verbs

Conduct by or conduct in?

Conduct does not usually take by or in as fixed complements in active sentences. The prepositions often belong to passive structure or place expressions.

Quick answer

How are by and in used with conduct?

Use conduct as a transitive verb: conduct a survey, conduct research, conduct negotiations. In passive sentences, by introduces the agent. In introduces a place, field, or manner rather than a fixed verb pattern.

The study was conducted by independent researchers.
The interviews were conducted in private offices.
She conducted the investigation carefully.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
conduct + activity

Carrying out an activity

Conduct usually takes a direct object without a preposition.

They conducted a nationwide survey.
The agency conducts regular inspections.
2
conducted by + agent

Naming who performed the action

In passive clauses, by introduces the person or organisation performing the action.

The experiment was conducted by a university team.
The review was conducted by external auditors.
3
conducted in + place/field

Showing location or context

Use in for the place, environment, or field where the activity happens.

The research was conducted in rural areas.
The trial was conducted in secret.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
conduct by
The audit was conducted by specialists.
by introduces the agent in a passive sentence
conduct in
The interviews were conducted in English.
in shows language, place, or manner
conduct + object
She conducted the meeting.
standard active verb pattern without a preposition
conduct with
He conducted the discussion with patience.
with introduces manner or accompaniment

Common mistakes

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

Adding unnecessary prepositions after conduct

Conduct normally takes a direct object.

✕ They conducted on a survey. ✓ They conducted a survey.

Treating by as part of the active verb pattern

By usually appears in passive constructions.

✕ The team conducted by experts the study. ✓ The study was conducted by experts.

Confusing in with a fixed complement

In usually describes place, language, or manner.

✓ The meeting was conducted in Spanish.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The investigation was conducted ___ independent lawyers.
2. They conducted the survey ___ several cities.
3. Our team conducted ___ detailed analysis.

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Frequently asked questions

Is conduct by a standard verb pattern?

Not in active clauses. It mainly appears in passive sentences such as “The study was conducted by experts.”

Can I say conducted in English?

Yes. In can show language, place, or context, as in “The interview was conducted in English.”

Does conduct need a preposition?

Usually no. Conduct is commonly followed directly by an object.

calculate, by, calculate, in, calculate, from "call for" or "call on"? "campaign for" or "campaign against"? cancel by, due, at, in or for? capitulate to, in, like, by or after? captivate by, for, with, from or in? "capture by" or "capture in"? "care about" or "care for"? carry with, by, in, to or into? carve into, out, in, on or with? cast in, into, for, by or on? "catch in", "catch by" or "catch on"?

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