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Prepositions after verbs

Contact by or contact with?

Contact is usually transitive: contact someone. By often introduces the communication method, while with is common in the noun phrase in contact with.

Quick answer

Natural patterns with contact

Use contact someone without a preposition. Use contact someone by email or by phone for method. Contact with is uncommon as a verb pattern but standard in the noun phrase in contact with.

Please contact the support team.
You can contact me by email.
She is in contact with her former teacher.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
contact + person

Reaching someone

Contact directly takes the person or organisation as its object.

I will contact the supplier tomorrow.
2
contact + person + by + method

Specifying communication method

By introduces email, phone, text, and similar methods.

They contacted us by phone.
3
in contact with + person

Describing an ongoing connection

This is a noun phrase, not the verb contact plus with.

She stayed in contact with old friends.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
contact by
Please contact us by email.
by introduces communication method
contact with
We are in contact with the embassy.
standard after the noun contact, not usually after the verb
contact + object
He contacted the police immediately.
most natural verbal pattern

Common mistakes

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

Adding with after the verb

The verb contact usually does not take with.

✕ I contacted with him yesterday. ✓ I contacted him yesterday.

Omitting the object

Contact normally needs the person or organisation being reached.

✕ Please contact by phone. ✓ Please contact us by phone.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. I will contact you ___ email.
2. She contacted ___ manager yesterday.
3. We are in contact ___ several clients.

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Frequently asked questions

Is contact with ever correct after the verb?

It is rare in modern standard English. Contact someone is preferred.

Can I say contact through email?

Yes, but by email is more direct and common.

Is contact formal?

Yes. Reach out to is usually more informal.

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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