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Prepositions after verbs

"decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"?

Decide on is used for choosing something, decide to for intentions or actions, and decide by for deadlines or methods.

Quick answer

How do you use decide with on, to, and by?

Use decide on before a choice, decide to before an infinitive verb, and decide by for a deadline or method. These forms have different meanings and are not interchangeable.

We finally decided on the blue design.
She decided to apply for the job.
You must decide by Friday.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
decide on + choice

Choosing between options

Use on before the thing selected after consideration.

They decided on a smaller apartment.
Have you decided on a restaurant yet?
2
decide to + infinitive

Expressing an intention or plan

Use to before the base form of a verb.

I decided to stay at home.
She decided to study medicine.
3
decide by + time

Setting a deadline

Use by to show the latest time for making a decision.

Please decide by tomorrow morning.
The board will decide by the end of the week.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
decide on
They decided on a new manager.
Choose a person or thing after discussion.
decide to
He decided to leave early.
Make a decision to perform an action.
decide by
We need to decide by Monday.
Set a deadline for the decision.
decide about
She is deciding about her future.
Consider a subject or situation before making a decision.

Common mistakes

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

Using decide on before a verb

Use decide to before an action.

✕ He decided on move abroad. ✓ He decided to move abroad.

Using decide to before a noun choice

Use decide on when selecting something.

✕ They decided to the red option. ✓ They decided on the red option.

Confusing by with on

By usually refers to a deadline, not the selected item.

✕ We decided by a new supplier. ✓ We decided on a new supplier.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She decided ___ change careers.
2. Have you decided ___ a venue for the event?
3. We need to decide ___ Friday afternoon.

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Frequently asked questions

Can decide on and decide about mean the same thing?

Not exactly. Decide on focuses on the final choice, while decide about often refers to considering an issue.

Is decide to always followed by a verb?

Yes. It is followed by the base form of a verb, such as decide to leave.

Can decide by refer to method?

Yes. In some contexts, by can describe the method used to decide, such as deciding by vote.

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