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Prepositions after verbs

Omit from or omit by?

Omit from is the standard pattern when something is left out of a document, list, or group. Omit by is not a normal verb-preposition combination.

Quick answer

Which form should you use?

Use omit from to show where something was left out: Her name was omitted from the report. Omit by is not standard after the verb omit, although by may appear separately in passive sentences such as omitted by mistake.

His name was omitted from the list.
Several details were omitted from the article.
The paragraph was omitted by accident.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
omit from + document/list

Showing where something was left out

From introduces the document, group, or collection missing the item.

The figure was omitted from the final report.
Her address was omitted from the application.
2
omit + noun

Leaving something out directly

Omit can take a direct object without a preposition.

Omit unnecessary details.
Please do not omit the references.
3
omitted by + agent or manner

Using by outside the fixed pattern

By may identify who omitted something or describe manner, but it is not the selected preposition after omit.

The sentence was omitted by the editor.
The page was omitted by mistake.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
omit from
The chart was omitted from the presentation.
Standard pattern for leaving something out of a larger whole.
omit by
The line was omitted by error.
By identifies the cause or agent, not a fixed verb-preposition pattern.
omit + object
They omitted several facts.
Direct object pattern without a preposition.
leave out
She left out an important detail.
More informal alternative to omit.

Common mistakes

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

Using omit by for missing location

Use from to show the document or group where something is missing.

✕ His name was omitted by the list. ✓ His name was omitted from the list.

Adding an unnecessary preposition

Omit can take a direct object directly.

✕ Please omit out this section. ✓ Please omit this section.

Confusing by with from

By introduces the agent or cause, not the larger whole.

✕ The paragraph was omitted by the report. ✓ The paragraph was omitted from the report.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Her signature was omitted ___ the contract.
2. The sentence was omitted ___ the editor.
3. Please ___ unnecessary examples.

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Frequently asked questions

Is omit from correct?

Yes. It is the standard pattern for saying something is left out of a document, list, or group.

Can I say omit by?

Not as a normal verb-preposition combination. By usually introduces the agent or cause in a passive structure.

Does omit need a preposition?

Not always. Omit can take a direct object, as in omit unnecessary details.

oblige-to-by-with-in, for obscure by, for, from, in or to? observe in, by, on, with or for? "obsess about" or "obsess over"? "obtain from" or "obtain by"? occupy by, with, in, for or at? occur in, to, at, on or during? offend by, at, in, against or with? "offer by" or "offer to"? offset by, from, with, for or against? "open in" or "open to"? operate in, by, on, at or from?

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