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Prepositions after verbs

Pollute by or pollute with?

Pollute with is the usual pattern for naming the harmful substance. By commonly appears in passive structures to name the cause or agent.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct with pollute?

Use pollute with to say what contaminates something: pollute the river with chemicals. Use by mainly after a passive form: the river was polluted by factory waste.

They polluted the lake with oil.
The air was polluted by smoke from the fires.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
pollute + place/object + with + substance

Naming the pollutant

Use with to introduce the harmful material or substance.

Factories polluted the river with chemicals.
The beach was polluted with plastic waste.
2
be polluted by + cause/source

Naming the source in passive clauses

By identifies the thing or activity that caused the pollution.

The water was polluted by mining operations.
Several towns were polluted by industrial runoff.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
pollute with
The company polluted the soil with toxic waste.
Standard pattern for the contaminating substance.
pollute by
The lake was polluted by sewage.
Common in passive clauses to identify the source or cause.
pollute in
Smoke polluted the air in the tunnel.
In introduces a location, not the pollutant.

Common mistakes

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

Using by for the substance in an active clause

With is more natural when naming the contaminating material directly.

✕ They polluted the river by chemicals. ✓ They polluted the river with chemicals.

Confusing by with location phrases

By after pollute usually marks the cause in passive voice.

✕ The air polluted by the city center. ✓ The air in the city center was polluted.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The factory polluted the stream ___ oil.
2. The beach was polluted ___ untreated sewage.
3. Smoke polluted the air ___ the tunnel.

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Frequently asked questions

Is pollute with the most common pattern?

Yes. Pollute with is the standard way to name the harmful substance.

Can I use pollute by?

Yes, mainly in passive structures such as was polluted by factory waste.

Can by describe a place after pollute?

Usually no. A phrase like by the river normally gives location information, not the pollutant.

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