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Rahul Shah Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Should it be in or by?

Should it be in or by in the following sentence

Your name is distinctive in/by nature.

I feel it should be in but not sure. Can someone explain me what should go there and why?
  

Top answer

Either one can be used, but they express different ideas. " Your name is distinctive by nature (or: by its nature). "By" suggests a cause.

— Doctor D

  • Either one can be used, but they express different ideas.
  • " Your name is distinctive by nature (or: by its nature).
  • "By" suggests a cause.
  • That name naturally causes a sense of distinction.
  • However, if you say Your name is distinctive in nature You are describing a quality about the name.
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4 Answers
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Either one can be used, but they express different ideas.

I think the most common usage would be "by nature."
Your name is distinctive by nature (or: by its nature).
"By" suggests a cause. That name naturally causes a sense of distinction.

However, if you say
Your name is distinctive in nature
You are describing a quality about the name.
That name is of
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Many thanks for the explanation.

So according to your explanation, is my below sentence right:

"There is a legal requirement that the trade mark should be distinctive in nature."

All I want to say is that the trade mark should possess the quality of being distinctive.
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Rahul Shah"There is a legal requirement that the trade mark should be distinctive in nature."
Can't you just say that it "should be distinctive"? I'm not sure what value "in nature" is adding.
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Rahul is correct, that "in nature" is not needed. However, your sentence is correct as given (even if it is longer than necessary.)
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