separate it by

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "separate it by" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when instructing someone to divide or distinguish items or elements using a specific method or criteria. Example: "To organize the data effectively, please separate it by categories."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

"You learn to separate it by living the life of a pitcher for a day, just mentally," Ventura said.

The New York Times - Sports

He claims to be the first to figure out how to take nearly any kind of plastic trash, which is usually a mongrel blend of up to 20 different plastics, and separate it by chemical type.

Forbes

If the particle can be separated from the airflow at the minimum flow rate, which is the minimum volume flow rate of the ECP fan, then it must be possible to separate it by centrifugal force when the flow rate is higher than the minimum flow rate.

International Journal of Coal Science & Technology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

They separated it by color: brown, which is the most common cashmere in Mongolia; red, which is rarer; light gray; and white, which is the most highly prized, because it can be dyed in the widest variety of colors.

The New Yorker

The Huffington Post collected the data and separated it by whether the tweet came from Trump's Android or an iPhone.

Huffington Post

We take the stars from heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down in posterity representing liberty.

Huffington Post

We then compared the peak intensities of the oligomers in the same spectrum using Hsp70 expressed in E. coli (Hsp70 E. coli ) labeled with heavy isotopes (C), separating it by mass from Hsp70 expressed in Sf9 cells (Hsp70Sf9).

Cell Reports

Then, he/she separates it by family/recipient and freezes the portions individually.

WikiHow

The two were separated, it would seem, by a few thousand votes.

The New York Times

This creek was upstream from the first, and separated from it by a high waterfall.

The New Yorker

South Ossetia has sought to unite with the adjoining Russian republic of North Ossetia, which was separated from it by Stalin.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When instructing someone to organize information, use "separate it by" to clearly specify the criteria for division, such as "Separate it by color", "Separate it by date", or "Separate it by importance".

Common error

Ensure the 'by' criterion is explicitly stated to avoid confusion. For instance, instead of saying "Separate it", specify "Separate it by category" or "Separate it by size" to provide clear instructions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "separate it by" functions as a prepositional phrase used to specify the method or criteria used to divide or categorize something. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "separate it by" is a grammatically sound prepositional phrase used to denote the method or criteria for division or categorization. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in English writing. Though relatively rare in occurrence, it is applicable across various contexts such as news, science, and general instructions. When employing this phrase, ensure clarity in specifying the 'by' criterion to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives like "divide it according to" and "categorize it by" can be used for variety. This phrase helps provide structured guidance and clarity in organizing information.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

categorize it by

A direct synonym using "categorize" instead of "separate".

divide it according to

Replaces "separate" with "divide" and "by" with "according to", focusing on the act of dividing based on a criterion.

classify it based on

Uses "classify" to emphasize categorization and "based on" to specify the criteria.

segment it by

Implies dividing something into distinct segments based on a criterion.

sort it by means of

Emphasizes the sorting process using a particular method.

break it down by

Focuses on breaking something into smaller parts based on a certain attribute.

group it under

Focuses on grouping items into categories.

arrange it according to

Emphasizes arrangement based on a specific method.

distinguish it through

Highlights the act of distinguishing using a particular characteristic.

differentiate it by

Stresses the act of differentiating something based on specific criteria.

FAQs

How can I use "separate it by" in a sentence?

Use "separate it by" when you want to divide something into groups based on specific criteria. For example, "Separate the documents by date" or "Separate the clothes by color".

What are some alternatives to "separate it by"?

You can use alternatives like "divide it according to", "classify it based on", or "categorize it by" depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "separate it with" instead of "separate it by"?

While "separate it with" might be understood, "separate it by" is the grammatically correct and more common way to express dividing something based on a specific criterion.

What's the difference between "separate it by" and "distinguish it by"?

"Separate it by" implies a division into distinct groups, while "distinguish it by" focuses on highlighting differences based on certain characteristics. They're similar, but "separate" emphasizes division and "distinguish" emphasizes difference.