Meaning trap
go by
time passes
to describe how time passes, especially when it seems to move quickly or slowly.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
to describe how time passes, especially when it seems to move quickly or slowly.
Another meaning of 'go by' is 'be guided by'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
The weekend seemed to go by so quickly.
During the exam, I felt like time was going by much faster than usual.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: The time goes by so fastly.
Say: Time goes by so fast.
'Fast' is already the adverb (not 'fastly'), and 'time' is usually uncountable here (no 'the').
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'(As) time goes by' is the natural phrase. 'As time elapsed' is formal/literary.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
go by
- the years
- time
- the days
- a week
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- go by (be guided by) — Another meaning of 'go by' is 'be guided by'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.