"Run by this" may sound like a reasonable shortcut. However, it does not follow this idiom's grammatical object pattern. The information being checked must follow "run" and precede "by" or "past."
Quick check
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Learn "Run Something By" in depth →The error
Some learners move the information after "by" or "past." That creates "run by this" or "run past this." Neither construction means "check this with someone" in this idiom.
Wrong: "I'll run by this before sending it." Right: "I'll run this by you before sending it."
Wrong: "Can you run past this with the team?" Right: "Can you run this past the team?"
Why the object placement matters here
Without the middle object, "run by" can suggest brief travel. For example, "I'll run by the office" means visiting it briefly. Thus, "I'll run by this" does not communicate a request for review. The listener must interpret which meaning you intended.
Use this fixed pattern: run [item] by/past [person]. The item is the direct object of "run." The person follows "by" or "past" as the reviewer. Pronouns also stay in the middle: "run it by legal."
Try it yourself
Fix the sentence
A simple test to check your own sentence
Before sending, identify the information that needs review. It might be an idea, draft, number, "this," or "it." Place that information directly after "run" in this idiom. Then add "by" or "past" and identify the reviewer. An empty middle position signals the wrong construction.
The rule
This idiom always names or implies an item being checked. Put that item directly after "run," including when it is a pronoun. Then name the reviewer after "by" or "past."
Practice scenarios
Practice this pattern in situations like:
- rewriting "run by this" as "run this by you"
- catching a dropped object before sending a message
- distinguishing this idiom's "run by" from the unrelated "stop by" meaning
Useful practice phrases:
- "Let me run this by you before I send it."
- "Can you run the numbers past finance?"
- "I ran it by legal yesterday."
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Start the "Run Something By" learning path →The checked information belongs in the middle, including pronouns like "it."