Meaning trap

go by

time passes

to describe how time passes, especially when it seems to move quickly or slowly.

phrasal verbB1common

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

time passes

to describe how time passes, especially when it seems to move quickly or slowly.

go by (be guided by)

Another meaning of 'go by' is 'be guided by'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

The weekend seemed to go by so quickly.daily life
During the exam, I felt like time was going by much faster than usual.IELTS speaking

Pattern: time/period + go by

WrongThe time goes by so fastly.

RightTime goes by so fast.

'Fast' is already the adverb (not 'fastly'), and 'time' is usually uncountable here (no 'the').

Patterntime/period + go by

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff As time elapsed, the pain diminished.

Natural As time went by, the pain faded.

'(As) time goes by' is the natural phrase. 'As time elapsed' is formal/literary.

Words that usually travel with it.

Not the same as 'pass by' (which often means to move past someone or something physically).

go by (be guided by) — Another meaning of 'go by' is 'be guided by'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.