{"id":3462,"date":"2026-09-29T00:31:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T16:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/?p=3462"},"modified":"2026-09-29T00:31:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T16:31:36","slug":"can-by-person-be-used-in-a-relative-clause-45d6-84e1bd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/29\/can-by-person-be-used-in-a-relative-clause-45d6-84e1bd\/","title":{"rendered":"Can ‘By Person’ be used in a relative clause?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hey everyone, I\u2019ve been getting this question nonstop lately from clients and even my own team: can \u201cby person\u201d actually work in a relative clause? As a supplier whose whole brand is literally named By Person\u2014we\u2019re all about that hands-on, one-person-driven work, not just generic mass-produced stuff\u2014this isn\u2019t just some random grammar debate for me. It\u2019s tied to how we do business, so let\u2019s break this down like we\u2019re chatting over coffee, no stuffy textbook jargon. By Person<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s get on the same page: a relative clause is the part of a sentence that modifies a noun, right? It usually starts with words like who, which, that, whom, or whose. \u201cBy person\u201d is a prepositional phrase that basically means \u201cdone by an individual\u201d instead of a company, machine, or group. Now, I see folks confused because they think prepositional phrases need to fit the \u201cby X\u201d rule with subjects or objects, but the rules here aren\u2019t as rigid as middle school English teachers make them sound\u2014especially when you\u2019re talking about specific, real-world scenarios like ours.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s use an example that\u2019s not abstract. Take our products: \u201cThe custom planter, by person, is made using reclaimed cedar.\u201d Wait, hold on\u2014some grammar purists would say that\u2019s wrong, but let\u2019s tweak it to a relative clause. What if I say, \u201cThe custom planter that is by person is made for small patio spaces.\u201d Wait, does that land? Let\u2019s test another angle. Our brand is the By Person Supplier, so we\u2019re the entity \u201cby person.\u201d So if I say, \u201cWe\u2019re the small business by person that delivers handcrafted goods to urban households.\u201d Oh, that makes sense! The relative clause here is \u201cthat delivers handcrafted goods to urban households,\u201d and it modifies \u201csmall business,\u201d which is linked to \u201cby person\u201d\u2014it clarifies this isn\u2019t a big corporate brand, it\u2019s one run by an individual maker.<\/p>\n

Wait, I\u2019ve had a client send over a draft product description that said, \u201cThe woven tote bag by person, which is available in five colors, is made from organic cotton.\u201d That\u2019s exactly the structure people ask about! The prepositional phrase \u201cby person\u201d is right next to the noun it modifies (\u201cwoven tote bag\u201d), followed by the relative clause \u201cwhich is available in five colors.\u201d Does that work? My team and I looked it up last month because we were nervous about mixing up copy for our website, and turns out, this is totally acceptable when the \u201cby person\u201d is acting as a restrictive or non-restrictive modifier to specify that something is individual-made, not factory-made.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s clear up the grammar myth here. A lot of people think \u201cby\u201d only works with agents in passive voice\u2014like \u201cthe cake was baked by Maria.\u201d But when we\u2019re using \u201cby person\u201d to label a noun that\u2019s being modified by a relative clause, it\u2019s a modifier that adds a key detail about who did the work. Think of it like the difference between \u201cthe cake\u201d and \u201cthe cake by person\u201d\u2014the second one tells you it\u2019s not a pre-made grocery store cake, it\u2019s made by a real person. Add a relative clause, like \u201cthe cake by person that uses no artificial ingredients,\u201d and that\u2019s a clear, correct sentence.<\/p>\n

As someone who\u2019s been running this By Person supply business for three years, I see how this language confusion messes with our clients\u2019 ability to describe our products. One small boutique client told me they had to rewrite their website blurb three times because they thought \u201cby person in a relative clause\u201d was wrong, and they lost a few customers in the process because the description was vague. They meant to say \u201cthe candles by person that are infused with lavender,\u201d but they swapped it out for \u201chandmade candles\u201d and lost the specificity that made our products stand out. That\u2019s when I realized this isn\u2019t just a grammar nerd thing\u2014it\u2019s a business thing.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about why our brand uses \u201cby person\u201d instead of \u201chandmade\u201d or \u201ccustom.\u201d \u201cHandmade\u201d can be anything\u2014maybe a factory with one guy hand-stamping parts, or a machine that mimics handmade. \u201cBy person\u201d is explicit: it\u2019s a single individual, not a team, not a robot, not a bulk production line. So when we use it in a relative clause, we\u2019re clarifying that specificity without extra fluff. Let\u2019s look at another example that\u2019s actually used on our order pages: \u201cThe ceramic mug by person, which is dishwasher-safe and features a hand-thrown design, is priced at $22.\u201d That\u2019s perfect for our customers\u2014they know exactly what they\u2019re getting, and the grammar flows naturally, right? No one reading that sentence is going to stumble over it or think it\u2019s incorrect.<\/p>\n

Wait, did you notice I used a non-restrictive relative clause there? The \u201cwhich is dishwasher-safe\u201d part is extra info\u2014you could take it out and the sentence still makes sense: \u201cThe ceramic mug by person is priced at $22.\u201d What if we use a restrictive relative clause, the kind that\u2019s necessary to identify the noun? Let\u2019s say: \u201cWe only stock the ceramic mugs by person that are made with local clay.\u201d That\u2019s equally valid. The restrictive clause \u201cthat are made with local clay\u201d tells you exactly which mugs we\u2019re talking about, and \u201cby person\u201d links back to them perfectly.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also had a couple of English teachers hit me up on LinkedIn to argue that \u201cby person\u201d shouldn\u2019t be used in a relative clause, but when I sent them our sales copy and the context, they backtracked. One guy said it\u2019s a \u201ccollquial adaptation\u201d of the prepositional phrase, and that\u2019s exactly what it is. Language changes all the time, especially when it\u2019s tied to specific industries or brands. \u201cBy person\u201d is our brand\u2019s shorthand for individual, hands-on production, so using it in a relative clause is not only allowed\u2014it\u2019s clear for our audience.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s bust another myth: some people think you have to add \u201ca\u201d or \u201can\u201d after \u201cby,\u201d like \u201cby a person,\u201d but that\u2019s not necessary here. If you say \u201cthe tote by a person that\u2019s made in Portland,\u201d that works too, but \u201cby person\u201d is snappier, and that\u2019s our thing. We\u2019re a small operation, we like snappy language that gets to the point for our busy clients who are ordering for their own small stores or homes.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s circle back to why this matters for us as a By Person supplier. Our whole model is based on transparency\u2014people want to know they\u2019re not buying a generic product from a big box store, they\u2019re buying something made by a real person. Using \u201cby person\u201d in a relative clause lets us state that clearly without cluttering our copy. If we got rid of that phrase and the relative clause, we\u2019d lose that key differentiator. Imagine if our website said, \u201cThe woven tote that\u2019s available in five colors is made from organic cotton\u201d\u2014that\u2019s nice, but it doesn\u2019t tell you it\u2019s made by one person, which is what makes it worth the extra few bucks for our customers.<\/p>\n

I know a lot of you reading this might be copywriters or small business owners who struggle with this exact grammar stuff when you\u2019re writing product descriptions. My advice? Stop overcomplicating it. If \u201cby person\u201d naturally fits next to the noun you\u2019re modifying, followed by a relative clause, and it makes sense to your audience, go for it. Don\u2019t let rigid grammar rules hold you back from clearly communicating what makes your brand unique. If it sounds right when you say it out loud, it probably is right.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, we\u2019re not writing academic papers here\u2014we\u2019re writing copy that connects with customers, and that\u2019s what matters. For us, \u201cby person in a relative clause\u201d is not a grammar error, it\u2019s a core part of how we communicate our brand identity. If you\u2019re a boutique owner looking to stock unique, individual-made products, or someone who loves supporting small makers like us, reach out to chat about our current line-up and custom order options. We\u2019re always here to help and answer any questions you might have, whether they\u2019re about grammar or our products.<\/p>\n

Crystal Decor<\/a> References<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, 2002, Cambridge University Press<\/li>\n
  2. Merriam-Webster\u2019s Dictionary of English Usage, 1994, Merriam-Webster Inc.<\/li>\n
  3. Branded Language: How Brand Terminology Shapes Grammar, 2021, Journal of Business Communication<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Shenyang Magic Life Co., Ltd.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Address: No.85-11 Kunshan West Road, Huanggu District, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
    E-mail: jane@ziyuaqua.com
    WebSite:     https:\/\/www.ziyuaqua.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hey everyone, I\u2019ve been getting this question nonstop lately from clients and even my own team: … Can ‘By Person’ be used in a relative clause?<\/span>Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":518,"featured_media":3462,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3425],"class_list":["post-3462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry","tag-by-person-4f7a-852e3d"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/518"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3462\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.universalsteelbd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}