Should I say:
- I've made a huge mistake by accepting this offer
- I've made a huge mistake in accepting this offer
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Vadi
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2Google Books has about four times as many instances of made a mistake in* agreeing to* as made a mistake by* agreeing to*, but that doesn't imply either is "right" or "wrong". It's just a stylistic choice, with no real semantic implications. – FumbleFingers Feb 06 '16 at 14:07
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1...but note that You are mistaken by* thinking that* is a complete no-no. In that context, I think only You are mistaken in* thinking that* would be idiomatically acceptable. – FumbleFingers Feb 06 '16 at 14:09
2 Answers
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I have made a huge mistake by accepting this offer.
I have made a huge mistake in accepting this offer.
I think there's no difference in meaning between these sentences.
You usually use the structure mistake + in + -ing form. Even you can drop the preposition 'in' that's optional.
I have made a huge mistake accepting this offer.
It'll also be grammatical if you say:
I made the huge mistake of accepting this offer.
As for the use of the preposition "by", though not as common as in, it's also correct in the sentence; we use it for stating the way we do something.
Khan
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Both of these choices are perfectly correct. It is immaterial whether you choose by or in here, since the meaning really does change depending on your choice.
I suppose you could argue that the first choice "by" has a nuanced and very slight implication of a more passive acceptance, and the "in" has a nuanced and very slight implication of a more active acceptance, but, that arguement is really splitting hairs.
The choice between by and in here is entirely a personal choice based on the sound of the sentence, and not its meaning. I hear both usages on a regular basis in my everyday life.
Msfolly
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