idiom · neutral
by the book
/baɪ ðə ˈbʊk/by·the·BOOK
speakingtask2
to do something strictly according to rules or official procedures.
Examples
“The company operates by the book to avoid legal trouble.”
“A by-the-book manager rarely accepts risky proposals.”
“If you follow the instructions by the book, the system will work.”
Band 8 sentence
“The new manager runs the department strictly by the book, leaving little room for improvisation.”
Collocations
- do something by the book
- a by-the-book approach
Word family
by the book adverbial phraseby-the-book adjective (hyphenated)
Common mistakes
do it by book→do it by the book
by book→by the book
Say it for a higher band
5follow rules→6stick to rules→7+by the book
Synonyms
follow the rules
by the rules
Easily confused
follow the rules
“The inspector insisted that everything be done by the book.”
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