Go by means to pass: about time (time goes by, the years went by) and also about people and cars passing you. The second meaning is to follow something or judge by it: go by the rules, go by the reviews. If the reviews are anything to go by means “judging by the reviews”.
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time/days/years + go by; as time goes by; go by + rules/instructions/sb's advice; if sth is anything to go by
- Three years went by before I saw my school friends again.
- As time goes by, I feel more confident speaking English in meetings.
- I always go by the recipe the first time I cook something new.
What changed
First versionFive years have went by since we finished school.
RevisionFive years have gone by since we finished school.
After have you need the past participle: go — went — gone. Went is the past simple and is used without have: Five years went by. Only the verb form was changed.
Go by and judge by are close but not the same. Judge by means to assess, to form an opinion: Don't judge people by their clothes. Go by means to rely on something when you act or choose: I go by the instructions, not by guesswork.
Your turn
If the reviews are anything to ___, this little café serves the best coffee in town.
Show the answer
go by — If something is anything to go by is a fixed phrase meaning “judging by…”, and only go by fits in it. Go through means to look through or to experience something, and it doesn't fit this structure.
Write about a purchase or decision where you relied on someone's advice or on reviews. Say exactly what you relied on.
When I chose my laptop, I went by my brother's advice, and he was right about the battery.
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