Prepositions are tricky little words. They’re so small, you might not even notice them—and yet they can change the meaning of your sentence entirely. Prepositions often make a sentence make sense—or not make sense at all.
Prepositions are words that express a relationship between two things. They can tell you where something is about something else or how one thing relates to another. If you attach two different prepositions to the same word, you can change its whole meaning.
Two such words include “due on” and “due by.” Both of these terms refer to the deadline. The main difference between “due on” and “due by” is that “due on” is a specific time frame, whereas “due by” is a time frame with a deadline.
If you are working on something that needs to be completed before a specific date, you should use “due on.” If you have something that needs to be completed before a specific date and time, you should use “due by.”
Let’s discuss these two prases in detail.
What Is The Meaning Of “Due On?”
“Due on” means to be due at a specific moment, like on a specific day at a specific time.
In business, you may hear this phrase when dealing with contracts: “The contract is due on your desk by noon tomorrow.” So, it’s saying that you have until noon tomorrow to comply with the terms of this contract.
It’s also sometimes used to refer to a payment schedule: “Payment is due on the 1st of every month.” This means that each month you have to pay your monthly fee by the first day of the month.
What Is The Meaning Of “Due By?”
The standard usage of the term “due by” is to indicate a deadline for the completion or submission of something. For example, you might see it as part of a project title: “Project Due by January 15.” It can also be used in the subject lines of an Email, like “Email: Due by noon.”
“Due by” is a term that can be used in various contexts. It most often refers to the date something must be completed, delivered, or paid.
For example, if you have an assignment due by Monday, it must be completed and submitted by Monday. If you have a bill due by the end of the month, it must be paid before the end.
The phrase can also be used when setting a deadline for someone else’s work. For example: “I need this report due by Friday.”
In both these terms, adding different prepositions to the word “due” has changed its meaning.
What Are Prepositions?
Prepositions are words that indicate relationships between the objects in a sentence. They show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in a sentence. A preposition is always followed by an object, which can be either a noun or a pronoun.
Prepositions are called “case markers” because they mark a word’s case (or grammatical function) in a sentence. For example: “I passed my test with flying colors.” The preposition “with” marks the case of “test” as a direct object (DO).
Here is a table with a few examples of prepositions and their meaning.
| Prepositions | Meaning |
| Along | Beside |
| Over | Above |
| Under | Below something |
| By | Near |
| On | Touching something |
Difference Between “Due On” And “Due By”
These are the differences between “Due on” and “Due by”:
- “Due by” is used when the deadline is expressed in terms of a time or date, such as “due by Tuesday.”
- “Due on” is used when the deadline is expressed regarding an event or occurrence, such as “due on receipt of payment.”
- The term “due on” refers to the date a payment is due. For example, if you’re buying something with a credit card, the due date is when your payment is expected.
- The term “due by” refers to the deadline for submitting an assignment or project to your professor or boss. The due date is when you must turn in your work so your instructor or manager can grade it.
- When the term ‘due on” is used, it means you must submit your money or specific task at a specific time and due date, not before or after that.
- In contrast, the term ‘due by” means you can submit your task or service before your deadline but not after it.
Here is a video clip giving detail about different prepositions.
What Does It Mean If “Something Is Due By Monday?”
When you hear the phrase “something is due by Monday,” it means that the item or task must be completed by the end of Monday. This can refer to anything from a project to a report, a homework assignment, or even an email.
This phrase is often used in business settings, as well as school and university settings. It’s also used in other areas with project deadlines and can be used casually. Some people may say, “This is due by Monday,” when trying to motivate someone to complete a task quickly.
Does The “Due By Date” Mean On That Date?
The “Due by date” is a deadline for the completion of a project, but it’s not necessarily the date on which the work must be turned in.
The “due by date” is important because it signals when a project should be completed to meet an important deadline. However, it’s essential to note that this does not mean you must submit your assignment on that day.
Can You Put A “Due By” Date On An Invoice?
Yes, you can put a due date on an invoice. This is a great way to help your clients organize and keep their books in order. However, be sure to let them know the payment is due by that date, so they don’t miss it!
Final Thoughts
- “Due by” and “due on” show a deadline.
- “Due by” is a phrase that means “a specific date or time before which an action must be completed.
- “Due on” refers to a date or time on which something will happen.
- “Due by” is a date that you must meet. It’s not a date you can slip past, but you must be ready to meet it.
- “Due on,” on the other hand, is the date that your payment is due. You’ll have some leeway with this one—you need to pay by the date specified.