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This suggested edit was approved and applied to the post over 2 years ago by gmcgath‭.

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  • It depends on the context, but generally "in doing so" refers to something that happens along with or as part of the action, and "by doing so" refers to a result of the action. In many cases either one works. Here are a couple of cases where one is preferable to the other:
  • "Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and in doing so sank several American ships." It's part of the same action, so you wouldn't use "by doing do."
  • "Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and by doing so made bombing attacks on Japan inevitable." It's a later consequence, so you wouldn't use "in doing so." This is less clear than the first example, though.
  • "Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and in/by doing so entered war with the US." In this case you can view starting war either as an aspect or a consequence of the attack, so I think either one is appropriate.
  • It depends on the context, but generally "in doing so" refers to something that happens along with or as part of the action, and "by doing so" refers to a result of the action. In many cases either one works. Here are a couple of cases where one is preferable to the other:
  • - Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and *in doing so* sank several American ships."
  • It's part of the same action, so you wouldn't use "by doing do."
  • - Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and *by doing so* made bombing attacks on Japan inevitable.
  • It's a later consequence, so you wouldn't use "in doing so." This is less clear than the first example, though.
  • - Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and *in/by doing so* entered war with the US.
  • In this case you can view starting war either as an aspect or a consequence of the attack, so I think either one is appropriate.

Suggested over 2 years ago by fedorqui‭