Instrument / Mediator
With what or through what does it happen?
Signification
The tool, medium, body part, system, channel, or mediator used to perform or transmit the action.
Comment le repérer
Ask what tool or channel makes the action possible.
Exemples
knife|phone|car|email|hand
with a knife|by email|through the app
He cut the bread with a knife.
Visual guide
Actor │ uses ▼ Instrument / mediator │ makes possible ▼ Action He cut bread with a knife.
Same role, different shapes: with a knife (preposition) knife-CASE (case ending) by email (medium) through the app (channel) hand + cut (bare/compound) Ask: with/through what?
Vue par langue
Dans votre langue maternelle
Instruments are usually introduced with avec, par, à, or fixed lexical patterns.
Il coupe le pain avec un couteau.
He cuts the bread with a knife.
Dans votre langue d’apprentissage
En anglais, les instruments sont généralement exprimés avec une préposition, surtout with.
She cut the bread with a knife.
with a knife = l’instrument, l’outil utilisé pour faire l’action.
Les apprenants peuvent choisir la mauvaise préposition ou oublier le mot qui introduit l’instrument.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.