What's the difference between at the end and by the end? — Basma, Egypt
Answer
The phrase "at the end" tells us that something happened during the same time as the end, or during the ending of something (such as a story or an event). The phrase "by the end" tells us that something happened before the end, or that something finished happening before the ending of something. Below are some examples showing the difference.
At the end of the book the princess finds her lost horse. [=she finds her horse during the ending of the story, or in the final chapter]
By the end of the book the princess finds her lost horse. [=she finds her horse some time before the story ends; when the ending happens, she has already found her horse]
The baby made a huge mess at the end of the party. [=during the final moments of the party]
The baby made a huge mess by the end of the party. [=the baby had been making a mess for the whole party, and when the party ended, the mess was huge]
At the end of the meeting [=during the last minutes/moments of the meeting] we solved the problem.
By the end of the meeting we solved the problem. [=we worked throughout the meeting to find a solution, and when the meeting ended we had a solution]
"At the end" tells us about the last or one of the last things to happen in a story or event. "By the end" is used to say that something was happening throughout a story or event, and finished happening before the story or event ended.
