[Vocabulary] Can 'by far' be used with a verb?

[englishhobby]

One of my students wrote in her essay (about choosing a partner): "...The area of the choice of your soul mate has extended compared with the past."

Putting aside the correctness of the whole serntence in terms of its 'naturalneess' for a native speaker, I would like to ask you about the use of the phrase 'by far'. Is it possible to use it in this sentence so that it would be like this:

The area of the choice of your soul mate has by far extended compared with the past.
:?:

By the way, does the original sentence sound natural?

 

[Skrej]

It's not natural, and it's not even comprehensible.

I can't even understand what the original or amended sentence is trying to say. 'Area of the choice' is meaningless to me.

 

[Tdol]

Does it mean that the person is still looking for a soul mate and is widening their choice by changing their criteria?

 

[Raymott]

What sort of soulmate would that be - a semi-soulmate?

 

[Tdol]

It could mean that they have wider social circles and more chance of meeting their ideal- I missed that earlier, but the original isn't particularly clear.

 

[Skrej]

What sort of soulmate would that be - a semi-soulmate?

AKA 'settling' or 'lowering your standards'.

 

[Tdol]

Or getting real.

 

[englishhobby]

It could mean that they have wider social circles and more chance of meeting their ideal- I missed that earlier, but the original isn't particularly clear.

Yes, she meant exactly this. In our time people have wider social circles and more chance of meeting their ideal (= the 'geography of habitat' of people's potential partners has become wider because of the new technology).

 

[englishhobby]

Does it mean that the person is still looking for a soul mate and is widening their choice by changing their criteria?

Your later comment about 'wider social circles' is what she meant.

 

[Tdol]

As her social circles are wider now, she has a much better chance of meeting her soul mate.