Difference between で and によって

Question

Whats the difference between によって and で ?

Example:

台風によって屋根が飛ばされた。 Can I use で in this sentence?-> 台風で屋根が飛ばされた。

Thanks.

Answer 1

Both are correct and natural-sounding sentences.

The difference is in the formality. 「～～で」 would sound more informal or conversational than 「～～によって」.

For that reason, 「～～によって」 is used far more often in writing than in casual daily conversations.