Difference between near and nearby

Question

http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst15374_near-and-nearby.aspx

Nearby is the adjective which stands alone
>>>The shop is nearby
that means near here.

You can use 'near' on its own (some do, but it can sound odd), or if there is another adverb after, or with another place:
>>> the shop is near (near what? this sounds unfinished, you would use the shop is nearby)
>>> the shop is near here
>>> the shop is near now. (eg you are travelling) 
>>> the shop is near the road

near can link it to anywhere. Nearby can only relate to HERE.

as a preposition, you can only use near
the shop is near the road.

so, in use
I live nearby
I live near here
I live near a park
There is a nearby park
There is a park nearby.
There is a park quite near.

You have to use near if qualifying it with quite, very etc. You cannot qualify nearby. Never 'quite nearby' or 'very nearby'.

Answer 1

Near and nearby are both synonyms for close. However, there are three clear and important differences in their meaning and use:

1) The first difference is that near is often used as a preposition, butnearby can never be properly used as a preposition. Furthermore, whennear is a preposition, it doesn’t simply mean close, it means close to, as shown in this example:

• I left the box near the door. [near means close to (the door)]
• I left the box nearby the door. [You may hear someone say this occasionally, but it is not considered correct.]

2) The second difference is that near can mean close in time (=soon), as well as close in distance, but nearby cannot, as shown below:

• Summer is drawing near. [near=close in time]
• May is nearby.  [nearby cannot mean close in time]

3) The third difference is that nearby can appear either before or after a noun that it describes, but near can normally appear only before the noun, and even then, only when referring to time.* Here are some examples:

• We slept at a nearby motel. [nearby + noun]
• We slept at a motel nearby. [noun + nearby]
• I hope to visit you in the near future. [near + noun, and near=close in time]
• I hope to visit you in your near home. [near cannot  be used before a noun to refer to distance]

*There is one exception to this near + noun restriction: It’s perfectly acceptable to use near + noun when referring to distance in a sentence that contrasts near with far, as in this example:

• The near side of the garage needs a paint job, but the far side looks okay.