Prepositions of Place and Direction
1.1 Prepositions – at, in, on.
Prepositions of place can be difficult – here’s some help about using ‘at‘, ‘in‘ and ‘on‘ when you’re talking about where things are.
1.2 Basics:
At is used if something is at a point; a stage on a journey or a meeting place where we are not concerned about the building or other details as it is the meeting point is that is important:
- Meet me at the corner.
- The train stops at London.
- I was at the theatre last night.
In is used for position inside large flat areas and in three dimensional spaces:
- I read it in the newspaper.
- Let’s go for a walk in the woods.
- The car is in the car park.
On is used if something is on a line or part of a line:
- London in on the River Thames.
- We can stop for a rest on the way.
or a horizontal or vertical surface:
- Dinner’s on the table.
- Put the picture on the wall.
or if something is attached to something:
- He put the ring on her finger.
- Are there many oranges on the tree?
1.3 Points to consider
Public Transport:
We use on ( and off ) when we talk about travel using public transport: trains, buses, planes and boats.
- Get on the bus!
- We booked tickets on the 8:30 London to Brighton train.
- We went on board an hour before sailing.
We use in ( and out of ) when we talk about cars, private planes and small boats as the smallness gives a three dimensional feel.
- Get in the car!
- We sat in the rowing boat.
2. Sentences with prepositions of place and direction
Preposition | Use | Sentences |
---|---|---|
above | higher than something | The water was above my waist. |
across | from one side to the other side | You can go across this road here. |
There is the bridge across the river. | ||
after | one follows the other | The dog ran after the cat. |
After you. No, after you. | ||
against | directed towards something. | The boat sailed against the wind. |
along | from one point to another in a line | They walked along the river. |
among | surrounded in a group | The boy played among the trees. |
around | movement in a circle or curve | We sat around the campfire singing songs. |
at | position on a point | Turn left at the next corner |
stage of a journey | Our plane stopped at Rome. | |
meeting point | Let’s meet at the bus station | |
behind | at the back of | She sat behind me. |
below | lower than something | The ship sank below the waves |
beneath | lower than something | The ship sank beneath the waves |
beside | next to something/body | Our house is beside the park. |
between | something/body is on each side | Our house is between the park and the police station. |
by | just at the side of | He lives by the sea. |
close to | near | Our house is close to the sea. |
down | from high to low | We walked down the hill. |
from | Starting point | I have just come from the train station. |
in front of | before – facing same side | I parked in front of the school. |
inside | in a place | I waited inside her office |
in | place seen in three dimensions | We sat in the car. |
larger areas | She was born in France. | |
into | entering a place | She walked into the room. |
near | close to something | We live near the sea. |
next to | beside something | She was standing next to a man |
off | away from something | The cat jumped off the roof. |
on | touches a surface | The cat is on the table. |
seen as a position on a line | His house is on the way from the station. | |
by a lake or sea | Chicago is on Lake Michigan. | |
onto | moving to a place | The cat jumped onto the roof. |
opposite | on the other side of | I parked opposite the supermarket. |
out of | leaving something | The cat jumped out of the window. |
outside | not in a place | I waited outside his office. |
over | higher than | The cat jumped over the wall. |
past | going near something/body. | Go past the police station. |
round | movement in a circle or curve | We sat round the campfire singing songs. |
through | going from one point to another in a 3 dimensional place | We walked through the woods |
to | movement or direction | He goes to work by car. |
Can you come to me? | ||
I’ve never been to America. | ||
towards | in the direction of something | We drove towards the town. |
under | lower than something. | The cat is under the table. |
underneath | lower than something. | The cat is underneath the table. |
up | from low to high | He went up the hill. |