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Prepositions of place

In At On Prepositions of Place | En...
In At On Prepositions of Place | English Grammar Rules in 7 minutes

English prepositions

Generally speaking one can classify prepositions in three groups:

The following table includes the English prepositions of place.

prepositions

Prepositions of place

Preposition of place Explanation Example

in

  • inside
  • I watch TV in the living-room
  • I live in New York
  • Look at the picture in the book
  • She looks at herself in the mirror.
  • She is in the car.
  • Look at the girl in the picture
  • This is the best team in the world

at

  • used to show an exact position or particular place
  • table
  • events
  • place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work)
  • I met her at the entrance, at the bus stop
  • She sat at the table
  • at a concert, at the party
  • at the movies, at university, at work

on

  • attached
  • next to or along the side of (river)
  • used to show that something is in a position above something else and touching it.
  • left, right
  • a floor in a house
  • used for showing some methods of traveling
  • television, radio
  • Look at the picture on the wall
  • Cambridge is on the River Cam.
  • The book is on the desk
  • A smile on his face
  • The shop is on the left
  • My apartment is on the first floor
  • I love traveling on trains /on the bus / on a plane
  • My favorite program on TV, on the radio

by, next to, beside, near

  • not far away in distance
  • The girl who is by / next to / beside the house.

between

  • in or into the space which separates two places, people or objects
  • The town lies halfway between Rome and Florence.

behind

  • at the back (of)
  • I hung my coat behind the door.

in front of

  • further forward than someone or something else
  • She started talking to the man in front of her

under

  • lower than (or covered by) something else
  • the cat is under the chair.

below

  • lower than something else.
  • the plane is just below the the cloud

over

  • above or higher than something else, sometimes so that one thing covers the other.
  • more than.
  • across from one side to the other.
  • overcoming an obstacle
  • She held the umbrella over both of us.
  • Most of the carpets are over $100.
  • I walked over the bridge
  • She jumped over the gate

above

  • higher than something else, but not directly over it
  • a path above the lake

across

  • from one side to the other of something with clear limits / getting to the other side
  • She walked across the field/road.
  • He sailed across the Atlantic

through

  • from one end or side of something to the other
  • They walked slowly through the woods.

to

  • in the direction of
  • bed
  • We went to Prague last year.
  • I go to bed at ten.

into

  • towards the inside or middle of something and about to be contained, surrounded or enclosed by it
  • Shall we go into the garden?

towards

  • in the direction of, or closer to someone or something
  • She stood up and walked towards him.

onto

  • used to show movement into or on a particular place
  • I slipped as I stepped onto the platform.

from

  • used to show the place where someone or something starts:
  • What time does the flight from Amsterdam arrive?

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