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 inthe 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, atuniversity, 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 onTV, 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 halfwaybetween 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 belowthe 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 umbrellaover both of us.

• Most of the carpets areover $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 slowlythrough 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 walkedtowards him.

onto

• used to show movement into or on a particular place

• I slipped as I stepped ontothe platform.

from

• used to show the place where someone or something starts:

• What time does the flightfrom Amsterdam arrive?