Prepositions of place
In, on, at, under, next to, between, behind, in front of: where things and people are.
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A preposition of place says where something is: in the bag, on the table, at the station. It goes before a noun. The three most common, in, on and at, need the most care, because their use in English is not always the same as in other languages.
In: inside a space
Use in for something inside a room, a building, a box, a town or a country.
- The milk is in the fridge.
- My parents live in a small village.
- She works in Berlin.
- Your keys are in your coat pocket.
We also use in for pictures: what we see in a photo or a picture is in it.
- Who is the woman in this photo?
- Incorrect: Who is the man on the photo?
- Correct: Who is the man in the photo?People and things that we see in a photo are in it. On the photo means on top of the paper.
On: on a surface
Use on for something on top of a surface: a table, a wall, the floor, a shelf.
- Your phone is on the table.
- There's a nice picture on the wall.
- Don't leave your bag on the floor.
We also say on the bus, on the train and on a plane, but in a car and in a taxi.
- I read on the train to work.
- Get in the car. We're late.
At: a point or a place for an activity
Use at for a point, like a door or a bus stop, and for places where we do something: at work, at home, at school, at university, at the station, at the airport.
- I'm at the bus stop now.
- She's at work until six.
- We're at home tonight.
- Incorrect: I'm in home.
- Correct: I'm at home.
- Incorrect: He is on work today.
- Correct: He is at work today.We say at home and at work, with no the.
In or at a building?
For a building, both are possible. In says that we are inside it. At says that we are there for its usual activity.
- I'm at the station. Where are you?
(I'm there to take a train.)
- It's cold. Let's wait in the station.
(Inside the building.)
Under, behind, in front of
Preposition | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
under | below | The suitcase is under the bed. |
behind | at the back of | The garden is behind the house. |
in front of | at the front of | There's a bus stop in front of the hotel. |
- My shoes are under the chair.
- Incorrect: The car is in front the house.
- Correct: The car is in front of the house.In front of is three words. Don't forget of.
Next to and between
Next to means "very near, at the side of". Between means "with one thing on each side".
- The pharmacy is next to the bank.
- Sit next to me.
- The café is between the bank and the post office.
- Incorrect: The bank is next the cinema.
- Correct: The bank is next to the cinema.Next to needs to.
At the end of the sentence
Prepositions of place usually come near the end of a sentence, before time words.
- I meet my friends at the café on Fridays.
- Is there a cash machine in the station?