Preposition of place

1. What Are Prepositions of Place?

Prepositions of place tell us where a person or thing is.

Examples:

• The cat is on the chair.
• The keys are in the bag.

2. The Three Most Important Ones

IN

Use in for:

• inside something
• closed spaces
• in a city, country, or area
• in a car / taxi / van (inside a private vehicle)
• in the water
• in a picture / photo (shown in the image)

Sentences:

• Sarah is in her room.
• My phone is in my bag.
• The dog is in the car.
• We live in Canada.
• The museum is in the city centre.
• Mia is the person in the photo.
• The children are playing in the water.

ON

Use on for:

• on a surface
• touching the top of something
• fixed position phrases: on the left / on the right
• on a bus / train / plane / ship (public transport)

Sentences:

• The book is on the table.
• The picture is on the wall.
• The jacket is on the floor.
• There is a label on the bottle.
• We are on the bus.
• The kitchen is on the left.

AT

Use at for:

• a specific point (a meeting place): at the bus stop, at the door
• common places: at home, at school, at work

Sentences:

• She is at home.
• I am at work.
• Peter is at the door.
• Susan is at the bus stop.
• Let’s meet at the station.
• The children are at school.

3. Useful Position Words

These words show where one person or object is in relation to another.

Preposition	Meaning	Example
under	lower than and directly beneath	The cat is under the table.
next to	beside	She sits next to me.
near	close to	There is a café near the station.
between	in the middle of two things	The bank is between the shop and the café.
behind	at the back of	The car is behind the house.
in front of	at the front of	The teacher is in front of the class.
opposite	facing across from	The bank is opposite the cinema.
inside	in the inner part of	The keys are inside the drawer.
outside	not inside	The children are outside the school.
on top of	on the highest surface of	The box is on top of the cupboard.

Compare: Near and Next To

In one street, a café can be next to the station: it is directly beside it. A hotel can be near the station: it is close, but not directly beside it.

In front of and opposite also describe different situations. The teacher is in front of the class. A bank is opposite the cinema when they face each other across a road.

4. Optional: More Details

You can learn these useful differences after you are comfortable with the basic words above.

Preposition	Meaning	Example
above	higher than	The picture is above the sofa.
over	directly above, often covering something	The lamp is over the table.
below	at a lower level	The car park is below the building.

Compare: Above, Over, Under, and Below

In a room, a picture is above the sofa. A lamp is over the table because it is directly above it. Shoes are under the bed because they are directly beneath it. A car park can be below a building when it is at a lower level.

5. Useful Contrasts

Use in a picture/photo for a person or thing shown in the image. Use on a picture/photo only for something physically on its surface.

• “Who is the woman in the photo?”
• “There is a coffee stain on the photo.”

6. Common Mistakes

Incorrect	Correct	Why?
“Mia is on the photo.”	“Mia is in the photo.”	She is shown in the image; she is not on its surface.
“I’m in the bus.”	“I’m on the bus.”	Use on with buses, trains, planes, and ships.
“The keys are on my bag.”	“The keys are in my bag.”	Use in when something is inside.
“She is in home.”	“She is at home.”	At home is a fixed expression.
“I’m in the bus stop.”	“I’m at the bus stop.”	A bus stop is a point or meeting place.
“The toy is on the box.”	“The toy is in the box.”	Use in when the toy is inside the box.

7. Quick Summary

Preposition	Use it for	Example
in	inside a space, city, or country	in the bag / in London
on	a surface and public transport	on the table / on the bus
at	a point or common place	at the door / at home
under, next to, behind	simple position	under the bed / next to the chair / behind the house