Preposition of place

Beginner (A1)en

Prepositions of place (in, on, under, next to…)

Prepositions 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 or a van (small vehicles)
in the water

Examples:

in the room
in the bag
in the car
in the city

Sentence:

Sarah is in her room.
My phone is in my bag.
The dog is in the car.
The cinema is in the city.

ON
Use on for:

on a surface
touching the top of something
on the right or on the left
on public transport
on the internet / on TV

Examples:

on the table
on the wall
on the floor
on the bus

Sentence:

The book is on the table.
The picture is on the wall.
The jacket is on the floor.

AT
Use at for:

a specific place or point
at locations
at exact point

Examples:

at home
at school/work
at the door
at the bus stop

Sentence:

She is at home.
I am at work.
Peter is at the door.
Susan is at the bus stop.

3. Other Common Prepositions of Place

under → below
The cat is under the table.
next to → beside
She sits next to me.
between → in the middle of two things
The bank is between the shop and the café.
behind → at the back
The car is behind the house.
in front of → before something
The teacher is in front of the class.

4. Visual Tip
Ask:

Is it inside? → in
Is it on a surface? → on
Is it a place or point? → at

Practice Exercises

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Prepositions of place (in, on, under, next to…)

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Related Vocabulary

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Prepositions of place (in, on, under, next to…)

Prepositions of place

7 words

in

preposition

Indicates a position within a space or area.

The cat is in the box.

on

preposition

Used to indicate a position above something and in contact with it.

The book is on the table.

at

preposition

Used to indicate a specific time or place.

I will meet you at the park.

under

preposition

In a position below or beneath something else.

The cat is under the table.

next to

preposition

Located immediately adjacent to something else.

The bookstore is next to the coffee shop.

between

preposition

Used to indicate the position of something in relation to two or more things.

The book is between the two chairs.

behind

preposition

At the back of something; in a position that is further back than something else.

The cat is hiding behind the sofa.