Prepositional phrases (Place, Time & Movement)

In this lesson, you will learn how to use prepositional phrases to describe where something is, when something happens, and how something moves. This lesson introduces common prepositional phrases for place, time, and movement with clear examples.

1. What Are Prepositional Phrases?

A prepositional phrase usually begins with a preposition and is followed by a noun phrase or pronoun, for example under the table, in the morning, or to the park.

Structure:

Preposition + Object (+ extra words)

Examples:

• Place: The cat is under the table. → Under = preposition, the table = object
• Time: I will call you in the morning. → In = preposition, the morning = object
• Movement: She ran into the room. → Into = preposition, the room = object

Tip: Prepositional phrases often answer the questions:

• Where? → Place
• When? → Time
• Where to/from or along? → Movement

2. Prepositional Phrases of Place

These phrases tell us where something or someone is located.

Common prepositions of place

in, on, at, under, next to, between, behind, in front of, by, across from

Example sentences with explanations

• The cat is in the box. → Inside a closed space.
• The book is on the table. → On top of a surface.
• She is at the bus stop. → Specific point or location.
• The shoes are under the bed. → Below something.
• The school is next to the library. → Beside another building.
• The car is between the two trees. → In the middle of two objects.
• The children are behind the house. → At the back of something.
• The teacher is in front of the board. → At the front.
• The hotel is by the beach. → Close to a location.
• The bank is across from the supermarket. → On the other side, facing something.

Tip: A simple guide: use in for something inside a space, on for a surface, and at for a specific place or point. These are common patterns, but some places have fixed expressions, such as at school or on the bus.

3. Prepositional Phrases of Time

These phrases tell us when something happens or how long it lasts.

These phrases tell us when something happens or how long it lasts. Some use one preposition (for example, in July, at 9 o'clock), and some use a pair of prepositions (for example, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Common prepositions of time:

in, on, at, during, for, since, by, from…to, after, before

Example sentences with explanations

• I was born in July. → A long period: month.
• My birthday is on Monday. → Specific day.
• The meeting starts at 9 o’clock. → Exact time.
• She slept during the movie. → Inside a period.
• I have studied English for two hours. → Duration.
• He has lived here since 2015. → Starting point in the past.
• Finish your homework by 6 p.m. → Deadline: no later than 6 p.m.
• The shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. → Start and end of a period.
• We can meet after lunch. → Later than a point in time.
• Complete your work before class. → Earlier than a point in time.

Tip:

• in → months, years, seasons, parts of day
• on → days or dates
• at → exact times
• for / since → duration or starting point
• by / from…to / after / before → deadlines or sequence

4. Prepositional Phrases of Movement

These phrases describe direction, movement, or path.

Common prepositions of movement:

to, into, onto, out of, from, along, across, past, over, through

Example sentences with explanations

• She walked to the park. → Direction, moving toward a place.
• He ran into the classroom. → Entering a space.
• The cat jumped onto the sofa. → Moving to a position on top.
• They went out of the house. → Exiting a space.
• The train comes from London. → Starting point of movement.
• We walked along the river. → Moving next to a line/path.
• The dog ran across the street. → From one side to the other.
• He walked past the shop. → Moving in front without stopping.
• The plane flew over the mountains. → Above an obstacle.
• We walked through the forest. → Inside and along an area.

Tip: Movement prepositions describe direction (to), path (through, along), entering/exiting (into, out of), or crossing (over, across).

5. Combining Place, Time, and Movement

First ask: Does the phrase tell us where, when, or direction? Then you can understand its job in the sentence.

Prepositional phrases can appear together in one sentence to give more information.

Examples:

• I will meet you at the park on Saturday. → Place + Time
• She ran into the classroom in the morning. → Movement + Time
• The children played in the garden during the afternoon. → Place + Time
• We walked along the river until sunset. → Movement + Time

Tip: Always identify the preposition and its object to know whether it is describing where, when, or how something moves.

6. Easy Way to Remember

• Place → Where? → in, on, at, under, over, above, below, behind, in front of, next to, beside, near, between, among, opposite, outside, inside, across from, along, by
• Time → When? → in, on, at, during, for, since, until / till, by, from…to, from…until, after, before, around, about
• Movement → Where to / from / along / through? → to, into, onto, out of, from, along, across, past, over, up, down, through, towards, away from, around