Prepositions of Place

Express where things and people are located in space

What are Prepositions of Place?

Prepositions of place tell us WHERE something or someone is located. They answer the question "Where?" and are essential for describing positions and locations in space.

The three most common are: in (enclosed spaces), on (surfaces), and at (points/locations).

IN (Enclosed Spaces, Inside)

Inside enclosed spaces:

The book is in the bag. (enclosed by the bag)
She's in the room.
The keys are in my pocket.
They live in an apartment.
The water is in the bottle.
He's sitting in the car.

Cities, countries, neighborhoods:

I live in London. (city)
She works in France. (country)
They're in the city center. (area)
We grew up in this neighborhood.

ON (Surfaces, Contact)

On surfaces (top of):

The book is on the table. (surface)
The picture is on the wall.
There's a fly on the ceiling.
She's sitting on the chair.
The cat is on the roof.
Write your name on the paper.

Streets, floors, pages:

I live on Main Street. (street name)
My office is on the 5th floor.
Look on page 10.
The answer is on the next page.

AT (Points, Specific Locations)

Specific points/locations:

I'm at the bus stop. (specific point)
She's at the door.
Meet me at the entrance.
He's waiting at the corner.
I'll be at the station.
Look at the top of the page.

Buildings (for activities):

I'm at work. (at the workplace)
She's at school. (attending school)
They're at home.
We met at the restaurant.
I'll see you at the cinema.

Other Important Prepositions of Place

ABOVE / OVER (Higher Than):

The lamp is above the table. (higher, not touching)
The plane flew over the city.
The picture is above the fireplace.
There's a bridge over the river.

BELOW / UNDER (Lower Than):

The dog is under the table. (directly below, covered)
The temperature is below zero. (lower than)
Look under the bed.
They live below us. (on a lower floor)

BEHIND / IN FRONT OF:

The car is behind the house. (at the back)
She's standing in front of the mirror.
Hide behind the door!
There's a garden in front of the building.

NEXT TO / BESIDE (Near, At the Side):

Sit next to me.
The bank is beside the post office.
Put the cup next to the plate.
She sat beside her friend.

BETWEEN / AMONG:

I'm sitting between John and Mary. (two people/things)
The house is between the bank and the school.
He's among friends. (surrounded by many)
She felt lost among the crowd.

NEAR / CLOSE TO / FAR FROM:

The shop is near the station. (not far)
We live close to the beach.
The hotel is far from the airport.

INSIDE / OUTSIDE:

Come inside the house.
The kids are playing outside.
What's inside the box?
Wait outside the office.

OPPOSITE / ACROSS FROM:

The bank is opposite the library. (facing)
She sat across from me.
They live opposite the park.

Common Mistakes

❌ I live at London. → ✅ I live in London. (use "in" with cities)
❌ The book is at the table. → ✅ The book is on the table. (surface)
❌ I'm in the bus stop. → ✅ I'm at the bus stop. (specific point)
❌ She lives on France. → ✅ She lives in France. (country)
❌ I live in Main Street. → ✅ I live on Main Street. (street name)
❌ The keys are on my pocket. → ✅ The keys are in my pocket. (enclosed)
❌ I'm on home. → ✅ I'm at home. (specific location)
❌ She's sitting in the chair. → ✅ She's sitting on the chair. (surface)

Practice Tips

📦 Think in 3D: IN = inside/enclosed. ON = surface/contact. AT = point/location. "The coffee is IN the cup, ON the table, AT the cafe."
🏙️ Geographic rules: IN cities/countries/continents. ON streets/floors. AT addresses/buildings (for activities).
↕️ Above vs. Over: Often interchangeable, but "over" suggests covering or movement: "clouds over the city," "hang the picture above the sofa."
🔢 Between vs. Among: "Between" = 2 things. "Among" = 3 or more things (surrounded by group).
🎯 Fixed phrases: Learn these as chunks: at home, at work, at school, in bed, on the bus, at the station.