Prepositions of Place in English Grammar

Prepositions of place are something we definitely cannot do without in our everyday speech. We use prepositions of place every day.

Prepositions of place in English can seem like a daunting topic. Many beginners are afraid to start using prepositions. In fact, there is nothing complicated about this topic. Most Prepositions of Place have clear use cases.

REMEMBER: We use prepositions to show the connection between nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and gerunds.

Preposition In

Now let’s start from a very popular preposition of place In.

We use in to say that something or someone is inside a place or room.

We often use the preposition in in such combinations as:

• in the book
• in the bedroom
• in the garden
• in the room
• in the building
• in the car
• in the box

Look at examples of using the preposition in in such combinations:

You locked him in the room with them.

Well, there’s a thief in the building.

Come on, get in the car.

Report says he was the only one in the building.

I thought we talked about smoking in the car.

If something looks interesting, put it in the box.

He wasn’t mentioned by name in the book.

Police found the bodies in the bedroom.

I found an illegal planter in the garden.

Geography is another topic in which we sometimes use the preposition in. For example, we use in when we say that someone or something is within the boundaries of some territory or locality.

Take a look at the following geographic examples:

Your work here in France has not gone unnoticed.

I think you two quite the prettiest sisters in England.

You can never have too much wood in the forest.

I have a small cottage in the mountains.

These improvements are most noticeable in the countryside.

He’s hiding … in a cave in the mountains.

When we name the parts of the world, we also use the preposition in.

I went to see the rebels in the north.

In the west and in the south, recruitment will be finished shortly.

Even with one arm, I’m still the fastest gun in the west.

The sun doesn’t rise in the west.

Another common use of the preposition in when we describe what is shown in drawings, paintings, or photographs.

Please never stand next to me in a photo.

Imagine seeing all that in a picture.

I told you the man in the photo wasn’t Jerry.

I saw you painted in a picture.

You’re holding my hand in the photo.

You’ll be in the picture next year.

Frequently Used Phrases And Expressions With Preposition In

Take a look at the following list of frequently used phrases and expressions in which we use the preposition in. Memorizing these phrases will help you avoid most of the mistakes that English learners make.

• in a book
• in a photograph
• in the middle
• in a row
• In a mirror
• in an office
• in bed
• in a street
• in the sky
• in the world
• in the room
• in the house
• in the garden
• in the bag
• in a queue

Your call has been placed in a queue.

Don’t interrupt him in the middle of a sentence.

This made her the fastest cruiser in the world.

I want absolute silence in the house.

You saw the lightning in the sky.

All the flowers in the garden are yellow.

There’s a reason this team’s lost four games in a row.

Preposition On

On is also a very important preposition of place in English. The main use of the On is when we want to express that someone or something is on the surface of some object or space.

Moreover, the surface on which the object is located does not have to be horizontal like a table. This surface can be vertical like a wall.

We can use the preposition on even if we want to say about an object that is on the surface of another object in an upside-down position. For example, if we describe a fly that is sitting on the ceiling.

• on the floor
• on the beach
• on paper
• on a wall
• on the ceiling
• on a table
• on the way
• on the page
• on the left
• on the right
• on a map
• on a menu
• on a list
• on the floor
• on a finger
• on my head
• on the ground floor

I saw a spider walking on the ceiling.

I kind of want to be the fly on a wall.

That shadow on the ceiling looks like a scary toothless clown.

It was hidden on a wall in your house.

Put everything you find on the table.

This island doesn’t even exist on a map.

My master is staying on board.

I could get drunk and dance on a table.

Have you ever seen carp on a menu in your life?

I found his notes scattered on the floor.

A guy walks into a doctor’s office with a duck on his head.

The dockmaster saw her sneak on board.

I still can’t find your village on a map.

We use the preposition on if we want to say about the location of an object near some river.

He was ordered to clear Confederate obstacles on the Mississippi River.

We can also use the preposition on if we want to indicate that an object is on one side of another object.

Go to the station, it’s down there on the right.

Sit in the back, on the left, and wait.

Please proceed to the diagnostic area on the right …

They said to speak to Polly, the second office on the left.

Well, the second door on the right’s your bedroom.

We use on to indicate that the object is on some floor of the building. Thus, we can indicate on which floor someone lives or works.

He went up to the corner room on the second floor.

She works here, but her office is actually on the second floor.

There’s another isolation room on the fifth floor.

Two of you go up and wait for us on the fifth floor by this window.

We use the preposition on with media such as radio, internet, or television.

• on the radio
• on TV
• on the Internet

I hear what happened on the radio.

You heard my words on the radio.

You all said it was him on TV.

I saw you on TV with the violin.

It’s all so much smaller than it looks on TV.

These documents are publicly available on the Internet.

It’s not that hard to find someone on the Internet.

NOTE: Please note that when we use the preposition on + TV we don’t use the article the.

They told Joey they saw him on TV.

Because if we say on the tv it will mean that we are describing not what movie or show we are watching, but what is on the TV as an object.

The vase is on the TV.

A large spider is sitting on the TV.

We also use on with some types of public transport.

I was riding around on the bus all afternoon.

I left my sweatshirt on the bus.

Today on the bus there was this adorable couple.

I must have caught a cold on the train.

We met on the train when I came at Christmas.

Preposition At

The Preposition of place At is one of the most popular prepositions in this category. We use at if we want to express that an object is next to another object or some place.

To better understand the use of the preposition at, look at the examples:

You are sitting at the loser table.

Meet me at the docks!

I found this, at the back of the wardrobe.

This woman must spend her whole life at the window.

I think there’s someone at the door.

I am sitting at the kitchen table past two am.

At the end of the day, you deserve more than this.

We use at not only when we say that an object is next to something or someone, but also when we say that an object is inside some place. In this case, most often we use the preposition of the place at when we say that the object is inside the building.

I’m staying at the Hotel.

I’m going to tell the police, my car was stolen at the park.

I saw you arguing at the station.

He was last seen at bus terminal.

This morning I had a call from someone at the theater.

Be at the station tomorrow morning at 10:00.

We use at if we want to express that someone is at an event, concert, holiday, etc.

Everyone at the concert is recording it with their phones.

I have the most interesting job at the conference.

You gave me phone number at the concert.

We need him at the press conference right now.

Well, you’re both welcome at the festival, of course.

In 2011, she gave a joint performance at the festival.

You were very quiet at the fair.

He was at the fair under our protection.

We missed you at the seminar today.

With the help of the preposition at, we can indicate the address of a person’s residence.

He lives at 220 Mercer Street, Apartment 5.

She lives at 63rd and Madison.

Mr. Harrison lives at 71 Dalmay Street.

NOTE: Remember, if we only mean the street name then we use the prepositions in or on.

I am talking about the woman who lives on our street!

I was on Elliot’s street.

Maybe he had friends on this street.

We use the preposition at to say that a person is in a place in which the person works or lives.

There is medication you can try at home.

I have two white shirts at home.

Mum stays at home as usual.

Michael arrived at work to find Kitty.

Something happened at work today, Adam.

Dad is probably still at work.

We use the place preposition at to indicate that some object is at the top or bottom of another object. To do this, we use phrases such as:

• at the top
• at the bottom

Click the verification link at the top.

If you look at the top left, you see a little dark dot.

I was hoping someone at the top would see the red flag.

Your father is at the bottom of the sea.

Just sign here at the bottom.

She was found at the bottom of a well.

Prepositions of Place Inside and Outside.

Take a look at the use cases of the prepositions inside and outside. It is very easy to understand the difference between these prepositions:

We are inside a living machine!

He took 20 people hostage inside a luxury hotel.

Everyone inside the car, get out.

We’re inside the Pike Place Market.

That was why he followed me outside the theater.

Never saw him outside the office.

Prepositions of Place Among and Between

Among and Between are also very simple prepositions. It is very easy to understand their meanings if you look at examples of their use.

We use the preposition between when we want to say that an object is between two other objects. Or something happens between two objects.

She agrees there is great tension between the two.

This would improve coordination between the field and headquarters.

I am choosing between the woman and the work.

We use the preposition among when we want to say that an object is surrounded by other objects.

Serbia was among the countries most threatened by climate change.

Tom was among the few who survived.

Prepositions of Place Beside, Near, Next to, By.

Prepositions of place beside, near, next to, by are similar in meaning. These prepositions are interchangeable if we use them to indicate that some object is in the vicinity (close to) of some other object.

Take a look at examples.

Hotel Victoria is located just next to the railway station.

I’ll wait for you next to the fountain.

Women using office vehicles should not sit beside the driver.

We found this beside the body.

Your definition is sadly near the truth, sir.

Our good friend has been spotted near the old cannery.

I’m going to take look at her house and sit by the gate.

Meet me by the big oak tree where I first saw you.

Prepositions Round and Around.

The prepositions round and around are very similar to each other. But in sentences, they can give different meanings. Look at the examples to better understand the difference between the two prepositions.

Thank you so much for showing us round the factory.
You have to go right round the creek.
Parallel events were held around the world.
Show them around the district and then report back.

Prepositions In front of, Opposide, and Behind.

We use these prepositions to explain the position of objects relative to each other.

We use the preposition In front of to highlight one object that is in front of (afore) another object.

We use the preposition opposite to indicate that objects are face to face.

We use the preposition behind to say that one of the objects is after (back from) another object.

The best way to understand this difference is through examples.

I always wondered what life was like behind these walls.

He stands behind me at every battle.

Members of the media were waiting opposite the embassy.

I’m parked in front of your car.

How can you do this in front of him?

Preposition Above.

We use the preposition above to say that an object is above (up) some other object.

You could hang it above the counter.

Snakes don’t bite above the ankle.

We also use the preposition above to indicate that the object is outside of something. Moreover, such an object is not necessarily physical. It can be a thought, a feeling, concept.

He puts himself above the rest of us.

He probably thinks he’s above the law.

Preposition Over.

The preposition over also means that the object is above other objects or another place.

We also use over to say that an object is on top of another object or location.

The plane flies over the clouds.

We just climbed over the tree.

We also use the preposition of place over to say that something is at a distance.

I forgot how long it takes to get over the river.

We use the preposition over to indicate that an object is close to another object or place.

Guys, there’s a bus stop over there.

We use the preposition above if one of the objects is above (up) the other object at some distance. That is, there is space between objects.

Preposition Below.

We use the preposition below to indicate that some object is below (lower, under) some other object or space.

Click the button below to chat now.

Some of the current initiatives are set out below.

Preposition Under.

We use the preposition of place under to say that one object is below (lower, under) another object or below (lower, under) some space. Or if an object is hidden (covered) behind another object

This whole house is under the ocean.

When I saw who was under the mask, I said her name.

The book was under the table.

Looks like there’s one more gift under the tree.

What is the Difference Between Prepositions of Place Under and Below?

We use the preposition under when one object is under another object. We kind of want to emphasize that one object is covered by another object. Or when one object is close to another object, below another object.

We often use the preposition below when talking about geographic concepts or the logical location of an object.

Preposition Beyond.

We use Beyond when we want to say that something is outside, out of the boundaries of some space.

We can also use the preposition of place Beyond if we want to indicate that an object is at some distance from us or another object.

These forces are beyond your comprehension.

We believe the royal vault is just beyond the wall.

I think it’s four kilometers beyond the woods.

He must be in the caves beyond the lake.

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