Grammar‎ > ‎Prepositions‎ > ‎

Prepositions of Place and Direction

Prepositions of place & direction
in - opposite of out, contained, inside
  • The ball is in the box.
  • The car is in the garage.
  • The check is in the mail.
  • The diplomat is in Iraq.


at - general location implies that the subject may be walking around in that area. It is also used for events held at a specific location.
  • I am at the shopping center.
  • He is at work.
  • They were at the meeting.
on - at the surface or top.
  • I was walking on the beach when I saw the crab.
  • We are riding on our bikes (bicycles).
  • She will be performing her best song on the stage.
  • The book is on the table.
  • the board is floating on the pond.
among - surrounded by, in the same area as
  • The weed is among the tomato plants.
  • The castle is among the forest hills.
  • The deer lives among the trees.
between - in the middle, one on either side.
  • The monitor is between the front speakers.
  • The wall is between the floor and ceiling.
behind - on the side away from the speaker or normal perspective.
  • The town is behind that mountain.
  • You are hiding behind the statue.
  • She did it behind my back.
  • The children disappeared as they walked behind the building.
in front of - on the side closer to the speaker or normal perspective.
  • The children were playing in front of the house when dad came home and he gave each of them a hug.
  • The keyboard is in front of the monitor.
  • You are sitting in front of the keyboard.
  • The sidewalk is in front of the library.
across from - on the other side, with something in between.

NOTE: across from and in front of are NOT the same.

  • The bank is across from the school.
  • The stadium is across from the library.
  • He was sitting across from me at the conference.
beside/by/next to - to the left or right of, to any side of
  • The mouse is beside the keyboard.
  • The report is by the books.
  • The chair is next to the desk.
  • You are standing beside me.
  • The dolphin swam beside the boat.
over/above - higher vertically with a space. They don't touch.
  • The light is attached to the ceiling. It is above the table.
  • The spaceship hovered over the terrain.
  • The flag flew over the park.
under/below/underneath/beneath - lower vertically
  • The toys are under the bed.
  • Underneath the Earth's surface lie many caves.
  • The carpet is below my feet.
  • The road is under the car's tires.?
inside/within - completely contained - sometimes the same as in.
  • We went inside the store.
  • The intruders are inside your office.
  • The money is locked inside the safe.
  • The data is within the file.
Outside - not within the enclosure
  • We keep the windows shut so that the flies and bugs are outside.
  • Our dog stays outside because we are allergic to him.
  • It is an outdoor antennae it is outside on the roof.
toward/towards - in that direction
note: toward and towards are basically the same.
  • She prays facing toward Mecca.
  • I last saw them driving toward the border.


beyond - a greater distance away than something else, past the limit.
  • The path is beyond that tree.
  • That computer is beyond repair.
  • Safety is beyond the city gates.
Check your understanding:
1. The key is ________ the lock. 
2. We are _______ the zoo. 
3. He stands ______ a chair to change a lightbulb. 
4.You are ________ the best scientists in the world at this conference. 
5. Your nose is ________ your eyes. 
6.The ink cartridge was ________ the printer. 
7.Our dog is kept ________ the house. 
8.The stars are ________ the sky. 
in 
at 
on/on top of
among 
between 
behind 
in front of
across from 
beside/ by/ next to 
over/above 
under/below/underneath 
beneath 
inside/within 
outside 
toward/towards 
beyond 

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