Prepositions of Place

The complete guide to describing locations and spatial relationships in English

A preposition of place indicates the location or position of someone/something in relation to another object or space. These prepositions answer questions like "Where?" and "In what position?"

Why Prepositions of Place Matter

Accurate use of place prepositions is essential for giving directions, describing scenes, writing reports, and academic descriptions. Misusing these small words can lead to significant misunderstandings about locations.

Quick Examples:

The book is on the table.
She's waiting at the bus stop.
Our office is in the downtown area.
The cat is hiding under the bed.
He's standing between two buildings.

Key Characteristics:

Establish spatial relationships between objects
Often depend on the type of location (point, surface, area, etc.)
Can change meaning based on context
Essential for clear directions and descriptions
Frequently tested in standardized exams

Core Prepositions of Place

1. IN

Used for enclosed spaces, large areas, and territories:

Examples:

in the room/kitchen/building
in Paris/Europe
in the park/garden
in the book/newspaper (as content)
in the picture/photograph (as part of the image)
in bed/hospital/jail (standard expressions)
in the sky/world
in line/queue

2. ON

Used for surfaces, lines, and public transportation:

Examples:

on the table/wall/floor
on the page/screen
on the bus/train/plane (but in a car)
on the coast/beach/riverbank
on the left/right
on the corner (of two streets)
on the island (but in the mountains)
on the menu/list

3. AT

Used for specific points, events, and general locations:

Examples:

at the door/entrance
at the bus stop/airport
at the top/bottom
at home/work/school
at the party/meeting/conference
at the end of the street
at the corner (inside a room)
at the address (123 Main Street)

4. ABOVE/OVER

Indicate higher position (often interchangeable):

Examples:

The picture hangs above/over the fireplace
We flew over the mountains
Temperature is above freezing
She held the umbrella over her head

Difference:

"Over" often suggests direct vertical position or movement across, while "above" indicates higher level without contact

5. BELOW/UNDER

Indicate lower position:

Examples:

The submarine is below the surface
The cat is under the table
Temperatures were below average
It's under $100 (less than)

Difference:

"Under" often suggests direct coverage or contact, while "below" indicates lower level

6. BETWEEN

Indicates position separating two things:

Examples:

She sat between her parents
The shop is between the bank and post office
This is just between you and me

7. AMONG

Indicates position within a group (three or more):

Examples:

He was among friends
I found my keys among the papers
This is common among teenagers

8. IN FRONT OF / BEHIND

Indicate forward/backward position:

Examples:

The car is in front of the house
She hid behind the curtain
Put your hands in front of you

Note:

Not to be confused with "before" (time) or "after" (time)

9. NEXT TO / BESIDE

Indicate adjacent position:

Examples:

Our house is next to the park
She sat beside me during dinner
Keep the fire extinguisher beside the stove

10. NEAR / CLOSE TO

Indicate proximity:

Examples:

There's a café near the station
Stay close to me in the crowd
We live near the city center

11. ACROSS / THROUGH

Indicate movement or position relative to space:

Examples:

There's a bank across the street
We walked through the tunnel
She swam across the river
The path goes through the woods

Difference:

"Across" suggests surface movement, "through" suggests three-dimensional space

12. AROUND

Indicates surrounding position or approximate location:

Examples:

We sat around the campfire
There are trees around the house
It costs around $50 (approximately)
The shop is around here somewhere

13. INSIDE / OUTSIDE

Indicate contained or excluded position:

Examples:

The keys are inside the drawer
Please wait outside the office
It's cold outside
Check inside the box

14. ON TOP OF

Indicates surface contact with emphasis:

Examples:

The cat is on top of the refrigerator
Stack the books on top of each other
He's on top of the situation (idiomatic)

15. BY / BESIDE

Indicate proximity (often interchangeable):

Examples:

The phone is by the bed
She stood beside her friend
Our house is by the sea

Detailed Usage Rules

1. IN vs. ON vs. AT

The three most common prepositions follow this hierarchy:

Enclosed Spaces → IN:

in the room, in the garden

Surfaces → ON:

on the wall, on the table

Specific Points → AT:

at the door, at the station

2. Special Cases and Exceptions

Transportation

on the bus/train/plane/ship
in the car/taxi/truck
on my bicycle/motorcycle

Locations with Multiple Prepositions

in the corner (of a room)
at/on the corner (of two streets)
in the picture (as part of it)
on the picture (on its surface)

Geographical Features

in the mountains/forests
on the island/beach/coast
at the seaside/lakeside

3. ABOVE vs. OVER

Use "over" when:

There is movement across something (fly over)
Something covers another thing (umbrella over)
Numbers/measurements (over 100 people)

Use "above" when:

Higher level without contact (above sea level)
Earlier in a text (mentioned above)
Temperature measurements (above zero)

4. BELOW vs. UNDER

Use "under" when:

Something is covered (under the blanket)
Less than (under $20)
Control (under supervision)

Use "below" when:

Lower level without contact (below the surface)
Later in a text (see below)
Temperature measurements (below freezing)

5. BETWEEN vs. AMONG

Between (2 items):

The agreement between France and Germany

Among (3+ items):

The treaty among European nations

Exception:

Use "between" for precise individual relationships even with multiple items: "The differences between the four theories"

6. IN FRONT OF vs. OPPOSITE

In front of:

The car is parked in front of the house (same side)

Opposite:

The bank is opposite the post office (facing, other side)

Advanced Usage: Nuances and Subtleties

1. "At home" vs. "In the house"

I'm at home (general location)
I'm in the house (specifically inside, not outside)

2. "In the street" (UK) vs. "On the street" (US)

British: There were children playing in the street
American: There were children playing on the street

3. "At the table" vs. "On the table"

We were sitting at the table (having a meal)
The book is on the table (surface)

4. "In the newspaper" (content) vs. "On the newspaper" (surface)

I read it in the newspaper
There's a coffee stain on the newspaper

5. "In the end" (finally) vs. "At the end" (position)

In the end, we decided not to go
The conclusion appears at the end of the book

6. "On the team" vs. "In the team"

American: She's on the team
British: She's in the team

Prepositions of Place in Academic Writing

1. Describing Research Locations

The study was conducted at three hospitals in Boston
Participants were seated in front of computer monitors

2. Describing Diagrams/Figures

As shown in Figure 3
The mechanism is located between components A and B
Temperature sensors were placed at five points along the pipe

3. Geographical Descriptions

The village is situated among hills in the northern region
Sample sites were located along the riverbank

4. Common Academic Collocations

In this chapter/section
On page 45
The data in Table 2
As mentioned above/below
The difference between groups

Common Errors and How to Avoid Them

1. Incorrect: "In the picture" (when meaning on the surface)

Correct:

There's dust on the picture

2. Incorrect: "At the world"

Correct:

The largest city in the world

3. Incorrect: "In the bus"

Correct:

Passengers on the bus

4. Incorrect: "Between the three options"

Correct:

Among the three options

5. Incorrect: "Above the page" (when referring to text)

Correct:

As mentioned above (no "the")

Standardized Test Focus (IELTS, SAT, GRE, GMAT, etc.)

1. Error Identification Questions

Identify the error:

"The laboratory equipment (A) is stored (B) in (C) the third shelf (D) of the cabinet."

Answer: (C) - should be "on the third shelf"

2. Sentence Completion Questions

Choose the correct preposition:

"The conference will take place _____ the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan."

A) at
B) on
C) in
D) by

Answer: A) "at" (specific location)

3. Writing Section Tips

Use precise place prepositions in Task 1 (maps/diagrams)
Maintain consistency in spatial descriptions
Vary place expressions for higher scores

4. Speaking Test Tips

Use natural place expressions in Part 1 (hometown/neighborhood)
Demonstrate range in Part 2 (describing places)
Practice common collocations ("in the center," "on the left side")

Practice Activities

1. Fill-in-the-Blank

Complete with correct prepositions:

Please hang the picture _____ the wall _____ the sofa.
There's an interesting article _____ today's newspaper _____ page 5.
The children were playing _____ the garden while their parents sat _____ the porch.

Answers:

on, above
in, on
in, on

2. Error Correction

Correct these sentences:

The meeting will be held at the third floor.
She was sitting among her two best friends.
There's a stain in my shirt.

Answers:

The meeting will be held on the third floor.
She was sitting between her two best friends.
There's a stain on my shirt.

3. Academic Writing Practice

Rewrite this description with appropriate place prepositions:

"The apparatus was placed (at/on) a table (in/at) the center of the room. Participants sat (in/on) chairs arranged (in/at) a circle. The experimenter stood (among/between) the apparatus and the door."

Answer:

"The apparatus was placed on a table in the center of the room. Participants sat on chairs arranged in a circle. The experimenter stood between the apparatus and the door."

Comprehensive Reference Table

Preposition	Usage	Example	Common Mistakes
in	Enclosed spaces, large areas	in the room, in Paris	✖ in the wall (unless inside)
on	Surfaces, transportation	on the table, on the bus	✖ on the car (use "in")
at	Specific points, events	at the door, at school	✖ at the world
above	Higher level	above sea level	✖ above the page (text)
over	Covering, across	over the bridge	✖ over the picture (text)
between	Two items	between the houses	✖ between the three
among	Three+ items	among the crowd	✖ among the two

Final Checklist for Mastery

✓ Mastered IN/ON/AT distinctions
✓ Understand ABOVE/OVER difference
✓ Know BETWEEN/AMONG usage
✓ Can use spatial prepositions correctly
✓ Recognize common errors
✓ Apply knowledge to test questions
✓ Use appropriately in writing/speaking

Pro Tip:

Visualize the spatial relationship - if something is enclosed, use "in"; if it's on a surface, use "on"; if it's a specific point, use "at".