Prepositions of place

English prepositions

Generally speaking one can devide prepositions into:

• prepositions of time
• prepositions of place
• and other kinds of prepositions.

The following table includes prepositions of place.

Prepositions of place

Preposition of place	Explanation	Example
in	inside	I watch TV in the living-room I live in New York Look at the picture in the book She looks at herself in the mirror. She is in the car. Look at the girl in the picture This is best team in the world
at	used to show an exact position or particular place table events place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work)	I met her at the entrance, at the bus stop She sat at the table at a concert, at the party at the movies, at university, at work
on	attached next to or along the side of (river) used to show that something is in a position above something else and touching it. left, right a floor in a house used for showing some methods of travelling television, radio	Look at the picture on the wall Cambridge is on the River Cam. The book is on the desk A smile on his face The shop is on the left My apartment on the first floor I love travelling on trains /on the bus / on a plane My favorite programme on TV, on the radio
by, next to, beside, near	not far away in distance	The girl who is by / next to / beside the house.
between	in or into the space which separates two places, people or objects	The town lies halfway between Rome and Florence.
behind	at the back (of)	I hung my coat behind the door.
in front of	further forward than someone or something else	She started talking to the man in front of her
under	lower than (or covered by) something else	the cat is under the chair.
below	lower than something else.	the plane is just below the the cloud
over	above or higher than something else, sometimes so that one thing covers the other. more than. across from one side to the other. overcoming an obstacle	She held the umbrella over both of us. Most of the carpets cost/are over $100. I walked over the bridge She jumped over the gate
above	higher than something else, but not directly over it	a path above the lake
across	from one side to the other of something with clear limits / getting to the other side	She walked across the field/road. He sailed across the Atlantic
through	from one end or side of something to the other	They walked slowly through the woods.
to	in the direction of bed	We went to Prague last year. I go to bed at ten.
into	towards the inside or middle of something and about to be contained, surrounded or enclosed by it	Shall we go into the garden?
towards	in the direction of, or closer to someone or something	She stood up and walked towards him.
onto	used to show movement into or on a particular place	I slipped as I stepped onto the platform.
from	used to show the place where someone or something starts:	What time does the flight from Amsterdam arrive?