Prepositions of place

ON

Surfaces

on the ceiling, on the floor, on the wall, on the table, on the door

For example,

  • The newspaper is ON the table

  • The picture is on the wall

  • My phone is on the table

The outer part of somebody’s body (the surface)

on your face, on your head, on your arm etc (as opposed to IN your body.

For example,

  • Your heart is IN your body and your hair is ON your head

  • His watch is on his wrist

  • She had a plaster on her forehead

Printed/written material (if we’re talking about the surface)

on a page, on a website, on a map, on a menu, on a list

For example,

  • The quote is on this page

  • Have you seen that page on my website

  • Have a look at the route marked on the map

A floor of a house/building

on the ground floor, first floor etc

For example

  • He lives on the first floor

RIGHT and LEFT

It’s on the right, it’s on the left

For example

  • The house is on the left

Types of transport (including animals)

on the bus, on a plane, on a train, on a boat, on a bicycle, on a motorbike, on a horse, on a camel, on a donkey

For example

  • Let’s get on that bus

  • They met on a train

  • He gave her a lift on his motorbike

Some geographical locations

on an island, on a lake, on a hill, on a farm, on a road, on the coast

For example,

  • John lives on an island

  • Their house is on a hill

  • The cottage is on the coast

Media

on TV, on the radio, on the internet, on a website

For example

  • I saw a good programme on TV

  • Have you heard that song on the radio?

  • It’s on the internet

AT

When at a specific point/location

at the post office, at the traffic lights, at the bus stop, at the door, at reception

  • They decided to meet at the post office

  • Turn right at the traffic lights

  • There’s someone at the door

Home, work, school, university

at home, at school, at work

  • I’m at home

  • She’s at school

  • He was at work until midnight

Someone’s house

at my friend’s house, at my cousin’s, at Kate’s

  • Sarah is at her friend’s house

  • They went to George’s for dinner

Group activities

at a party, at an event, at a conference, at a concert, at a wedding, at a football match

  • Dan and Fiona met at a party

  • He gave a speech at the conference

  • There was a fight at a football match

Specific position (top/bottom/end)

at the bottom of, at the end of, at the beginning of

  • It’s at the bottom of the pile

  • It’s at the end of the book

  • She’s says that at the beginning of the film

Front/back (group of people, building )

  • at the front of the crowd

  • at the back of the cinema

Places in a town/city

at the supermarket, at the chemist, at a pub, at a cafe, at the doctor’s, at the hairdressers

  • Let’s get the vegetables at the supermarket

  • The decided to meet at the pub

  • There were a lot of people at the doctor’s

When talking about somewhere on a journey

  • Does the train stop at the next station,

  • They parked the car and stopped for a break at Bristol.

IN

A 3-Dimensional Space (a container, room, building, vehicle)

In a room, in a box, in a building (e.g in a shop, in a cinema), in my pocket, in prison, in a car, in a train

For example:

  • I am in the sitting room

  • My keys are in my pocket

  • The suitcase is in the boot of the car

(NOTE: You can say that you are AT a place but we use IN if we are talking about being inside the building).

Geographical Space

in a garden, in a valley, in a field, in a town, in a city, in a country, in the sky, in the world

For example:

  • Tom’s in the garden

  • The cows are in the field

  • I live in London

An object, space or substance

in the wall, in the sky, In the sea, in a river, in a swimming pool

(NOTE: you can say that you are ON a river if you are in a boat but IN a river if you are swimming in the water.)

For example:

  • There are cracks in the wall,

  • The ice is in the water

  • The balloon is in the sky

To describe how things are arranged

in a queue, in a line, in a row, in a circle

For example:

  • We were waiting in a queue

  • The children sat in a row

  • Please can you put the chairs in a circle

To describe a place that is affected by the weather

in the sun, in the wind, in the rain

A book, newspaper, leaflet etc

in a book, in the newspaper

For example:

  • I read about it in that book

  • Anything interesting in the newspaper today?

Held or enclosed by something

in your hand, in her arms

For example:

  • What have you got in your hand?

  • She held the baby in her arms

In an image

In a painting, photograph or image

For example

  • There was a girl in the painting

  • She recognised someone she knew in the photo.

 

Now time to practise!