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Prepositions and questions, part 2 of 5
Prepositions of Movement: To, From, Into, Up, Down, Across
To is where you go (go to school) and from is where you come from (from Peru). Into is going in, out of is going out, and across is crossing.
The idea
What a preposition of movement is
It is the word that says where something moves. It comes after a verb like go, come, walk, or run.
- Where to: to. I go to the bank.
- In and out. She runs into the store.
- Crossing: across. We walk across the bridge.
When to use it
To talk about your routine, give and follow directions, and say where you go or come from. These expressions go with it:
Every day
- go to work
- go to bed
- come home
- go home
On the street
- up the street
- down the street
- across the street
Getting on and off
- get on the bus
- get off the bus
- get in the car
- get out of the car
Examples
- Your routine
I take the bus to the office.
- Where you are from
Ana comes from Peru.
- Giving directions
Walk across the park.
- On a hike
We hike up the mountain.
- On the bus
This bus goes through the center.
- After class
The kids run out of the classroom.
How to build it
3 steps
- A verb of movementGo, come, walk, run, drive:She walks
- The directionWhere to, where from, in, out, across?She walks into
- The placeThe place goes last:She walks into the room.
Where it moves
- SubjectShe
- verb of movementwalks
- prepositioninto
- placethe room.
Giving directions
- VerbWalk
- prepositionacross
- placethe bridge.
The rule
Going, coming, in and out
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to | the place you go | I go to the bank. |
| from | the place you leave or come from | She comes from Cuba. |
| into | going inside | He runs into the store. |
| out of | going outside | Take it out of the box. |
Up, down, across, through
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| up | going higher | up the hill |
| down | going lower | down the stairs |
| across | from one side to the other | across the river |
| through | inside, from one end to the other | through the forest |
| over | above, from one side to the other | over the fence |
How to pronounce it
to
/tu/, /tə/In a sentence it is weak: /tə/.
into
/ˈɪntu/One word, stress on in.
out of
/aʊt əv/They join; of sounds like /əv/.
across
/əˈkrɔs/Stress on cross.
through
/θru/th is /θ/; gh is silent.
Check
It's cold. Get (blank) the water! Which one goes in the blank?
Don't confuse it with in and on for place
The cat is in the box.
Where it is
The cat jumps into the box.
Where it moves
In says where something is. Into says it moves inside.
Part 1: prepositions of placeIn real life
Go home and come home have no to: home already says where. Work and school do: go to work, go to school.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use to and when into?
To is the place you go: go to the store. Into is going inside: walk into the store.
What is the difference between across and through?
Across is crossing a surface from one side to the other: across the street. Through is going inside something: through the tunnel.
Why does go home have no to?
Because home already means "to my home". The same with here and there: come here, go there.
In short
- Where to: to; where from: from.
- Going in: into; going out: out of.
- up, down, across, through.
- Home has no to: go home.