Prepositions and questions, part 1 of 5

Prepositions of Place: In, On, At, Next To, Between

In is inside (in the box), on is on a surface (on the table), and at is a point (at the door). Beside is next to: next to the bank.

A1 · 14 minBefore:There is / there are

The idea

What a preposition of place is

It is the word that says where something is. It goes before the place: is on the table.

Inside: in. The juice is in the fridge.
On a surface: on. The cup is on the desk.
A point: at. Ana is at the door.

When to use it

To say where something or someone is, find lost things, and explain where a place is. These expressions go with it:

Everyday places

at home
at work
at school
in bed

To locate

on the left
on the right
in the middle
in the corner

On transportation

in a taxi
on the train
on a plane

Examples

Lost things
Your keys are in your jacket.
Giving directions
The café is next to the bookstore.
Pets
The cat is under the sofa.
In class
The map is on the wall.
On the street
The taxi is in front of the hotel.
Work
Dad is at the office.

How to build it

3 steps

Inside, on top, or a point?Choose in, on, or at:in the box, on the box, at the door
Next to something else?Use the word for the position:next to, between, under, behind
Put it before the placeAfter am, is, or are:The milk is in the fridge.

Where it is

SubjectThe milk
am / is / areis
prepositionin
placethe fridge.

With there is

There is / There areThere is
somethinga park
prepositionbetween
placethe two schools.

The rule

In, on, or at

Preposition	When	Examples
in	Inside something, a city, or a country	in the box, in the kitchen, in Lima
on	On a surface, touching it	on the table, on the floor, on the wall
at	A point, or a place for what you do there	at the door, at the bus stop, at home

Position

English	Meaning	Example
next to	beside	next to the window
between	with one thing on each side	between the bank and the park
under	below, often covered	under the table
behind	at the back of	behind the tree
in front of	facing, before the front	in front of the TV
above	higher, not touching	above the bed

How to pronounce it

on
/ɑn/
In the US it sounds like /ɑn/.
at
/æt/
The vowel is /æ/; the final t is soft.
next to
/nɛkst tə/
The two t sounds join.
between
/bɪˈtwin/
Stress on the second syllable.
in front of
/ɪn frʌnt əv/
Front sounds like /frʌnt/.

Check

Dad is not home. Dad is (blank) work. Which one goes in the blank?

Don't confuse it with in, on, at for time

The book is on the table.

Place: on a surface

The party is on Friday.

Time: a day

They are the same three words, but for time the rule changes: on goes with days and at with clock times.

Part 3: prepositions of time

In real life

In the car but on the bus: you sit inside a car, but on a bus, train, or plane you can stand up and walk.

Frequently asked questions

Is it at home or in home?

At home, with no the: I am at home. In home is not used. The same with at work and at school.

What is the difference between next to and in front of?

Next to is beside. In front of is before the front of something: in front of the TV.

Can between be used for more than two things?

Yes, when you name them one by one: between the bank, the park and the school. For a group, people use among, which you will see later.

In short

Inside in, on a surface on, a point at.
Home, work, and school: at home, at work, at school.
Beside next to; between A and B.
Under and behind have no of: under the bed.

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