What Are Prepositions of Place?
Prepositions of place are used to provide additional information about the location of a noun or pronoun in relation to other objects or places. These prepositions help to convey a clear picture of where something is and how it relates to its surroundings.
Prepositions of Place: Types
We can classify the prepositions of place into five groups, based on their meaning:
- Prepositions used to show Location '(on, at, in)'
- Prepositions used to show Position '(above, over, below, under, on, beneath)'
- Prepositions used to show Distance '(near, beside, next to, by, beyond)'
- Prepositions used to show Direction '(up, down, in front of, behind)'
- Prepositions used for Enclosed Areas '(in, within, inside, outside)'
Prepositions used to show Location
These prepositions ('on', 'at', 'in') are the most common prepositions of place in English. Each of them is used to refer to the location or position of something or someone seen as a point.
At
'At' is used to talk about a specific place or location. It can be used to refer to:
- addresses
- events
- public places that offer treatments or services
- buildings such as institutions, companies, etc.
Take a look at some examples:
The university is
address
I was
event
See you
public place
I had a meeting with Mary's teacher
building
In
We use 'in' to talk about a specific area within a general space. This preposition is mostly used for:
- locations in relation to a larger area
- a car
Take a look at some examples:
The baby is sleeping
locations in relation to a larger area
I will wait for you
Warning
We can use both 'in' and 'at' to describe locations within a building. When we use 'in', we are indicating that the location is inside the enclosed space of the building. On the other hand, 'at' can also be used to indicate a location within a building, but it does not provide as much specific detail. For example:
See you
inside the building
She's still
On
'On' has two different meanings. When it is used to refer to location, it is often used for:
- a floor in a building
- showing that something is on a horizontal surface
- public transport
- roads, streets, rivers, oceans, and lakes
- something that is physically attached or joined to something else
Take a look at some examples:
The boss's office is
Please hang the painting
We enjoy going on a trip
They spent the weekend sailing
She was staring at the ring
physically attached
Tip
We use 'at' to show a general location. Using the preposition 'on' shows a more specific location. Look at the examples:
She’s
She may be at a shop on the beach or in the water.
She’s
She is actually on the shore.
Prepositions used to show Position
These prepositions are used to show the position of something in a vertical line. We can arrange them from the highest position to the lowest position. Let us go through these prepositions one by one.
- Above
- Over
- On
- Under
- Beneath
- Below
Above
'Above' is used to show that something is on a higher position than another thing. For example:
The birds were flying
Over
prepositions of direction and place
'Over' is a preposition used to indicate that something is at a higher level than something else, or that something covers or touches something else. For example:
Mom kept the umbrella
Her mother put a blanket
On
As we mentioned before, 'on' has two meanings. When ‘on’ is used as a vertical proposition, it shows physical contact with a horizontal surface.
The candles are
Under
'Under' is a preposition that refers to a position below something. For example:
There are no monsters
Beneath
prepositions of direction and place
'Beneath' is often used to indicate that something is located directly underneath another object or surface. For example:
The shop is right
Below
'Below' is typically used to indicate that something is located at a lower level than another object or surface. For example:
Just
In the list below, you can see some other examples of prepositions used to show position:
- Underneath
- On top of
Prepositions used to show Distance
These prepositions are also called prepositions of proximity. They show how close someone or something is to another person or thing.
Near
using the preposition 'near' to talk about distance
'Near' is used to show a short distance from something or someone else. For example:
The parking lot is
Don't go
If you swim
Beside, Next to, and By
These three prepositions are used to show that someone or something is close to another thing or person. They are similar in meaning. However, there is a subtle difference between them. 'Beside' shows that there is no space between two things. Also, it is not common to use 'beside' with things that don’t have sides.
The umbrella is
There is no space between the chair and the umbrella.
'Next to' shows that there is nothing between the two objects or persons, although there might be space.
The umbrella is
There is nothing between the umbrella and the chair.
'By' means close, but not as close as 'beside'.
They're standing
Tip
Remember that 'beside', 'next to', 'by', and 'near', are all prepositions of proximity; but unlike 'near', the others show that something is placed in a horizontal position relative to another thing.
Beyond
'Beyond' is a preposition used to indicate a location or position that is further away or on the other side of something. For example:
You can find the castle
In the list below you can see some other examples of distance-related prepositions:
- Among
- Between
- Off
Prepositions used to show Direction
prepositions of directions
While 'in front of' and 'behind' are used with something that has a front and back, 'up' and 'down' are used with something that has a higher or lower position.
Up
As mentioned before, we use 'up' to show that something is located at a higher position. Look at the example below:
The church is just
Down
prepositions of direction and place
We use 'down' to show that something is located at a lower position. Look at the example:
The lake is just
In front of
This preposition shows a position in ahead of another thing. It also shows the position facing something or someone. For example:
The car was parked
I get so nervous
Behind
'Behind' is the opposite of 'in front of'. It refers to the position at the back of something.
The sun hid
In the list below, you can see some other examples of prepositions used to show direction:
Prepositions used for Enclosed Area
By using this group of prepositions, we can show the position of something or someone in relation to an enclosed area.
In
'In' is used to show the position inside an enclosed (or semi-enclosed) area. Look at the example:
There's some tea left
Outside
‘Outside’ is used to show the position external to an enclosed (or semi-enclosed) area. Look at the example:
The fans were waiting
In the list below, you can see some other examples of Prepositions used for Enclosed Area:
- Within
- Inside
Review
We use Prepositions of Place to show the location or position of someone or something. Based on their meaning we can put these prepositions into 5 groups:
- Prepositions used to show Location (on, at, in)
- Prepositions used to show Horizontal Position (above, over, below, under, on, beneath)
- Prepositions used to show Distance (near, beside, next to, by, beyond)
- Prepositions used to show Direction (up, down, in front of, behind)
- Prepositions used for Enclosed Area (in, within, inside, outside)
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