Use prepositions of place to describe locations and the positions of people and things.
1. In, on and at: place
| Preposition | Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| in | Inside an enclosed space; within an area | in a box; in the kitchen; in Brighton; in a garden |
| on | Touching or supported by a surface | on the table; on the wall; on the floor |
| at | A particular point or place, often seen as a location | at the door; at the bus stop; at reception |
2. Other useful prepositions of place
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| under | Lower than something, often directly below | The cat is under the table. |
| above / over | Higher than something | The lamp is above the desk. A plane flew over the town. |
| below | At a lower level | The temperature is below zero. |
| behind | At the back of something | The car is behind the house. |
| in front of | Before or at the front of something | Meet me in front of the station. |
| next to / beside | At the side of something | The bank is next to the post office. |
| between | In the space separating two things or people | The café is between the bank and the library. |
| opposite | Facing something on the other side | The pharmacy is opposite the supermarket. |
| near | Not far from something | We live near the station. |
3. Places and buildings
We usually say at school, at work and at home when we mean the place or activity generally. We use in the school or in the house when we emphasise being inside the building.
- She is at school today.
- Her coat is in the school, in her classroom.
- I'm at home. / I'm in the house.