2. PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE.
PREPOSITION USAGE
In in + names of countries: France, England, Poland etc.. e.g. in Belgium.
in + names of towns, villages, cities: Warsaw, London etc.. e.g. in Brussels.
in + named places: Buckingham Palace, the Louvre etc.. e.g. in Windsor Castle.
in + the + geographical regions: Auvergne, Lake District etc.. e.g. in the Alps.
in + streets, roads, avenues: Moniuszki, Fish Street etc.. e.g. in Stratford Avenue.
in + the + rooms and places: kitchen, bedroom, foyer, auditorium etc.. e.g. in the
bathroom.
in + parts of the body: his foot, her leg, our heads etc.. e.g. in his foot.
in + a/the + types of transport: car, train, van, lorry, aeroplane, ship e.g. in a train.
3. PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE.
PREPOSITION USAGE
At at + the + place: the cinema, theatre, school,
cross roads etc.. e.g. at the bank.
at + specific place: Heathrow Airport,
Buckingham Palace: e.g. at Notre Dame
Cathedral.
at + specific address including the house
number/name: e.g. at 33 rue de La Fayette, Paris.
N.B. In English, at is not normally used with
names of villages, towns and cities.
4. PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE.
PREPOSITION USAGE
On
on + a/the + surface of a place or object: shelf, wall, floor, ceiling etc.. e.g. on the
table.
on + the directions: left/right/other side/nearside/far side: e.g. on the left.
on + levels of a building: first floor, second floor, top floor etc.. e.g. on the ground
floor.
on + the + parts of a ship: port side/ starboard side/bow/stern.
on + parts of the body: his foot, her leg, our heads etc.. e.g. on his left arm.
on + a/the + types of transport: horse, bicycle, train, foot etc.. e.g. on the ferry, on a
horse.
N.B. English people say in a car ( not on a car ).
5. PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
English Usage Example
under on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else the bag is under the table
below lower than something else but above ground the fish are below the surface
Over covered by something else put a jacket over your shirt
meaning more than over 16 years of age
getting to the other side (also across) walk over the bridge
overcoming an obstacle climb over the wall
above higher than something else, but not directly over it a path above the lake
across getting to the other side (also over) walk across the bridge
getting to the other side swim across the lake
through something with limits on top, bottom and the sides drive through the tunnel
to movement to person or building go to the cinema
movement to a place or country go to London / Ireland
for bed go to bed
into enter a room / a building go into the kitchen / the house
towards movement in the direction of something (but not directly go 5 steps towards the house
to it)
onto movement to the top of something jump onto the table
from in the sense of where from a flower from the garden
6. PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
English Usage Example
on days of the week on Monday
in months / seasons in August / in winter
time of day in the morning
year in 2006
after a certain period of time (when?) in an hour
at for night at night
for weekend at the weekend
a certain point of time (when?) at half past nine
since from a certain point of time (past till now) since 1980
for over a certain period of time (past till now) for 2 years
ago a certain time in the past 2 years ago
before earlier than a certain point of time before 2004
to telling the time ten to six (5:50)
past telling the time ten past six (6:10)
to / till / until marking the beginning and end of a period of time from Monday to/till Friday
till / in the sense of how long something is going to last He is on holiday until Friday.
until
by in the sense of at the latest I will be back by 6 o’clock.
up to a certain time By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.
