2. ABOVE/OVER – BELOW/UNDER ABOVE/OVER – both describe a position higherthansomething Shelives in a flat above/over a shop BELOW/UNDER – both describe a position lowerthansomething There’s a wastepaperbasketunder/belowthetable Formovement, you can only use OVER or UNDER In a few minutes we’llbeflyingover Paris Wekeptaneyeforspeed cameras as wedroveunderthe bridge
3. ABOVE/OVER – BELOW/UNDER ABOVE/BELOW – for a position above/below a minimumlevelorfixedpointyou can only use ABOVE or BELOW Liverpool are three places below Aston Villa in the Premier League Shelivesonthefloorbelowus It’sthreedegreesabove/belowzero
4. OFF - AWAY OFF/AWAY – both mean distancefromsth in spaceor time The thiefranaway/off withthe camera Only AWAY can beused + FROM + person Shewalkedawayfrom me OFF (not AWAY) means ‘downfrom a higher place tothefloororground’, especiallyafterfall, knock, etc. I fell off my bike and hurt my leg
5. INSIDE – INTO - IN IN / INSIDE + roomorbuilding, oronly INSIDE as anadverbto mean ‘in a building’ Wedecidedtoeatinsidebecauseitwascoldontheterrace We use INTO (not IN) after a verb of movement – if no place ismentionedyou can use IN (*) He pouredsomewineintohisglass Come intothe living room Come in (*Come in the living room)
6. ON – ON TOP OF – ONTO/ON ON TOP ON isusedwithsurfaces Don’tleavethetowelonthefloor Writeyournameontheenvelope ON TOP OF referstothehighestpoint of sth, orwhenitcoverssthelse I’mgoingtoputyoursuitcaseon top of thewardrobe Use ON TOP whenthereis no followingnoun It’s a chocolate cake withcreamon top ONTO isusedafter a verb and followingnountoexpressmovement – itcan’tbeusedonitsown The toddlerclimbedontothechair
7. OUT OF – OUTSIDE - OUT OUTSIDE can be a prepositionoranadverb Let’smeetoutsidethecinema Let’sgooutside OUT OF isusedwith a verb and a place orthingtoexpressmovementawayfromtheinside of a place orthing Takeyourhandsout of yourpocket Use OUT whenthere’s no followingnoun He tookhiswalletout and paidthe driver Sheranout
8. THROUGH - ACROSS ACROSS meansfromonesidetoanother. It can beusedwithout a noun. Itisnotnormallyusedforclosedspaces. He waswalkingacrossthezebracrossingwhen… Wereachedtheriver and weswamacross THROUGH meansfromoneendorsidetoanother, butitisusedforclosedspacesorspaceswithobstacles. It can beusedwithout a noun. Wewalkedthrough a very dense forest … He pushedhiswaythroughthecrowd For open spaceswithobstaclesyoucould use both We can gothrough/acrosstheparkto ….
9. ALONG – PAST - ROUND ALONG meansfromoneendtowardstheother. He walkedalongthecorridoruntil… PAST isusedto mean goingtotheotherside. Ifyougopastthesupermarket, thechurch… ROUND (AROUND) meansmoving in a circle Shedrove round theroundabouttwicebecause…
10. TO - TOWARDS TOWARDS means ‘in the general direction of sth/sb’ Jane has gonetothehairdresser’s I’mgoingtowork TO meansthatisyourdefinitedestination Ifyouwalktowardsthebeach, you’llsee … WedrovetowardstheGermanborder.
11. IN - AT AT isusedtosaywheresthorsbisorwheresthhappens. Turnleft at thelights, and you’llseeit. It’salsousedforevents and pointson a journey Seeyou at theparty Westopped at thestation IN isusedtosay at a pointinsideanarea, space, orbuilding – whenwe are surroundedonallsides. There are somesofas and armchairs in the pub. Weplayed in thestreet.
12. IN - AT Withbuildings IN or AT can beused, butwithslightlydifferentmeanings. We use AT whenwerefertotheactivitythatis done in thebuildingratherthenthebuildingitself I was at the pub (having a beer) whenyoucalled. IN isusedwhenwe are thinkingmuch more aboutthebuildingthanitsfunction. Itwasraining so wesheltered in the local pub.
13. IN - AT Frequentlyyou can use either AT or IN with no real difference in meaning. I saw Tom in/at the pub lastnight However, IN emphasizesinsidethe pub, whereas AT couldbeinsideoroutside – in the pub gardenoron a terrace
