place and movement

1. NEFA 5B

2. ABOVE/OVER – BELOW/UNDER
 ABOVE/OVER – both describe a position higher than
something
She lives in a flat above/over a shop
 BELOW/UNDER – both describe a position lower than
something
There’s a wastepaper basket under/below the table
 For movement, you can only use OVER or UNDER
In a few minutes we’ll be flying over Paris
We kept an eye for speed cameras as we drove under the
bridge

3. ABOVE/OVER – BELOW/UNDER
 ABOVE/BELOW – for a position above/below a
minimum level or fixed point you can only use ABOVE
or BELOW
Liverpool are three places below Aston Villa in the
Premier League
She lives on the floor below us
It’s three degrees above/below zero

4. OFF - AWAY
 OFF/AWAY – both mean distance from sth in space or
time
The thief ran away/off with the camera
 Only AWAY can be used + FROM + person
She walked away from me
 OFF (not AWAY) means ‘down from a higher place to
the floor or ground’, especially after fall, knock, etc.
I fell off my bike and hurt my leg

5. INSIDE – INTO - IN
 IN / INSIDE + room or building, or only INSIDE as an
adverb to mean ‘in a building’
We decided to eat inside because it was cold on the terrace
 We use INTO (not IN) after a verb of movement – if no
place is mentioned you can use IN (*)
He poured some wine into his glass
Come into the living room
Come in
(*Come in the living room)

6. ON – ON TOP OF – ONTO/ON
ON TOP
 ON is used with surfaces
Don’t leave the towel on the floor
Write your name on the envelope
 ON TOP OF refers to the highest point of sth, or when it covers sth else
I’m going to put your suitcase on top of the wardrobe
 Use ON TOP when there is no following noun
It’s a chocolate cake with cream on top
 ONTO is used after a verb and following noun to express movement –
it can’t be used on its own
The toddler climbed onto the chair

7. OUT OF – OUTSIDE - OUT
 OUTSIDE can be a preposition or an adverb
Let’s meet outside the cinema
Let’s go outside
 OUT OF is used with a verb and a place or thing to express
movement away from the inside of a place or thing
Take your hands out of your pocket
 Use OUT when there’s no following noun
He took his wallet out and paid the driver
She ran out

8. THROUGH - ACROSS
 ACROSS means from one side to another. It can be used without
a noun. It is not normally used for closed spaces.
He was walking across the zebra crossing when…
We reached the river and we swam across
 THROUGH means from one end or side to another, but it is used
for closed spaces or spaces with obstacles. It can be used without
a noun.
We walked through a very dense forest …
He pushed his way through the crowd
 For open spaces with obstacles you could use both
We can go through/across the park to ….

9. ALONG – PAST - ROUND
 ALONG means from one end towards the other.
He walked along the corridor until…
 PAST is used to mean going to the other side.
If you go past the supermarket, the church…
 ROUND (AROUND) means moving in a circle
She drove round the roundabout twice because…

10. TO - TOWARDS
 TOWARDS means ‘in the general direction of sth/sb’
Jane has gone to the hairdresser’s
I’m going to work
 TO means that is your definite destination
If you walk towards the beach, you’ll see …
We drove towards the German border.

11. IN - AT
 AT is used to say where sth or sb is or where sth happens.
Turn left at the lights, and you’ll see it.
 It’s also used for events and points on a journey
See you at the party
We stopped at the station
 IN is used to say at a point inside an area, space, or building
– when we are surrounded on all sides.
There are some sofas and armchairs in the pub.
We played in the street.

12. IN - AT
 With buildings IN or AT can be used, but with slightly
different meanings.
 We use AT when we refer to the activity that is done in
the building rather then the building itself
I was at the pub (having a beer) when you called.
 IN is used when we are thinking much more about the
building than its function.
It was raining so we sheltered in the local pub.

13. IN - AT
 Frequently you can use either AT or IN with no real
difference in meaning.
I saw Tom in/at the pub last night
However, IN emphasizes inside the pub, whereas AT
could be inside or outside – in the pub garden or on a
terrace