Prepositions of Place
Preposition | Use | Sentences |
above | higher than something | The portrait hangs above my bed. |
across | from one side to the other side | You mustn’t go across this road here. |
There is a store across the building. | ||
after | one follows the other | The dog ran after the cat. |
After you. | ||
against | directed towards something | The bird flew against the window. |
along | in a line; from one point to another | They’re walking along the beach. |
among | in a group | I like being among my friends. |
around | in a circular way | We’re sitting around the campfire. |
at* | position at a point | I arrived at the meeting. |
behind | at the back of | Our house is behind the supermarket. |
below | lower than something | Death Valley is 86 metres below sea level. |
beside | next to | Our house is beside the store. |
between | something/somebody is on each side | Our house is between the supermarket and the drugstore. |
by | Near | He lives in the house by the river. |
close to | Near | Our house is close to the bank. |
down | from high to low | She came down the hill. |
from | the place where it starts | Do you come from Seoul? |
in front of | the part that is in the direction it faces | Our house is in front of the park. |
inside | opposite of outside | You shouldn’t stay inside the building. |
in* | place seen in three dimensions | We slept in the car. |
larger areas | I was born in England. | |
into | entering something | You shouldn’t go into the mansion. |
near | close to | Our house is near the bus stop. |
next to | beside | Our house is next to the post office. |
off | away from something | The cat jumped off the roof. |
on* | touches a surface | There is a vase on the table. |
is seen as a point on a line | We were on the way from Paris to Rome. | |
by a lake or sea | London lies on the Thames. | |
onto | moving to a place | The cat jumped onto the roof. |
opposite | on the other side | Our house is opposite the bus stop. |
out of | leaving something | The cat jumped out of the window. |
outside | opposite of inside | Can you wait outside? |
over | above something/somebody | The cat jumped over the wall. |
past | going near something/somebody | Go past the bookstore. |
round | in a circle | We’re sitting round the campfire. |
through | going from one point to the other point | You shouldn’t walk through the woods. |
to | towards something/somebody | I like going to Canada. |
Can you come to me? | ||
I’ve never been to the U.S. | ||
towards | in the direction of something | We ran towards the park. |
under | below something | The dog is under the table. |
up | from low to high | He went up the hill. |