USE:
In general, prepositions of place are used to tell where something is.
Here are the uses of very common prepositions of place: IN/ON/AT:
IN | |
| countries, cities, villages | in Europe, in Spain, in Madrid |
| the world |
in the world |
| valleys and mountains |
in the mountain, in a valley, in the Pyrenees |
| buildings |
in a bank, in an office |
| water |
in the sea, in the river, in the lake |
| the middle / center |
in the middle of London, in the heart of the city, in the city square |
| books / films / newspaper |
in the movie, in the newspaper, in a magazine, in a series |
ON | |
| walls, ceilings, doors, floor | on the ceiling, on the wall, on the door, on the floor |
| surfaces |
on the page, on the table, on my desk, on the bed |
| the front / side / back |
on the box, on the label, on the bottle |
| left / right |
on the left, on the right |
floors |
on the second floor, on the basement, on the rooftop |
| lists / menus |
on the menu, on the list |
roads |
on Westville Street, on the motorway, on Madison Avenue |
natural lines and borders |
on the beach, on the coast, on the Amazon River |
AT | |
| the top / bottom (of a page) | at the top, at the bottom |
| directions | at the traffic lights, at the roundabout, at the end of the street |
| position (next to something) | at the corner |
| the front / the back | at the front, at the back |
| the beginning / the end | at the beginning, at the end |
| events | at a party, at this conference, at last weekend’s football match |
| buildings | at the airport, at the train the station, at home |
Here are some common errors: | |
| 1. Missing out part of the prepositional phrases. | |
The post office is next a bank. => |
The post office is next to a bank. |
He is waiting in front the building. => |
He is waiting in front of the building. |
2. Adding unnecessary prepositions. | |
The rabbits are behind of the bush. => |
The rabbits are behind the bush. |