Prepositions of place: How and When to Use in English
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Prepositions of place
• The different prepositions of place:
• IN is used for places or areas:
in a room
in the garden
in England
in the sky
in the water
in the river
in the garden
in England
in the sky
in the water
in the river
• AT is used for specific or precise places:
at the door
at the train station
at the end of the street
at the train station
at the end of the street
• ON is used for surfaces, and sometimes directions:
on the floor
on earth
on the top
Welcome on board (said when entering a plane or ship, or even joining a team)
on the left, on the right
straight on straight ahead
on the bus
on earth
on the top
Welcome on board (said when entering a plane or ship, or even joining a team)
on the left, on the right
straight on straight ahead
on the bus
Note: in the front / at the front / on the front
Sit in the front of the car. Sit in the front seat of the car.
He's already at the front of the line. He's already the first person in the line.
There's a logo on the front of the envelope. There's a logo on the top side of the envelope.
Do not confuse with in front of the car (opposite of 'behind the car')
He's already at the front of the line. He's already the first person in the line.
There's a logo on the front of the envelope. There's a logo on the top side of the envelope.
Do not confuse with in front of the car (opposite of 'behind the car')
• Prepositions of movement:
• TO, displacement towards:
I go to the river every day.
He flies to England tomorrow.
Which train is going to Oxford?
• INTO (in, inside), ONTO (on top of):
Bruno decided to take a trip into the jungle.
He got into some trouble. He experienced some problems.
Bob installed the software onto the server.
Exercise 1
Use the words from this list to fill in the blanks in the text. Be careful! Some words may be used more than once.
all | about | to | finally | first | before | as | with | on | in
'Hey, Philip, come here. I want to tell you a story my trip China,' said Kevin. 'Hold a minute, let me finish my lunch ,' answered Philip. Several minutes passed Philip entered Kevin's office. 'Ok, tell me your story,' said Philip. ' you may know, I went China last week. I had a meeting Mrs. Mei-Tsing Lee to discuss our new production plan. And, the day I went to her office, I accidentally got the wrong bus. And, the next thing I knew, I was North Korea.' 'Is that ?' 'Well, yes.'
all | about | to | finally | first | before | as | with | on | in
'Hey, Philip, come here. I want to tell you a story my trip China,' said Kevin. 'Hold a minute, let me finish my lunch ,' answered Philip. Several minutes passed Philip entered Kevin's office. 'Ok, tell me your story,' said Philip. ' you may know, I went China last week. I had a meeting Mrs. Mei-Tsing Lee to discuss our new production plan. And, the day I went to her office, I accidentally got the wrong bus. And, the next thing I knew, I was North Korea.' 'Is that ?' 'Well, yes.'
Use the words from this list to fill in the blanks in the text. Be careful! Some words may be used more than once.
all | about | to | finally | first | before | as | with | on | in
'Hey, Philip, come here. I want to tell you a story about 1 my trip to 2 China,' said Kevin. 'Hold on 3 a minute, let me finish my lunch first 4,' answered Philip. Several minutes passed before 5 Philip finally 6 entered Kevin's office. 'Ok, tell me your story,' said Philip. 'as 7 you may know, I went to 8 China last week. I had a meeting with 9 Mrs. Mei-Tsing Lee to discuss our new production plan. And, on 10 the day I went to her office, I accidentally got on 11 the wrong bus. And, the next thing I knew, I was in 12 North Korea.' 'Is that all 13?' 'Well, yes.'
all | about | to | finally | first | before | as | with | on | in
'Hey, Philip, come here. I want to tell you a story about 1 my trip to 2 China,' said Kevin. 'Hold on 3 a minute, let me finish my lunch first 4,' answered Philip. Several minutes passed before 5 Philip finally 6 entered Kevin's office. 'Ok, tell me your story,' said Philip. 'as 7 you may know, I went to 8 China last week. I had a meeting with 9 Mrs. Mei-Tsing Lee to discuss our new production plan. And, on 10 the day I went to her office, I accidentally got on 11 the wrong bus. And, the next thing I knew, I was in 12 North Korea.' 'Is that all 13?' 'Well, yes.'
1 about: We can talk about something, but we talk to someone. 'About' is the best choice here. Example: I want to talk to you about my mother.
2 to: Kevin is telling Philip about his trip to China. 'To' is the best choice because a 'trip' carries the idea of movement. When we speak about movement, we always talk about someone or something going from one place to another. In this case 'to' indicates the destination of Kevin's trip.
3 on: 'On' is the best choice here. "Hold on" is a common expression which means 'please wait' or 'wait a minute'. It is often used when speaking on the phone. Example: Please hold on while I grab a pencil.
4 first: 'First' is the correct choice. Philip says 'let me finish my lunch first', meaning that he wants to finish his lunch 'before' Kevin tells him the story of his trip to Asia.
5 before: 'Before' is the correct answer. It tells us that time has passed before Philip enters Kevin's office. Example: We were talking about you before you arrived.
6 finally: 'Finally' means 'at last' or 'lastly'. It is the best choice here. Example: I've finally finished reading War and Peace.
7 as: 'As you may know' is an expression which introduces a fact or statement which is presumably known by one person or a group of people. Example: As you will know, your mother and I have decided to adopt a guinea pig.
8 to: Kevin is telling Philip that he went 'to' China. 'To' is the best choice because the verb 'to go' carries the idea of movement, and the preposition 'to' indicates the object or destination of this movement. Example: I'm going to London next week.
9 with: 'With' groups together objects, people and ideas. It is the best choice here to tell us 'whom' Kevin met (Mei-Tsing Lee). Example: I had a date with a guy I met online.
10 on: "On the day" is the correct choice. We use this type of expression to give specific information about a date. Example: On August first, on Monday morning, etc.
11 on: 'To get on the bus' is to board a bus. When using prepositions with modes of transportation, we often run into problems. Usually, when we are speaking about public transportation (bus, metro, airplane, etc.) we use the preposition on. But if we are talking about a car, we use in (get in the car).
12 in: Kevin tells Philip that he was in North Korea, which means that he was inside the country or within the country's borders. Example: I was in Puerto Rico when the hurricane hit.
13 all: 'Is that all?' is a question which asks if someone is finished (speaking, shopping, etc.). Example: Is that all the cake you have left?
Exercise 2
My mother told me to go the store yesterday, but it was hot. I told her to go instead of me, but she refused. She said she was tired. I said, 'Me !'.
My mother told me to go to 1 the store yesterday, but it was too 2 hot. I told her to go instead of me, but she refused. She said she was too 3 tired. I said, 'Me too 4!'.
1 to: 'To' is a preposition describing a direction or movement. In this context, 'to' expresses the sense of movement 'towards' a location (to the store).
1 too: 'Too' is an adverb meaning either 'excessive' or 'also'. It is not appropriate in this case, as this construction requires the preposition 'to', which indicates direction or location.
2 too: 'Too' is an adverb meaning 'excessive'. It describes the 'high' or 'excessive' temperature in this exercise.
2 to: Generally, the preposition 'to' is used to indicate movement or direction. Grammatically, 'to' cannot be used to describe an adjective (hot).
3 too: 'Too' is an adverb meaning 'excessive'. It describes the speaker's mother being 'excessively' tired, or 'so tired' that she couldn't go to the store.
3 to: Generally, the preposition 'to' is used to indicate movement or direction. Grammatically, 'to' cannot be used to describe an adjective (hot).
4 too: 'Too' is an adverb meaning 'also'. It indicates that the speaker is 'also tired'. 'Me too' is often used to signal the speaker's agreement with something which has just been stated. Note that 'too' can also mean 'excessive' in another context.
4 also: 'Also' and 'too' can both express the meaning of 'in addition to' or 'additionally', however when 'also' is used in this context, it must precede an adjective (I'm also tired, I am also sick). Using 'also' here (Me also) is grammatically incorrect.
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks below using the following words:
too | also | to
Philip: Hey, Polly, this is Philip Cheeter, director of sales. Ok, now. Don't get excited, but I have a proposition for you.
Polly: Unless it involves you moving a small town in Siberia, I'm not interested.
Philip: No, but it does involve you and me at a cabin, in the woods. You know, in addition to a sales genius, I'm an avid ski enthusiast.
Polly: And you're married. Thanks, Cheeter. Bye now.
Philip: Ouch!
too | also | to
Philip: Hey, Polly, this is Philip Cheeter, director of sales. Ok, now. Don't get excited, but I have a proposition for you.
Polly: Unless it involves you moving a small town in Siberia, I'm not interested.
Philip: No, but it does involve you and me at a cabin, in the woods. You know, in addition to a sales genius, I'm an avid ski enthusiast.
Polly: And you're married. Thanks, Cheeter. Bye now.
Philip: Ouch!
Fill in the blanks below using the following words:
too | also | to
Philip: Hey, Polly, this is Philip Cheeter, director of sales. Ok, now. Don't get too 1 excited, but I have a proposition for you.
Polly: Unless it involves you moving to 2 a small town in Siberia, I'm not too 3 interested.
Philip: No, but it does involve you and me at a cabin, in the woods. You know, in addition to a sales genius, I'm also 4 an avid ski enthusiast.
Polly: And you're also 5 married. Thanks, Cheeter. Bye now.
Philip: Ouch!
too | also | to
Philip: Hey, Polly, this is Philip Cheeter, director of sales. Ok, now. Don't get too 1 excited, but I have a proposition for you.
Polly: Unless it involves you moving to 2 a small town in Siberia, I'm not too 3 interested.
Philip: No, but it does involve you and me at a cabin, in the woods. You know, in addition to a sales genius, I'm also 4 an avid ski enthusiast.
Polly: And you're also 5 married. Thanks, Cheeter. Bye now.
Philip: Ouch!
1 too: 'Too' is used here as an adverb meaning 'excessive'. Philip is instructing Polly not to become 'overly' or 'excessively' excited. Note that in another context, 'too' can also mean 'as well' or 'in addition to', as in the sentence 'You like pigeons? Me too!'
2 to: 'To' is a preposition describing a direction or movement. In this context, 'to' expresses the sense of movement 'towards' a location (to a small town in Siberia).
3 too: 'Too' is used here as an adverb meaning 'excessive'. Polly is informing Philip that she is not 'very' or 'excessively' interested in Philip's proposition. Note that in another context, 'too' can also mean 'as well' or 'in addition to', as in the sentence 'You like pigeons? Me too!'
4 also: In this construction, 'also' is synonymous with the phrase 'in addition to' or 'as well as'. Philip is saying that he is a ski enthusiast 'in addition to' a sales genius. 'Also' expresses this sense of 'addition'. It is the only choice which fits this construction grammatically.
5 also: In this construction, 'also' is synonymous with the phrase 'in addition to' or 'as well as'. Polly is saying that Philip is married in addition to being a sales genius and a ski enthusiast (which he mentions in the previous line of the dialogue). 'Also' is the only choice which fits this construction grammatically.
Exercise 4
Kevin: I have much work to do this afternoon, Luna. There's just no way I can go the circus with you.
Luna: That's a shame, Kevin, because I have tickets.
Luna: That's a shame, Kevin, because I have tickets.
Kevin: I have too 1 much work to do this afternoon, Luna. There's just no way I can go to 2 the circus with you.
Luna: That's a shame, Kevin, because I have two 3 tickets.
Luna: That's a shame, Kevin, because I have two 3 tickets.
1 too: 'Too' is an adverb meaning 'excessive'. Here it describes the excessive or considerable amount of work which Kevin must finish.
1 to: As a preposition of place, 'to' indicates a movement or direction or location (to the north, to the store). It does not make sense to use it here. It can also be used to indicate possession: This pen belongs TO Icarus. 'To' cannot be used in this construction, however.
1 two: 'Two' refers to a numeral. It is inappropriate here.
2 to: As a preposition of place, 'to' indicates a movement or direction or location (to the north, to the store). Here it describes where Kevin can't go (to the circus).
2 too: 'Too' is an adverb meaning 'excessive' or 'also'. It is inappropriate here.
2 also: 'Too' can mean 'also', but in this case we must use the preposition of place 'to', which tells us where Kevin is going.
3 two: 'Two' is the best choice here. It refers to the number of tickets Luna has for the circus.
3 too: 'Too' is an adverb meaning 'excessive' or 'also'. It is inappropriate here.
3 to: As a preposition of place, 'to' indicates a movement or direction or location (to the north, to the store). It is inappropriate here because we must use a numeral.
Exercise 5
Luna: Bob, you have a funny way of talking. Where are you ?
Bob: Well, originally, I'm a small town in Kansas, but I've spent most of my life here California.
Luna: That's so interesting.
Bob: Well, originally, I'm a small town in Kansas, but I've spent most of my life here California.
Luna: That's so interesting.
Luna: Bob, you have a funny way of talking. Where are you from 1?
Bob: Well, originally, I'm from 2 a small town in Kansas, but I've spent most of my life here in 3 California.
Luna: That's so interesting.
Bob: Well, originally, I'm from 2 a small town in Kansas, but I've spent most of my life here in 3 California.
Luna: That's so interesting.
1 from: We use 'from' to indicate an origin (of time, space etc). Luna is asking Bob about his origins. She probably wants to know where Bob was born, or where he grew up.
1 of: 'Where are you of' is not a valid grammatical construction.
1 in: 'Where are you in' is not a valid grammatical construction.
2 from: We use 'from' to indicate an origin (of time, space etc). Bob is expressing that he 'grew up' or 'was born' in Kansas. This is the best choice here.
2 at: Unless Bob is discussing his current location, he shouldn't say that he is 'at' a small town in Kansas. Bob says that 'originally' which indicates that he is talking about his original home.
2 of: 'I'm of a small town' is not an appropriate construction. It is rarely, if ever, used to indicate one's origins. We could say, however: 'I am of French origin'.
3 in: Because Bob is now in California, he is presently 'in' the state. We use 'in' to indicate current location, or the thought of being 'within' a location.
3 at: We cannot use 'at' when speaking of cities and states. We could say, however: 'He's at the supermarket'. To express the thought of 'residing within a location' we use the preposition 'in'.
3 from: Because Bob is not originally from California, as he states earlier in the exchange, and did not live there when he was younger, we cannot use 'from' (which expresses origin) here.
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