Prepositions of Place

Prepositions are small words that connect elements in a sentence. They are essential because they provide additional details about the sentence.

We use prepositions of place to locate an event in a space frame {see Common Prepositions of Time and Place, A1 level}.

Prepositions of place don’t stand alone but act with other elements of the sentence to create what we can call prepositional phrases: at, on, in and by.

• At
  • I am waiting at the metro station in the rain.
  • He was at the game when it was snowing.
  • They love being at home with their dog.
• On
  • You put many posters on the walls.
  • There was a rose on the way home.
  • We are not allowed to smoke on the bus.
• In
  • You can find wonderful paintings in this church.
  • There is a wild animal in that forest.
  • They lived in Canada for 10 years.
• By
  • His dog is always walking by his side.
  • The house is by the coast.
  • They are talking by the pine tree.

Prepositions of place are used to express the location of something or someone. The main ones are:

• At (general, to refer to bigger places)
  • Exact position at a point (at the bus stop…);
  • Before the name of group activities (at the party, at the match…);
  • With home, work, school, university, the top, the bottom…
• On (more specific, to refer to smaller places)
  • Position on a surface (on the floor…);
  • On a line (on the path, on the way, on the river…);
  • Public transport;
  • Directions (the right and the left…)
• In (very specific, to refer the smallest places)
  • Position inside large areas;
  • Three-dimensional space and areas surrounded on all sides (in a forest, in the office…);
  • Continents, states, countries, buildings…
• By
  • Left or right of somebody or something;
  • Next to somebody or something;
  • Not far away in distance (near).

Prepositions of place are used to locate an event in a space frame.

The main prepositions of place are:

• At: exact position at a point, before the name of group activities, with some words;
• On: position on a surface, on a line, public transport, directions;
• In: position inside large areas, three-dimensional space and areas surrounded on all sides, continents, buildings;
• By: left or right of somebody or something, next to somebody or something, not far away in distance.

For example:
— “I work at home today.” = We use at to express a specific point or place.
— “I work on the left of the corner”.” = We use on to express directions.
— “I work in this building.” = We use in to express the position inside a 3-dimensional place.
— “I work by this building.” = We use by to express that a place is near to the other.

Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.