Unit 6.2
Prepositions of Place
Introduction
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.
Form
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.
Example
- I am waiting for you at the zoo.
- They love staying at home with their dog.
- You put many posters on the walls.
- We are not allowed to smoke on the bus.
- You can find wonderful paintings in this church.
- They lived in Canada for 10 years.
- His dog is always walking by his side.
- The house is by the swimming pool.
Use
We use prepositions of place to express the location of something or someone.
The main ones are: at, on, in and by.
At
It is 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
It is 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
It is 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
It is used to refer to:
- left or right of somebody or something;
- next to somebody or something;
- not far away in distance (near).
Summary
Prepositions of place are used to locate an event in a space frame.
The main prepositions of place are: at, on, in and by.
For example:
— “I work at home today.” = We use at to talk about a specific point or place.
— “I work on the left of the corner.” = We use on to talk about directions.
— “I work in this building.” = We use in to talk about 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.