Understanding Prepositions of Place

In English grammar, prepositions of place are used to describe the location, position, or relationship between people, objects, and places. They help answer the question "Where?" and are commonly used in everyday English communication.

What Are Prepositions of Place?

Prepositions of place are words that show where something is located or the position of one thing in relation to another.

Examples:

The book is on the table.
The keys are in the drawer.
The cat is under the chair.
She is standing next to her friend.

Common Prepositions of Place

Preposition	Meaning	Example
In	Inside an area or space	The phone is in the bag.
On	On a surface	The picture is on the wall.
At	Specific point or location	She is at the bus stop.
Under	Lower than something	The shoes are under the bed.
Above	Higher than something	The lamp is above the table.
Behind	At the back of something	The car is behind the building.
In front of	Before something	The school is in front of the park.
Between	In the middle of two things	The bank is between the shops.
Beside / Next to	Close to something	She sits next to me.

Using "In" for Place

We use in when something is inside an enclosed area or a larger place.

The children are in the classroom.
She lives in Canada.
There is water in the bottle.

Using "On" for Place

We use on when something touches a surface.

The laptop is on the desk.
The picture is on the wall.
There is a mark on the floor.

Using "At" for Place

We use at for a specific point, location, or activity place.

I am at the airport.
She is waiting at the station.
He works at a hospital.

Prepositions Showing Position

Preposition	Example
Above	The clock is above the door.
Below	The shoes are below the shelf.
Under	The cat is under the table.
Over	The bridge is over the river.
Behind	The garden is behind the house.
In front of	The car is in front of the garage.

Prepositions Showing Distance and Direction

The hotel is near the airport.
The school is far from my house.
The store is across from the bank.
The restaurant is next to the hotel.

Prepositions of Place in Everyday English

My keys are on the table.
The children are playing in the garden.
She is waiting at the entrance.
The bus stop is near my house.

Common Mistakes With Prepositions of Place

Incorrect	Correct
The book is in the table.	The book is on the table.
She is on the airport.	She is at the airport.
The picture is in the wall.	The picture is on the wall.

Exercises and Practice

Choose the correct preposition of place:

The cat is _____ the chair. (under / at)
The book is _____ the desk. (on / in)
She is waiting _____ the bus stop. (at / under)
The bank is _____ the supermarket and the hotel. (between / behind)
The car is _____ the house. (in front of / inside)

Understanding prepositions of place helps learners describe locations, directions, and relationships between objects and places more clearly in English.