Prepositions of Place in English

Quick Answer: Use in for something inside a space ("in the kitchen, in London"), on for something touching a surface ("on the table, on the wall"), and at for a specific point or place of activity ("at the door, at school"). Other common prepositions of place are under, next to, between, behind, in front of, opposite and above.

Key takeaways

• In = inside an area or container: in the fridge, in Canada, in a photo.
• On = touching a surface or a line: on the wall, on the screen, on the left.
• At = a point or a place of activity: at the bus stop, at work, at home, at 25 Park Road.
• Use on for buses, trains and planes, and in for cars and taxis.
• Between is for two things, among is for a group.
• Say "go home," never "go to home."

Turkish-speaker note: Turkish uses one locative ending (-de, -da, -te, -ta) where English needs in, on or at. "Masada" is on the table, "evde" is at home, "İstanbul'da" is in Istanbul.

What Is the Difference Between In, On and At?

These three cause the most problems because many languages use one word or one case ending for all of them.

In: inside an area or space

• The milk is in the fridge.
• She is in the bathroom.
• They live in Canada.
• There are fish in the lake.
• I read it in a book. I saw it in the newspaper.
• in a photo, in a picture, in the sky, in the world

On: on a surface, touching it

• The keys are on the table.
• There is a picture on the wall.
• Your phone is on the floor.
• on the page, on the screen, on the menu, on the map
• on the first floor, on the left, on the right
• on a street (American English): She lives on Elm Street.

At: a point or a place of activity

• Someone is at the door.
• I'll meet you at the bus stop.
• She is at work. He is at school. We were at a party.
• at home, at the airport, at the station, at the cinema
• at the top, at the bottom, at the end of the street
• at an address: She lives at 25 Park Road.

Is It In or At a Building?

Both are possible but the focus changes.

• She is at the hospital. (She is there for a reason; maybe visiting.)
• She is in the hospital. (She is inside the building; in American English, often as a patient.)
• Let's meet at the cafe. (meeting point)
• It's cold in the cafe. (inside the building)

Is It In or On for Transport?

on	in
on the bus	in the car
on the train	in a taxi
on the plane	in a small boat
on a ship	in a helicopter
on a bike, on a motorbike, on a horse

Simple tip: if you can stand up and walk around, use on. If you sit inside a small space, use in. Our English for travel guide has more transport phrases.

Other Prepositions of Place

Preposition	Meaning	Example
under	lower than, covered by	The cat is under the bed.
above	higher than, not touching	The lamp is above the table.
over	higher than, often covering	She put a blanket over the baby.
below	lower than	The temperature is below zero.
next to, beside	at the side of	The bank is next to the pharmacy.
near	not far from	I live near the sea.
between	in the middle of two things	The cafe is between the bank and the bakery.
among	in the middle of many things	I found it among my old letters.
behind	at the back of	The garden is behind the house.
in front of	at the front of	There's a tree in front of my window.
opposite	facing, on the other side	The school is opposite the park.
inside, outside	in or out of a place	The children are playing outside.

Tricky pairs

• Above vs over: often the same. Over is better when something covers or crosses: "a bridge over the river."
• Between vs among: between for two (or clearly separate) items, among for a group.
• Near vs next to: next to means directly at the side. Near only means close.
• Opposite vs in front of: "The bank is opposite the hotel" means across the street, facing it. "In front of the hotel" means right outside its front.

Describing a Room

Here is a short description using prepositions of place:

My bedroom is small but cozy. The bed is next to the window, and there is a lamp on the small table beside it. My clothes are in the wardrobe opposite the bed. There is a big mirror on the wall above the desk, and my cat usually sleeps under the desk. My guitar is behind the door.

Try describing your own room in the same way. It is excellent speaking practice. Good word order matters too; see English word order for the basics.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes?

Mistake	Wrong	Right
In with surfaces	The book is in the table.	The book is on the table.
In with work and home	I am in home.	I am at home.
Extra to with home	I went to home.	I went home.
In with buses	I'm in the bus.	I'm on the bus.
Missing of	in front the house	in front of the house
Missing to after next	next the bank	next to the bank

Practice Quiz

Fill in the best preposition.

1. My keys are ___ my bag.
2. There's a clock ___ the wall.
3. I'll wait for you ___ the entrance.
4. The pharmacy is ___ the bank and the post office.
5. The dog is hiding ___ the table.
6. We met ___ the train to Ankara.
7. She lives ___ Germany.
8. Turn left ___ the end of the street.

Answers: 1. in 2. on 3. at 4. between 5. under 6. on 7. in 8. at

Prepositions improve fastest with lots of real examples. Start the free LearnLingo course and practice them in everyday scenes with Sage the Turtle.

People Also Ask

What is the difference between in, on and at for place?

In is for inside a space, such as in the box or in Turkey. On is for touching a surface, such as on the table or on the wall. At is for a point or a place where an activity happens, such as at the door or at work.

Is it in the bus or on the bus?

Say on the bus, on the train and on the plane for public transport you can walk around in. Use in for cars and taxis: in the car, in a taxi.

What is the difference between behind and in front of?

Behind means at the back of something. In front of means at the front of it, facing the same way. The car is in front of the house means it is near the front door side.

Related Reading

• Prepositions of Time: In, On, At
• English Word Order: Subject, Verb, Object
• English for Travel: The Essential Guide
• English Grammar for Beginners: Where to Start