This unit covers prepositions of place, including above, below, under, on top of, next to, inside, near, behind, outside, between, and in.
Prepositions of place tell us where someone, some place, or something is in relation to something, someone, or somewhere else. They can be one word or multiple words, and include: above, across from, at, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, close to, in, in front of, near, next to, on, opposite, over, and under. Some of these are paired opposites, such as above / below, behind / in front of, and over / under.
The three most commonly used prepositions of place are at, in, and on. These are used in the following contexts:
At: exact locations, specific places
– at home, at the supermarket, at 101 Elm Street, at Madison Square Garden, at the end
In: enclosed spaces, neighborhood, cities, countries
– in the convention center, in Brooklyn, in Houston, in Canada
On: surfaces, means of transportation, communication
– on the table, on the bus, on the radio
Here are some more examples of prepositions of place:
The birds fly above the trees.
I live across from a cafe.
She works at the university.
The employee stands behind the counter.
The subway is below the city streets.
The fish swim beneath the water’s surface.
The dog sits beside the couch.
Our sofa is between the recliner and the coffee table.
Elliot relaxes by the pool.
The apartment is close to public transit.
Marcy lives in Las Vegas.
The boy walks in front of his mother.
She works near downtown.
I am standing next to LeBron James.
We are on the next plane to Chicago.
The museum is opposite city hall.
The light hangs over the kitchen table.
The spare key is under the doormat.
Prepositions of place or locative prepositions show the position or location of nouns or pronouns. Prepositions of place correspond to the questions “Where/Where … to/Where … from?”