Look at these examples to see how we use these prepositions.
Please put the book on the shelf.
They live in Helsinki.
You should keep milk in the fridge.
Mette is studying at the library.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
We can use the prepositions in, on and at to say where things are. They go before nouns.
I am in the kitchen.
My dog likes sleeping on the sofa.
The children eat lunch at school.
in
We use in to talk about a place that is inside a bigger space, such as a box, a house, a city or a country.
The clothes are in the wardrobe.
The children are playing in the park.
There's a bookshop in the shopping centre.
My grandmother was born in Sweden.
We also use in with other physical locations such as:
in the world
in water / the sea / a river / a lake / a pool
in the mountains / the countryside / a valley / the forest
in a car / a taxi
on
We use on to talk about location on a surface.
The books are on the desk.
We live on the fifth floor.
There are pictures on the wall.
She likes to sit on the floor.
We also use on for some types of public transport.
He's on the bus now.
You can't make phone calls on a plane.
They go to school on the train.
We also use on for lines (including rivers, borders, streets, etc.) and islands.
London is on the River Thames.
The Pyrenees are on the border of Spain and France.
There's a market on James Street.
I'd love to live on the Isle of Wight.
at
We use at in many common phrases, especially when we are talking about a place for a specific activity.
I'm at work.
She's working at home today.
The children are at school.
See you at the train station!
They're at the supermarket.
I met him at a party.
We also use at for addresses or exact positions.
I live at 15 Craig Street.
She's sitting at a desk.
He's waiting at the entrance.
Please sit at the back of the room.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hello Aung Qui,
When we say someone's house is on the river, or that they live on the river, it means that their house is next to the river. It's short for 'on the bank of the river'. It doesn't mean they're actually in the water, of course!
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello, teacher🙏🏻 In this part” in the world
in water / the sea / a river / a lake / a pool
in the mountains / the countryside / a valley / the forest
in a car / a taxi” you write the word “river” with an article “a”. But in your rules “articles” it is written “Seas and oceans, mountain ranges and rivers have the:
the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean the Andes, the Himalayas, the Alps the Nile, the Amazon, the Yangtze”
Hi akniet,
We use "a river" if we are talking about a river that we don't name, or a river in general. For example: Many types of animals live in a river.
We use "the + [name]" if we are talking about a specific river. For example: Many types of animals live in the Amazon (River).
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
On is use for public transport but why is it in a car and in a taxi?
Please help
Hi adebby,
"On" is used for only some forms of public transport, not all of them. It's used for quite large vehicles (e.g. bus, train, plane, tram, boat).
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hello LearnEnglish team,
I would like to know what preposition we use with roads. Is it "on Park Street"?
I would also like to tell me if there is a difference among the place prepositions "next to", "beside" and "by"?
Thank you.
Hello DoraX,
Yes, we use 'on' when we're describing the location of a building etc. on a street. It is possible to use 'in the street' when you want to imply 'in the middle of the street' (as opposed to being on the pavement). For example, a parent might call to their child 'Hey - don't play in the street or a car might hit you'.
The three prepositions of place are very similar and the differences are quite subtle and more related to use than any fixed grammar rules. Next to is the most common; beside is a little less common and perhaps slightly more formal or literary; by tends to be used in certain specific contexts.
Next to and beside suggest that things adjoin each other - i.e. they are side by side from the speaker's perspective and very close to each other; there is nothing in between them.
By is a little more general, I would say. It suggests that things are close but not necessarily adjoining. We often use it in phrases like 'by the lake' and 'by the park'.
With language such as this it is hard or even impossible to provide hard and fast rules for use as it is more a question of convention and collocation than grammar. The best way to familiarise yourself with these kinds of items is to expose yourself to good language models by reading and listening to English as widely as possible. The more examples you come across, the more you will develop a feel for what sounds right, just as you did in your first language.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you very much for your instant and detailed response!
Hi,
why did you use "at" instead of "on" in the sentence " She is sitting at a desk"? You said that when we talk about location on a surface we use "on".
Can you explain,please?
Hi narnu,
When we say 'on the desk' we mean actually on top of it, not sitting on a chair beside it. Things like a computer, a pen, some paper, a clock, a cup of coffee can be found on desks. People, when they are working, usually do not sit on their desk but rather on a chair at their desk (i.e. beside it).
The only time you might get on your desk is when you need to reach something high up, like a light bulb or a high window.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team