What is the preposition with streets in English. Using the preposition of place on in English

We need prepositions of place to talk about the position or location of someone/something. We use them very often in our speech. For example:

“The book is on the table. Children at school. Bag in the car. We are in Park".

In English, difficulties in using are caused by the prepositions in, at, on, which are very often confused and used incorrectly.

However, it is very important to learn the correct use of these prepositions, since the meaning of the sentence will change depending on which preposition you choose.

In this article I will tell you how not to get confused by them.

From the article you will learn:

Prepositions of place in English

Prepositions of place indicate the position and presence of an object/person in space.

There are the following prepositions of place in English:

above- higher;
below- below;
before- in front, at;
behind- behind, behind;
under- under (something);
over- on top;
between- between;
among- among;
near, by, beside- near, near, at;
outside- outside, behind;
in front of- before;
opposite- against;
at- V;
in- V;
on- on the;

Let's look at a visual representation of the use of basic prepositions of place.

Today we will look in detail at the prepositions on, in and at.

Using the preposition of place on in English

Preposition on

Translation: on the.

Transcription:[ɒn] / [he].

Pretext on most often we use it when we say that something is on the surface. For example: “The cup is on the table.”

Examples

However, the preposition on has several other uses.

We use on when we say:

1. About the situation on the road, river, seashore, lakeshore.

For example

They lived on the coast of a river.
They lived on the banks of the river.

St.Petersburg lies on the Neva.
St. Petersburg is located on the Neva.

2. About the floor in the building.

For example

We live on the 8th floor.
WE live on the 8th floor.

They work on the 15th floor.
They work on the 15th floor.

3. The fact that we are physically in public transport (bus, metro, train, plane).

For example

She was on the bus, when he called.
She was on the bus when he called.

I like to read books on the metro.
I like to read books on the subway.

Using the preposition in in English

Preposition in

Translation: V.

Transcription:[ɪn] / [in].

Pretext in we use when we say that a person/thing is inside something. What is meant here is specific place or building. For example: “I hid from the rain in the store.”

Examples

We put the books in a box.
We put the books in a box (the books are inside the box).

He is waiting for me in a car.
He is waiting for me in the car (he is inside the car).

We also use in in the following cases:

1. With the names of the cardinal directions (north, south, west, east).

For example

Penguins live in the north.
Penguins live in the north.

The city lies in the west.
The city is located in the west.

2. With cities, countries.

For example

We live in Moscow.
We live in Moscow.

She would like to live in New-York.
She would like to live in New York.

Using the preposition at in English

Preposition at

Translation: V.

Transcription:[æt] / [et].

Pretext at we use when we are somewhere with a specific purpose. For example: “He invited me to the cinema.” From this example it is clear that he invited not just to stand in the cinema building, but for a specific purpose - to watch a film.

For example

They are at the hospital.
They are in a hospital (being in a hospital to get better, not just standing in a building).

We are eating at a restaurant.
We eat in a restaurant (we are in a restaurant to eat, and not just stand in it).

The preposition at is also used when something/someone is located:

1. At a specific point, point (at a bus stop, on a corner, at an intersection).

For example

He is sitting at the bus stop.
He is sitting at the bus stop.

They waited for me at a corner.
They were waiting for me on the corner.

2. At an event, some event.

For example

We are at a concert
We're at a concert.

They met at a conference.
They met at a conference.

3. In close proximity, at.

For example

Her dog is sitting at the door.
Her dog is sitting by the door.

She is standing at a window.
She was standing by the window.

What is the difference between in and at?

Let's look again at the difference between these prepositions.

In we use when we are inside something.

They are in school.
They are at school.

The sentence says that they are in the school building. They are not somewhere on the site or on an excursion, they are inside this building.

At we use when we are somewhere for a specific purpose.

They are at school.
They are at school.

In this sentence we mean that they are at school, they went there for the purpose of learning, they may now be in the school itself, in the playground next to the school, or even going on a school trip to a museum.

General table of use of prepositions on, in, at

Let's look again at the use of these prepositions.

On	In	At
Someone/something is on the surface on the table on the table on The floor on the floor	We are inside something (meaning the building itself) in the room in the room (inside the room) in the shop in the store (inside the store)	We are somewhere with a specific purpose at work at work (came to work) at the cinema to the cinema (the goal is to watch a movie)
We talk about the situation on the road, river, seashore, lakeshore. on the coast on the shore on the river on the river	Use with names of cardinal directions (north, south, west, east)in the north in the north in the south on South	We are at a specific point, point (at a bus stop, on a corner, at an intersection) at the corner on the corner at the bus stop at the bus stop
We are on floor in the building on the 9th floor on the 9th floor on the 11th floor on the 11th floor	Use with cities and countries in Moscow in Moscow in London in London	We are at an event, event at a concert at the concert at a conference at the conference
We say that we are physically in public transport at a certain moment on the bus in the bus on the train on the train		We are in close proximity to something at a door at the door at a window near the window

So, we've covered the theory, and now let's move on to practice.

Reinforcement task

Translate the following sentences into English:

1. She sleeps in the room.
2. They are in the theater.
3. Things are in the suitcase.
4. Apples on the table.
5. We are standing at a crossroads.
6. He lives in London.

Places additional stress on prepositions. There are many more of them than in Russian, and their use has its own specifics. If in Russian the case helps to understand what is meant, then in English you need to choose the right preposition to convey the meaning you need.

For example, in Russian the case saves the day in such a banal sentence, which I’m sure everyone learned at school:

I live V London.

I'm coming V London.

In both cases, the preposition “in” is used, but the case of the noun is changed. But there are no cases in English, so you can’t do without changing the preposition:

I live in London.

I go to London.

Prepositions of place and prepositions of movement

The above example has already helped you understand that English prepositions of place can be divided into two subgroups - prepositions indicating location and motion. Grammars usually combine them into one group. But don’t be alarmed - many prepositions of place are included in both subgroups at the same time.

Much also depends on the verb with which the preposition is used. There are verbs that, by their meaning, cannot denote movement, for example stand(stand) , sit(sit) , lie(lie). Others are the opposite. In addition, prepositions can connect nouns, indicating where some event occurs or the direction to something: a party in the restaurant(party at a restaurant) , the way to the forest(road to the forest).

Prepositions denoting location

Let's look at the most common prepositions of location:

in– always inside something;
on– on some (usually more or less) horizontal surface;
at- near something;
near- near something;
by– near something;

Important: prepositions at, near, by at first glance they have the same meaning, but at means a distance almost close; near – suggests closeness with some distance; by – implies close proximity, but in a lower position in relation to the speaker. My cat likes to sit by my chair.(My cat likes to sit by my chair) But by is used relatively rarely in this meaning.

between– shows location between objects or people;
beside- aloof from something or someone;
over And above– practically synonymous and indicate the position “above”;
under– their antonym means “under”;
outside– usually outside the home or premises;
inside– inside a house or premises;
against– based on something; The bike leans against the tree.
behind– behind someone/something;
in front of– in front of something/someone;
ahead of– in front of something/someone (if the objects are more or less on the same line)

Important: Please note that the last two prepositions consist of two or three words. There are quite a lot of such prepositions in English. Sometimes they are written separately, sometimes together, so don’t be lazy to look in the dictionary once again. There are fixed expressions, for example in bed, but this does not mean that the person is in bed. He's just still sleeping. Such expressions are a separate story.

Prepositions denoting movement

Most prepositions of location simultaneously belong to prepositions denoting movement. Here, as already mentioned, the verb is determining. If it denotes movement, then the preposition must be appropriate. These are the same prepositions together with nouns (a place to move or move to). They indicate the direction of movement. The list, however, will have to be expanded a little and a few more prepositions added: to, into, from, out of :

to – direction of movement, often indicating a specific location, but not inward;
into – implies movement inward;
from – shows where the movement begins, but this is predominantly open space;
out of – movement from closed objects. We get out of the car, but the British don’t - they get out of the car(they got out of the car).

In conclusion, let's look again at all the prepostions of place, we have put them in one table for you:

Table. Prepositions of place

above - above; higher	from - from where
across - through; across; on the other side	in - in, on
against - opposite; near	in front of - ahead, opposite
ahead of - before something/someone	inside - inside, in
among - between, among	into - implies movement inward;
at - at, near, about; in, on	near - near, at, about, nearby
before - before	on - on
behind - behind, behind	out of - movement from closed objects
below - under, below	outside - outside, beyond
beside - next to, around, near	over - above; over; on the other side
between - between, among	round - around, around
beyond - behind, on the other side	to - direction of movement
by - at, about, next to	under - under, below

Exercise

Insert prepositions that make sense. Sometimes there may be several options.

Unfortunately, they do not always coincide with the Russians. If we can say "to be in the store" (preposition of place) and "go to a shop" (preposition of direction) using the same option, it doesn’t work that way in English. It is necessary to clarify once again that this is the direction we mean. It is often necessary to use several prepositions to emphasize movement towards something rather than just location, for example.

Basic English prepositions of place and direction

Below we will look at the main English prepositions of place and direction, and let's try to figure out how they differ from each other. Examples will help us with this.

prepositions of place	example	translation
in / inside(in, inside)	Mary was in the garden.	Mary was in the garden.
on(on the)	The book is on the sofa.	Book on the sofa.
at(about, about)	He is standing at my door.	He's standing at my door.
near(near, nearby)	Do you live near that station?	Do you live near that station?
under(under)	What is there under the chair?	What's under the table?
above(above)	I see a mosquito above you.	I see a mosquito above you.
between(between)	Don't put this stool between the bookcases.	Don't put this stool between bookcases.
below(under)	It must be below the box.	It should be under the box.
among(among)	She looked nice among all her books.	She looked good among all her books.
round / around(around)	They were standing around that present and looking at it.	They stood around that gift and looked at it.
next to / by / beside(near, around)	I was sitting beside him.	I sat next to him.
opposite(against)	It's opposite the gift shop.	It's opposite the gift shop.
behind(behind)	Look! The cat is behind the tree.	Look! Cat behind the tree.
in front of(ahead)	There was a lake in front of the castle.	There was a lake in front of the castle.
against(facing towards, against the background, towards)	The old man leaned against the wall.	An elderly man leaned against the wall.

As you can see, it is important to remember the meaning English prepositions of place and direction. This will help you figure out in which sentences to use this or that word. Sometimes you can use several options. But this happens, as a rule, with prepositions of place, but not of direction.

prepositions of direction	example	translation
off(With)	The child jumped off the chair.	The child jumped off the chair.
out off(from)	The cat run out off the house.	The cat ran out of the house.
onto(on the)	She threw the keys onto the desk.	She threw the keys on the table.
into(in, inside something)	The boy threw the ball into the basket.	The boy threw the ball into the basket.
through(through, through)	The car was going through the tunnel.	The car was driving through a tunnel.
up(up)	They were going up and down the stairs.	They walked up and down the steps.
down(down)	They were going up and down the stairs.	They walked up and down the steps.
over(above)	The plane flew over the sea.	The plane flew over the sea.
along(along, along)	I like walking along this street.	I like to walk along this street.
across(across)	Linda pushed the box across the table.	Linda pushed the box across the table.
from…to(from to)	He needs 5 minutes to get from home to the shop.	It takes him 5 minutes to get from home to the store.
past(past)	The dog was running past the park.	The dog ran past the park.
towards(towards, towards)	He was going towards me.	He was walking towards me.

What is the difference between the prepositions of place and direction in English?

Surely you noticed that prepositions of place and direction in English are different. Moreover, the difference lies not only in translation. Prepositions of direction are most often used with verbs of movement. They emphasize the fact that something or someone is moving in a certain direction (sometimes from a specific location).

Let's take an example with the preposition onto. You were probably surprised by the fact that there are two prepositions here. If we parse the meaning onto in more detail, it turns out that the keys were thrown onto the surface of the table. If you get by simply on, then it will be simple "on the", it won't matter "direction" . Therefore, here is a kind of mixture: on(location on the surface) + to(preposition of direction) = onto(on the table (not on the table). Agree, "it is on the table" not the same with "she pushed it onto the table" .

Need prepositions of direction in English exercises?

The theory in this article is an excellent basis for the next stage called " prepositions of direction in English exercises

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Basic English prepositions of place and direction

Below we will look at the main English prepositions of place and direction, and let's try to figure out how they differ from each other. Examples will help us with this.

prepositions of place	example	translation
in / inside(in, inside)	Mary was in the garden.	Mary was in the garden.
on(on the)	The book is on the sofa.	Book on the sofa.
at(about, about)	He is standing at my door.	He's standing at my door.
near(near, nearby)	Do you live near that station?	Do you live near that station?
under(under)	What is there under the chair?	What's under the table?
above(above)	I see a mosquito above you.	I see a mosquito above you.
between(between)	Don't put this stool between the bookcases.	Don't put this stool between bookcases.
below(under)	It must be below the box.	It should be under the box.
among(among)	She looked nice among all her books.	She looked good among all her books.
round / around(around)	They were standing around that present and looking at it.	They stood around that gift and looked at it.
next to / by / beside(near, around)	I was sitting beside him.	I sat next to him.
opposite(against)	It's opposite the gift shop.	It's opposite the gift shop.
behind(behind)	Look! The cat is behind the tree.	Look! Cat behind the tree.
in front of(ahead)	There was a lake in front of the castle.	There was a lake in front of the castle.
against(facing towards, against the background, towards)	The old man leaned against the wall.	An elderly man leaned against the wall.

prepositions of direction	example	translation
off(With)	The child jumped off the chair.	The child jumped off the chair.
out off(from)	The cat run out off the house.	The cat ran out of the house.
onto(on the)	She threw the keys onto the desk.	She threw the keys on the table.
into(in, inside something)	The boy threw the ball into the basket.	The boy threw the ball into the basket.
through(through, through)	The car was going through the tunnel.	The car was driving through a tunnel.
up(up)	They were going up and down the stairs.	They walked up and down the steps.
down(down)	They were going up and down the stairs.	They walked up and down the steps.
over(above)	The plane flew over the sea.	The plane flew over the sea.
along(along, along)	I like walking along this street.	I like to walk along this street.
across(across)	Linda pushed the box across the table.	Linda pushed the box across the table.
from…to(from to)	He needs 5 minutes to get from home to the shop.	It takes him 5 minutes to get from home to the store.
past(past)	The dog was running past the park.	The dog ran past the park.
towards(towards, towards)	He was going towards me.	He was walking towards me.

What is the difference between the prepositions of place and direction in English?

Need prepositions of direction in English exercises?

The theory in this article is an excellent basis for the next stage called " prepositions of direction in English exercises

You have no rights to post comments