There lies much confusion about prepositions and adverbs .

They look alike but differ in their functions.

01. Adverb of place answers the question ‘where’ to the verb.

Verb + where = adverb of place

A Preposition never answers this question.

02. There is always a noun or a pronoun after a preposition.

There will be no noun or pronoun after an adverb

Is your father in ? (Adv.)

Is your father in the house (Prep).

The doctor is out.( Adverb of place )

She is out ( preposition ) of our sight ( noun ).

We want to go there( Adverb of place )

She is there ( preposition ) back on her way. ( noun )

Some more examples of Adverbs of Place (which answer the question,

WHERE ? )

Siri lives here.

All my relatives went away.

I looked for him everywhere.

You found him nowhere.

They went ahead.

Is there anything inside ?
reposition Use Sentences

above higher than sth. The picture hangs above my bed.

You mustn't go across this road here.

across from one side to the other side

There isn't a bridge across the river.

The cat ran after the dog.

after one follows the other

After you.

against directed towards sth. The bird flew against the window.

in a line; from one point to

along They're walking along the beach.
another

among in a group I like being among people.

around in a circular way We're sitting around the campfire.

at* position at a point I arrived at the meeting.

reposition Use Sentences

behind at the back of Our house is behind the supermarket.

below lower than sth. Death Valley is 86 metres below sea level.

beside next to Our house is beside the supermarket.

Our house is between the supermarket and

between sth./sb. is on each side
the school.

by near He lives in the house by the river.

close to near Our house is close to the supermarket.

down from high to low He came down the hill.

from the place where it starts Do you come from Tokyo?

the part that is in the direction

in front of Our house is in front of the supermarket.
it faces

inside opposite of outside You shouldn't stay inside the castle.

in* place seen in three We slept in the car.

dimensions
reposition Use Sentences

larger areas I was born in England.

into entering sth. You shouldn't go into the castle.

near close to Our house is near the supermarket.

next to beside Our house is next to the supermarket.

off away from sth. The cat jumped off the roof.

touches a surface There is a fly on the table.

on* is seen as a point on a line We were on the way from Paris to Rome.

by a lake or sea London lies on the Thames.

onto moving to a place The cat jumped onto the roof.

opposite on the other side Our house is opposite the supermarket.

out of leaving sth. The cat jumped out of the window.

outside opposite of inside Can you wait outside?

reposition Use Sentences

over above sth./sb. The cat jumped over the wall.

past going near sth./sb. Go past the post office.

round in a circle We're sitting round the campfire.

going from one point to the

through You shouldn't walk through the forest.
other point

I like going to Australia.

to towards sth./sb. Can you come to me?

I've never been to Africa.

towards in the direction of sth. We ran towards the castle.

under below sth. The cat is under the table.

up from low to high He went up the hill.

* more information: at,  in  and  on

The correct usage of prepositions referring to place, direction and distance depends on
how we perceive the thing/object. Basically there are three types of places:

Explanations Examples

1. The place is seen as a simple point in space, but without referring to length, width and height.

simple location We met at the cinema. 

They stayed away from the cinema.

destination They went to the cinema. 

They ran (away) from the cinema.

2. The place is seen as a line as a length dimension but not as a width and height dimension.

simple location Tim stood on the goal-line. 

The battle was fought off the coast of Africa.
Explanations Examples

destination The car turned off the main road. 

They walked along the street.

3. The place is seen as a surface that is as length and width dimensions (without height)

simple location The book was on the shelf. 

The book was off the desk.

destination He dropped the book on(to) the table. 

Tim took the book off the shelf. 
He fell off the chair.

The place is seen as a surface (ground or the terrain within its boundaries)

simple location The tourists were in the square. 

The sales representative is out of town today.

destination The path goes through a field. 

The soldiers crowded into the market.

The place is seen as a three-dimensional space

simple location He was in the garage. 

He was out of the room.

destination He ran into the room. 

He ran out of the room.

contrast between 'at' and 'on'

When a place is seen as a simple point The plane stopped at London on its way to New
York.
Explanations Examples

When a place is seen as a closed territory She lives in London.

with parts of towns/cities They lived in Manhattan.

When a building is perceived in institutional I saw him at the hospital.

categories

When a building is perceived in physical categories I saw him in the hospital.

Contrast between 'on' and 'in'

When we see the object as a surface Pieces of wood were floating on the water.

When we see the object as space The children were playing in the water.

Prepositions showing location or destination in relation to the landmark

simple location (vertical) The apple is on top of the cupboard. 

The apple is below the cupboard.

simple location (horizontal) There are some trees in front of the house. 
There are some trees behind the house.

destination When it started to rain, they ran underneath the

bridge. 
The car sped away from the tunnel.

contrast between 'between' - 'among' - 'amid'

in relation to two objects She is standing between 

Explanations Examples

 two boys.

in relation to more than two objects She is standing among boys. 

The house stands amid trees