Prepositions

Explanations and Examples

We use prepositions of place to talk about the location of somebody or something. 'In', 'at' and 'on' are
commonly used.
We use 'in' to talk about somebody or something
• in containers
e.g. My textbook is not in my school bag. I have forgotten to bring it today.
Look at the liquid in the test tube. It is getting darker.
• in rooms or buildings
e.g. The students are studying in their classroom.
Listen, you are not allowed to eat in the Hong Kong Science Museum.
• in districts, cities, states, countries or continents
e.g. Do you know that Italy is in Europe?
I study in Hong Kong.
•in water
e.g. The egg is sinking in water.
There is a lot of rubbish in the sea.
• in rows or queues
e.g. Linda sits in the front row of the classroom.
Please stand properly in the queue.

We use 'at' to talk about somebody or something

• at general places or addresses
e.g. Please finish the report at home.
My school is at 198 Wan Chai Street.
• at shops, buildings or hotels
e.g. Yuen Man Ming is absent today. He felt unwell after he had eaten his dinner at Italian House.
The graduation dinner will be held at the Peninsula Hotel next week.
• at specific places
e.g. If you want more drawing paper, you can find it at the back of the Art Room.
The page number is printed at the bottom of the page.

We use 'on' to talk about somebody or something

• on surfaces
e.g. The fan on the ceiling is not working.
Patrick, please put your book on the table.
• on islands or streets
e.g. My school is on Hong Kong Island.
The Grand Hotel is on Paterson Street.

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• on floors of buildings or estates
e.g. The Music Room is on the fifth floor.
Mr. Wong lives on a housing estate in Kowloon.

Extra Tips:
The examples below show how the prepositions 'in', 'on' and 'at' are used with different expressions and
nouns.
•the corner of
e.g. A purse was found in the corner of the Computer Room. (inside a room)
Can we meet at (on) the corner of the street? (a specific location)
•the front/back of
e.g. Please put your luggage in the back of the car. (inside a container)
Our teacher is standing at the front of the classroom. (a specific location)
Write your name on the back of the paper before giving it to me. (a surface)
•on a farm and in a field
e.g. We learned a lot about growing crops on a farm last week. (the whole area)
The farm owner we interviewed keeps some sheep in the field. (inside an area)

More Prepositions of Place

•above
e.g. The clock is above the blackboard.
The noticeboard is above the cupboard.
• below
e.g. The blackboard is below the clock.
The cupboard is below the noticeboard.
• under
e.g. The chairs are under the tables.
The word 'O,' is written under the word 'Oxygen'.
• in front of
e.g. Table A is in front of Jack. / Table B is in front of Rose.
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 •behind
e.g. The skeleton model is behind Rose.
The school bag is behind Jack.
• next to / beside
e.g. The Bunsen burner is next to / beside the tripod.
The noticeboard is next to / beside the blackboard.
• between (…and ...)
e.g. The projector is between table A and table B.
Rose is between table B and the skeleton model.
• opposite
e.g. Rose is standing opposite Jack.
The blackboard is opposite the projector.

Exercise 1
in at under in front of opposite below on behind above next to/ beside between
1. The teacher had lunch____________ the park.
2. The students stood ____________ a line during PE lessons. Peter stood ____________ Jason. He always
hit Jason's back when the PE teacher turned his back.
3. A school bag was found____________ the river.
4. Please stand ____________ the back of the classroom. You are disturbing the class,' the teacher said.
5. Eric stands __________________ Rex because he is shorter than Rex.
6. 'Sarah, please stand ____________ the front of the class and read out your essay,' the teacher said.
7. There is a bookstore ____________the end of the street. Go straight on and past the traffic lights. It is
____________the corner of Nelson Street and Tung Choi Street.
8. George, you should kick the ball into the goal ____________ your team's goal.
Understand?' the coach asked.
9. 'Let's put this poster ____________the wall ____________the boys toilet. They can see it when they go
to the toilet,' the chairman said.
10. The school gardener planted some roses____________ the school garden.
11. Laura sits____________ me in the classroom. She always complains that I am too tall and she cannot
see the blackboard.
12. Karen is sitting ____________ Ken so that they can play chess face to face.
13. 'Please put the sign-up sheet. ____________the poster. The poster should be above eye level and the
sign-up sheet should be at eye level, Hugo demanded.
14. 'Can you put the big vase ____________ the trophy? I want to see them side-by-side, the principal said.
15. We used to put our bags ____________the tables in the classroom. But since the floor is getting dirtier,
we now keep them____________ the drawers.
16. The clock is ____________the noticeboard. I have to turn my face upwards to see the time.
17. My eyes are really tired. I have been sitting____________ a computer all day.
18. Ray sits ____________ let to me in English lesson. He always forgets to bring his textbooks and I have to
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share mine with him.
19, Jenny should stand ____________ John and Kevin in order to form a boy-girl-boy pattern.
20. 'Don't put your bag ____________the floor. It is dirty. You can put it ____________the locker, the
teacher suggested.

Exercise
The Student Union is going to organize a treasure hunt for Secondary 1 Students on the Orientation Day.
The chairman is now introducing the route to the committee members. Use the floor plan below to help
you fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions of place.

Let me introduce the route now. We will distribute the first hint to our new Secondary 1 students
_________________the vending machine ______________the tuck shop. They have to find out the second
hint ______________the Sports Equipment Room, which is __________________ the tuck shop. We will
mark a secret symbol _____________one of the boxes and we will put some harmonicas _____________
that box.
Each team needs to pick up one of the harmonicas _______________the box and go to the Music Room
_______________ the end of the corridor _______________the first floor, which is _______________the
Sports Equipment Room. There, they should use the harmonica to solve a problem. After solving the
problem, they need to go to the room_______________ the Music Room, that is the Computer Room, to
look at the hint written _______________the blackboard. The hint is about finding out
the name of the room _______________the Computer Room and the Staff Room.
After that, they should go to the cupboard __________________ the Staff Room and find out the last hint.
Finally, they have to go to the Activity Room right __________________ Room 105. There will be some
refreshments for them.