θjuːziˈæstɪk-ˌɛnəˈʤɛtɪk-ˈlaɪvli

ɪnˈæktɪv-ˈleɪzi-ləˈθɑːʤɪk#
sɛlfɪʃ miːn#ˈʤɛnᵊrəs-ˈhɛlpfᵊl-ˈfrɛndliˈ
ləˈbɔːriəs
-ænˈtæstɪk-ˈmɑːvᵊləs-ˈɔːsəm =ˈɔːfᵊl

hæpi-ˈkɒntɛnt-ˈʧɪəfᵊl-ɡlæd-dɪˈlaɪtɪd=ɪ ˈ
/ˈleɪtɪd
22825715 53771412
fæt-əʊˈbiːs ˈəʊvəweɪt-ɡrəʊs/θɪn-slɪm
pɜːʧəs deəri
kaʊədli
kəˈreɪʤəs
səˈluːt
ˈtraɪəmf

prepositions of place
in
if surrounded by sth
for bigger things
geographical locations
 Introduction Prepositions of place. These are among the most enjoyable things for
English students to learn. (laughter) No, of course not. I don't think anybody really
enjoys learning how to use prepositions, but if you want to express yourself clearly, then
you need to know how to use them correctly. Do we say, for example, "on the lake", "in
the lake" or "at the lake"? Actually, all of those are correct, but they mean different
things. I've already made a video on prepositions of time (you'll find the link in the
description), and this video is on prepositions of place. There are lots of prepositions of
place, but in this video we're just going to look at the three main ones (the three most
common ones): in, at and on. Just a couple of reminders before we begin. If you'd like to
improve your vocabulary, remember to sign up for my free advanced English email
lessons. You'll find the link in the description. And if you want to stop making so many
mistakes in English, remember that I also have a course on Udemy, which looks at
common mistakes made by English learners. To receive my special discount for that,
you just need to click the link in the description. OK, now prepositions of place. There are
some general rules for these, but unfortunately sometimes you just need to remember
fixed phrases. in Let's first look at "in". Generally speaking, we use "in" if the thing or the
person is surrounded by something else. For example: There is something in this box.
There is water in this glass. There is a small animal in his pocket. Most people keep their
underwear in a drawer. Most people. We also use it for bigger things. For example: I am
in a room. This room is in a house. We can actually use "in" for all types of homes and
buildings. In a building, in an apartment, in a castle, in a warehouse. You can use "at"
for buildings as well, but the meaning changes a bit. We'll look at that later in the video.
We also use "in" for some outdoor places. For example: I saw Frank peeing in the garden.
Well, he is a koala. There are lots of shops in the city centre. Even though these places are
outside, there's still this idea of being surrounded by something. We use "in" for
geographical locations as well, like towns, regions, states, countries, etc. I used to live in
Paris. I now live in New South Wales. New South Wales is a state in Australia. Some
people like to holiday in the mountains. They used to live in the city, but now they live in
the country. You can say "in the countryside", but most of the time, we just say "in the
country". It's also used for north, south, east and west. Tasmania is in the south. I don't
want to live there because it's very cold. Newcastle is in the north of England. Apparently
it's very cold there as well. Another thing we use it for is to talk about the contents of
food and liquids. There is a lot of fat in doughnuts. But I eat them anyway. Are there raw
onions in that salad? There isn't much alcohol in light beer. Another general rule for "in"
is that we usually use it for flat, printed things. For example: How many people are in that
picture? I know it's true because I read it in a book. We also say: in a photo, in a
newspaper, in a magazine and in a letter. But be careful. We say "on a page" and "on the
internet". I know it's true because I saw it on the internet. And on that note, now it's time
to look at "on". on Generally speaking, we use "on" for surfaces. I am sitting on a couch.
The lamp is on that table. You have a stain on your T-shirt. There is a picture on the wall.
George likes to sleep on the floor. We also say: on the ground, on the ceiling, on the door,
on the roof, etc. Although we say "in a building", we use "on" for the different floors in a
building. For example: When I lived in Paris, I lived on the 6th floor with no lift. I had
very strong thighs when I lived in Paris. On the topic of places, we say "on an island". For
example: Frank doesn't really like people, and would prefer to live alone on an island.
Another example: There aren't many people living on Hamilton Island. However, if the
name of the island, doesn't have the word "island" in it, we usually use the
preposition "in". For example: She always holidays in Bali. We also use "on" for coasts.
He lives on the coast because he loves the beach. Sydney is on the east coast of Australia.
And we say "on a farm". Ethel does not want to live on a farm. Another thing that you
need to remember is that we use "on" for the nouns "right", "left" and "side". In Australia
we drive on the left. In other words, we drive on the right side of the road. The driver's
 seat is on the right-hand side. Now I know I said we usually use "in" for printed things
like pictures and letters, but there are some exceptions. We say: on a map, on a menu, on
a list and on a page. If we're talking about a specific page in a book or a newspaper, we
say "on page (the number)" For example: The picture is on page 10. When we're
talking about paper, well... it depends. If we're talking about something like a newspaper
or a research paper, we use "in". I know it's true because I read it in the newspaper. If
we're talking about a physical piece or sheet of paper, we use "on". For example: There
are marks on this paper. And now it's time for "at". To be honest there isn't really a
general rule for "at". Some people say it's used to indicate a point in space. Um... That is
kind of true, but I don't know how helpful that is. I think it might be more useful if you
think of "at" as quite a general preposition that is usually less specific than "in" or "on".
It's often used to indicate a general location and it's similar to "very close to". For
example, if this is the thing and this is you, you could say "I am at the thing". Um...
Imagine this is a fence. You could say "I am at the fence". You're not on the fence or on
the fence. You're certainly not "in the fence". I don't think that's even possible. You are at
the fence. Some more examples: Frank waited at the bus stop. There is somebody at the
door. Now you can say "on the door", as well, but it means something else. So, for
example, this is the door. If there's something attached to the door, then it is on the door.
But if somebody has knocked and then they're standing here, they are at the door. There's
a cat at the window. She stopped at the traffic lights. There are also a few specific rules
for "at". We use "at" for events. Frank got drunk at the party. There were lots of people at
the meeting. And we also say: at a concert, at a conference, at a wedding, at a seminar,
etc. And there are some instances in which we use "at" immediately before the place. For
example: He's at work now. She's studying law at university. And we also say: at school
and at college. We say "at home" as well. If you use verbs like "to be" or "to stay", the
"at" is optional. For example, you can say: I was at home all weekend. Or: I was home all
weekend. But if you want to say that you're doing something where you live, then you
need "at". For example: I used to go to the gym, but now I exercise at home. Because I
am a cheapskate. Yes, I know it's a little bit confusing. tricky points And speaking of
confusing, now we're going to look at some tricky points. Remember, "tricky" means a bit
difficult. If something is tricky, normally you need to pay a bit more attention to it. So far
I've just shown you the quite simple, basic rules for "in", "at" and "on", when they are
used as prepositions of place. Now we're going to look at the slightly more complicated
rules. in at Let's first look at "in" and "at" when we're talking about buildings. As I said
earlier, we use "in" if we are surrounded by something or if we're in an enclosed space.
That means that you can use "in" if you are inside a building. But we often use "at" for
buildings and outdoor places as well. For example, you can say: "in a restaurant" or "at a
restaurant". "In a supermarket" or "at a supermarket". "In a park" or "at a park". Normally
"at" is a bit more general. For example, if you say "I am at the restaurant", you might be
inside, or you might be outside and very close to the restaurant. You might be in the
carpark. However, if you say "I'm in the restaurant", it definitely means that you're inside.
We also usually use "at" if we're talking about where an event takes place. So we'd say:
There are 30 tables in the restaurant. But: We had dinner at the restaurant. That rule also
applies if we're talking about somebody's home. For example: There are lots of
cockroaches in John's house. I do not want to stay at John's house. There are some
instances when we use "in" immediately before the location. For example: in hospital.
Did you know that Kate was in hospital? And: in prison or in jail. Frank spent a night in
jail. But if you say "in hospital", it means that the person is a patient. If you say "in the
hospital" or "at the hospital", the person might be a patient, but they could also be a
visitor or someone who works there. Similarly, if you say "in prison" or "in jail", it means
that the person is being held there. They're a prisoner, in other words. If Frank worked
there, I could say: Franks works at a jail. streets Now let's look at streets. These words
also apply to words like "road" and "avenue". Usually we use "on" here. There are lots of
pubs on George Street. Some people also use "in" for streets. There are lots of pubs in
George Street. However, if there is a number before the street name, we use "at". There is
a good pub at 110 George Street. water And now some rules for water and places with
water. If the thing, or the person or the animal is surrounded by water, we use "in". For
example: I saw Frank swimming in our neighbour's pool. There are lots of fish in this
river. There's a small island in the lake. However, if the person or the thing is on the
surface of the water, we usually use "on. There are lots of boats on the lake. But some
people also say "in" there. There are lots of boats in the lake. If the thing or the person is
not in the water, but is close to the water, we usually use "at". I'm going to have a picnic
at the lake. You can also use "at" to be more general. For example, if someone asked me:
Do you know where George is? I could say: Yes, he's at the local pool. I don't know if
right now as we speak he is in the swimming pool (he might be lying next to the
swimming pool), but I know that he went to the swimming pool. transport And now,
transport. Generally speaking, we use "on" for forms of transport. I'm on the plane. She
met her husband on a bus. Frank got arrested on the train. You CAN use "in" here (in the
plane, in the bus, in the train), but we normally only use that if we really want to
emphasise that the thing or the person is inside and not outside. We also say: on a ship
and on a boat. However, if it's a small boat, especially if it's something like a canoe or a
rowboat, we usually use "in". For example: When I was on the lake in my boat, a bird
pooped on my head. We also use "on" for bicycles, motorbikes and horses. The main
exception for forms of transport is cars, and things that are similar to cars. So we say: in a
car, in a taxi, in a van and in a truck. On the topic of transport, we say: at the airport and
at the station. So at the bus station or the train station. corner The final tricky point we're
going to look at today is with the word "corner". Look at these pictures. The ball is in the
corner. Again there is this idea of being surrounded by something. But we say: There is a
pub on the corner. You can also say "at the corner". There is a pub at the corner. OK,
guys, that is it for today. There are a few other tricky points regarding "in", "at" and "on",
but I think this video is long enough, and I do believe I've covered the most important
points. Remember if you want to watch my video on prepositions of time, you'll find the
link in the description. If you liked this video, please remember to hit the thumbs up.
Don't forget to subscribe if you don't want to miss any new videos, and I'll see you next
time. Bye guys!

prɛpəˈzɪʃᵊnz ɒv pleɪs
ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃᵊn ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃᵊnz ɒv pleɪs. ðiːz ɑːr əˈmʌŋ ðə məʊst ɪn
ˈʤɔɪəbᵊl θɪŋz fɔːr ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ˈstjuːdᵊnts tuː lɜːn.
(ˈlɑːftə) nəʊ, ɒv kɔːs nɒt. aɪ dəʊnt θɪŋk ˈɛniˌbɒdi ˈrɪəli ɪnˈʤɔɪz ˈlɜ
ːnɪŋ haʊ tuː juːz ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃᵊnz, bʌt ɪf juː wɒnt tuː ɪkˈsprɛs jɔːˈsɛlf
ˈklɪəli, ðɛn juː niːd tuː nəʊ haʊ tuː juːz ðɛm kəˈrɛktli. duː wiː s
eɪ, fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl, "ɒn ðə leɪk",
"ɪn ðə leɪk" ɔː "æt ðə leɪk"? ˈækʧuəli, ɔːl ɒv ðəʊz ɑː kəˈrɛkt, b
ʌt ðeɪ miːn ˈdɪfᵊrᵊnt θɪŋz. aɪv ɔːlˈrɛdi meɪd ə ˈvɪdiəʊ ɒn ˌprɛpə
ˈzɪʃᵊnz ɒv taɪm (juːl faɪnd ðə lɪŋk ɪn ðə dɪˈskrɪpʃᵊn), ænd ðɪs ˈv
ɪdiəʊ ɪz ɒn ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃᵊnz ɒv pleɪs. ðeər ɑː lɒts ɒv ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃᵊnz ɒv
pleɪs, bʌt ɪn ðɪs ˈvɪdiəʊ wɪə ʤʌst ˈɡəʊɪŋ tuː lʊk æt ðə θriː meɪ
n wʌnz (ðə θriː məʊst ˈkɒmən wʌnz): ɪn, æt ænd ɒn. ʤʌst ə ˈ
kʌpᵊl ɒv rɪˈmaɪndəz bɪˈfɔː wiː bɪˈɡɪn. ɪf juːd laɪk tuː ɪmˈpruːv jɔː
vəˈkæbjəlᵊri, rɪˈmɛmbə tuː saɪn ʌp fɔː maɪ friː ədˈvɑːnst ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ˈiː
meɪl ˈlɛsᵊnz. juːl faɪnd ðə lɪŋk ɪn ðə dɪˈskrɪpʃᵊn. ænd ɪf juː wɒn
t tuː stɒp ˈmeɪkɪŋ səʊ ˈmɛni mɪˈsteɪks ɪn ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ, rɪˈmɛmbə ðæt
aɪ ˈɔːlsəʊ hæv ə kɔːs ɒn Udemy, wɪʧ lʊks æt ˈkɒmən mɪˈsteɪks
meɪd baɪ ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ ˈlɜːnəz. tuː rɪˈsiːv maɪ ˈspɛʃᵊl ˈdɪskaʊnt fɔː ðæt,
juː ʤʌst niːd tuː klɪk ðə lɪŋk ɪn ðə dɪˈskrɪpʃᵊn. ˌəʊˈkeɪ, naʊ ˌprɛ
pəˈzɪʃᵊnz ɒv pleɪs. ðeər ɑː sʌm ˈʤɛnᵊrᵊl ruːlz fɔː ðiːz, bʌt ʌn
ˈfɔːʧᵊnətli ˈsʌmtaɪmz juː ʤʌst niːd tuː rɪˈmɛmbə fɪkst ˈfreɪzɪz. ɪn
lɛts fɜːst lʊk æt "ɪn". ˈʤɛnᵊrᵊli ˈspiːkɪŋ, wiː juːz "ɪn" ɪf ðə θɪŋ ɔː
ðə ˈpɜːsᵊn ɪz səˈraʊndɪd baɪ ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɛls. fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: ðeər ɪz
ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɪn ðɪs bɒks. ðeər ɪz ˈwɔːtər ɪn ðɪs ɡlɑːs. ðeər ɪz ə smɔ
ːl ˈænɪmᵊl ɪn hɪz ˈpɒkɪt. məʊst ˈpiːpᵊl kiːp ðeər ˈʌndəweər ɪn ə
drɔː. məʊst ˈpiːpᵊl. wiː ˈɔːlsəʊ juːz ɪt fɔː ˈbɪɡə θɪŋz. fɔːr ɪɡ
ˈzɑːmpᵊl: aɪ æm ɪn ə ruːm. ðɪs ruːm ɪz ɪn ə haʊs. wiː kæn ˈæ
kʧuəli juːz "ɪn" fɔːr ɔːl taɪps ɒv həʊmz ænd ˈbɪldɪŋz. ɪn ə ˈbɪldɪ
ŋ, ɪn ən əˈpɑːtmənt, ɪn ə ˈkɑːsᵊl, ɪn ə ˈweəhaʊs. juː kæn juːz
"æt" fɔː ˈbɪldɪŋz æz wɛl, bʌt ðə ˈmiːnɪŋ ˈʧeɪnʤɪz ə bɪt. wiːl lʊk
æt ðæt ˈleɪtər ɪn ðə ˈvɪdiəʊ. wiː ˈɔːlsəʊ juːz "ɪn" fɔː sʌm ˈaʊt
ˌdɔː ˈpleɪsɪz. fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: aɪ sɔː fræŋk ˈpiːɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈɡɑːdᵊn. wɛ
l, hiː ɪz ə kəʊˈɑːlə. ðeər ɑː lɒts ɒv ʃɒps ɪn ðə ˈsɪti ˈsɛntə. ˈiːvᵊn
ðəʊ ðiːz ˈpleɪsɪz ɑːr ˌaʊtˈsaɪd, ðeəz stɪl ðɪs aɪˈdɪə ɒv ˈbiːɪŋ sə
ˈraʊndɪd baɪ ˈsʌmθɪŋ. wiː juːz "ɪn" fɔː ˌʤiəˈɡræfɪkᵊl ləʊˈkeɪʃᵊnz æ
z wɛl, laɪk taʊnz, ˈriːʤᵊnz, steɪts, ˈkʌntriz, ɪtˈsɛtᵊrə. aɪ juːzd tuː
lɪv ɪn ˈpærɪs. aɪ naʊ lɪv ɪn njuː saʊθ weɪlz. njuː saʊθ weɪlz ɪz
ə steɪt ɪn ɒsˈtreɪliə. sʌm ˈpiːpᵊl laɪk tuː ˈhɒlədeɪ ɪn ðə ˈmaʊntɪn
z. ðeɪ juːzd tuː lɪv ɪn ðə ˈsɪti, bʌt naʊ ðeɪ lɪv ɪn ðə ˈkʌntri. ju
ː kæn seɪ "ɪn ðə ˈkʌntrɪsaɪd", bʌt məʊst ɒv ðə taɪm, wiː ʤʌst
seɪ "ɪn ðə ˈkʌntri". ɪts ˈɔːlsəʊ juːzd fɔː nɔːθ, saʊθ, iːst ænd wɛs
t. tæzˈmeɪniə ɪz ɪn ðə saʊθ. aɪ dəʊnt wɒnt tuː lɪv ðeə bɪˈkɒz ɪ
ts ˈvɛri kəʊld. ˈnjuːˌkɑːsᵊl ɪz ɪn ðə nɔːθ ɒv ˈɪŋɡlənd. əˈpærᵊntli ɪt
s ˈvɛri kəʊld ðeər æz wɛl. əˈnʌðə θɪŋ wiː juːz ɪt fɔːr ɪz tuː tɔːk
əˈbaʊt ðə ˈkɒntɛnts ɒv fuːd ænd ˈlɪkwɪdz. ðeər ɪz ə lɒt ɒv fæt
ɪn ˈdəʊnʌts. bʌt aɪ iːt ðɛm ˈɛniweɪ. ɑː ðeə rɔː ˈʌnjənz ɪn ðæt ˈs
æləd? ðeər ˈɪzᵊnt mʌʧ ˈælkəhɒl ɪn laɪt bɪə. əˈnʌðə ˈʤɛnᵊrᵊl ruːl f
ɔː "ɪn" ɪz ðæt wiː ˈjuːʒuəli juːz ɪt fɔː flæt, ˈprɪntɪd θɪŋz. fɔːr ɪɡ
ˈzɑːmpᵊl: haʊ ˈmɛni ˈpiːpᵊl ɑːr ɪn ðæt ˈpɪkʧə? aɪ nəʊ ɪts truː bɪ
ˈkɒz aɪ riːd ɪt ɪn ə bʊk. wiː ˈɔːlsəʊ seɪ: ɪn ə ˈfəʊtəʊ, ɪn ə ˈnjuːz
ˌpeɪpə, ɪn ə ˌmæɡəˈziːn ænd ɪn ə ˈlɛtə. bʌt biː ˈkeəfᵊl. wiː seɪ
"ɒn ə peɪʤ" ænd "ɒn ði ˈɪntənɛt". aɪ nəʊ ɪts truː bɪˈkɒz aɪ sɔː
ɪt ɒn ði ˈɪntənɛt. ænd ɒn ðæt nəʊt, naʊ ɪts taɪm tuː lʊk æt "ɒ
n". ɒn ˈʤɛnᵊrᵊli ˈspiːkɪŋ, wiː juːz "ɒn" fɔː ˈsɜːfɪsɪz. aɪ æm ˈsɪtɪŋ
ɒn ə kaʊʧ. ðə læmp ɪz ɒn ðæt ˈteɪbᵊl. juː hæv ə steɪn ɒn jɔː ˈ
tiːʃɜːt. ðeər ɪz ə ˈpɪkʧər ɒn ðə wɔːl. ʤɔːʤ laɪks tuː sliːp ɒn ðə f
lɔː. wiː ˈɔːlsəʊ seɪ: ɒn ðə ɡraʊnd, ɒn ðə ˈsiːlɪŋ, ɒn ðə dɔː, ɒn ðə
ruːf, ɪtˈsɛtᵊrə. ɔːlˈðəʊ wiː seɪ "ɪn ə ˈbɪldɪŋ", wiː juːz "ɒn" fɔː ðə ˈ
 dɪfᵊrᵊnt flɔːz ɪn ə ˈbɪldɪŋ. fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: wɛn aɪ lɪvd ɪn ˈpærɪs,
aɪ lɪvd ɒn ðiː 6th flɔː wɪð nəʊ lɪft. aɪ hæd ˈvɛri strɒŋ θaɪz wɛn
aɪ lɪvd ɪn ˈpærɪs. ɒn ðə ˈtɒpɪk ɒv ˈpleɪsɪz, wiː seɪ "ɒn ən ˈaɪlə
nd". fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: fræŋk ˈdʌzᵊnt ˈrɪəli laɪk ˈpiːpᵊl, ænd wʊd pri
ˈfɜː tuː lɪv əˈləʊn ɒn ən ˈaɪlənd. əˈnʌðər ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: ðeər ɑːnt ˈmɛ
ni ˈpiːpᵊl ˈlɪvɪŋ ɒn ˈhæmɪltən ˈaɪlənd. haʊˈɛvə, ɪf ðə neɪm ɒv ði
ˈaɪlənd, ˈdʌzᵊnt hæv ðə wɜːd "ˈaɪlənd" ɪn ɪt, wiː ˈjuːʒuəli juːz ðə
ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃᵊn "ɪn". fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: ʃiː ˈɔːlweɪz ˈhɒlədeɪz ɪn ˈbɑːli. wiː
ˈɔːlsəʊ juːz "ɒn" fɔː kəʊsts. hiː lɪvz ɒn ðə kəʊst bɪˈkɒz hiː lʌvz
ðə biːʧ. ˈsɪdni ɪz ɒn ði iːst kəʊst ɒv ɒsˈtreɪliə. ænd wiː seɪ "ɒn
ə fɑːm". ˈɛθᵊl dʌz nɒt wɒnt tuː lɪv ɒn ə fɑːm. əˈnʌðə θɪŋ ðæt ju
ː niːd tuː rɪˈmɛmbər ɪz ðæt wiː juːz "ɒn" fɔː ðə naʊnz "raɪt",
"lɛft" ænd "saɪd". ɪn ɒsˈtreɪliə wiː draɪv ɒn ðə lɛft. ɪn ˈʌðə wɜː
dz, wiː draɪv ɒn ðə raɪt saɪd ɒv ðə rəʊd. ðə ˈdraɪvəz siːt ɪz ɒn
ðə ˈraɪthænd saɪd. naʊ aɪ nəʊ aɪ sɛd wiː ˈjuːʒuəli juːz "ɪn" fɔː
ˈprɪntɪd θɪŋz laɪk ˈpɪkʧəz ænd ˈlɛtəz, bʌt ðeər ɑː sʌm ɪkˈsɛpʃᵊnz.
wiː seɪ: ɒn ə mæp, ɒn ə ˈmɛnjuː, ɒn ə lɪst ænd ɒn ə peɪʤ. ɪf
wɪə ˈtɔːkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ə spəˈsɪfɪk peɪʤ ɪn ə bʊk ɔːr ə ˈnjuːzˌpeɪpə,
wiː seɪ "ɒn peɪʤ (ðə ˈnʌmbə)" fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: ðə ˈpɪkʧər ɪz ɒn
peɪʤ 10. wɛn wɪə ˈtɔːkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈpeɪpə, wɛl... ɪt dɪˈpɛndz. ɪf wɪ
ə ˈtɔːkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈsʌmθɪŋ laɪk ə ˈnjuːzˌpeɪpər ɔːr ə rɪˈsɜːʧ ˈpeɪpə,
wiː juːz "ɪn". aɪ nəʊ ɪts truː bɪˈkɒz aɪ riːd ɪt ɪn ðə ˈnjuːzˌpeɪpə.
ɪf wɪə ˈtɔːkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ə ˈfɪzɪkᵊl piːs ɔː ʃiːt ɒv ˈpeɪpə, wiː juːz
"ɒn". fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: ðeər ɑː mɑːks ɒn ðɪs ˈpeɪpə. ænd naʊ ɪts
taɪm fɔː "æt". tuː biː ˈɒnɪst ðeər ˈɪzᵊnt ˈrɪəli ə ˈʤɛnᵊrᵊl ruːl fɔː "
æt". sʌm ˈpiːpᵊl seɪ ɪts juːzd tuː ˈɪndɪkeɪt ə pɔɪnt ɪn speɪs. əm
... ðæt ɪz kaɪnd ɒv truː, bʌt aɪ dəʊnt nəʊ haʊ ˈhɛlpfᵊl ðæt ɪz.
aɪ θɪŋk ɪt maɪt biː mɔː ˈjuːsfᵊl ɪf juː θɪŋk ɒv "æt" æz kwaɪt ə ˈ
ʤɛnᵊrᵊl ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃᵊn ðæt ɪz ˈjuːʒuəli lɛs spəˈsɪfɪk ðæn "ɪn" ɔː
"ɒn". ɪts ˈɒfᵊn juːzd tuː ˈɪndɪkeɪt ə ˈʤɛnᵊrᵊl ləʊˈkeɪʃᵊn ænd ɪts ˈs
ɪmɪlə tuː "ˈvɛri kləʊz tuː". fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl, ɪf ðɪs ɪz ðə θɪŋ ænd
ðɪs ɪz juː, juː kʊd seɪ "aɪ æm æt ðə θɪŋ". əm... ɪˈmæʤɪn ðɪs ɪ
z ə fɛns. juː kʊd seɪ "aɪ æm æt ðə fɛns". jɔː nɒt ɒn ðə fɛns ɔ
ːr ɒn ðə fɛns. jɔː ˈsɜːtᵊnli nɒt "ɪn ðə fɛns". aɪ dəʊnt θɪŋk ðæts
ˈiːvᵊn ˈpɒsəbᵊl. juː ɑːr æt ðə fɛns. sʌm mɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊlz: fræŋk ˈ
weɪtɪd æt ðə bʌs stɒp. ðeər ɪz ˈsʌmbədi æt ðə dɔː. naʊ juː k
æn seɪ "ɒn ðə dɔː", æz wɛl, bʌt ɪt miːnz ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɛls. səʊ, fɔːr
ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl, ðɪs ɪz ðə dɔː. ɪf ðeəz ˈsʌmθɪŋ əˈtæʧt tuː ðə dɔː, ðɛn
ɪt ɪz ɒn ðə dɔː. bʌt ɪf ˈsʌmbədi hæz nɒkt ænd ðɛn ðeə ˈstænd
ɪŋ hɪə, ðeɪ ɑːr æt ðə dɔː. ðeəz ə kæt æt ðə ˈwɪndəʊ. ʃiː stɒpt
æt ðə ˈtræfɪk laɪts. ðeər ɑːr ˈɔːlsəʊ ə fjuː spəˈsɪfɪk ruːlz fɔː
"æt". wiː juːz "æt" fɔːr ɪˈvɛnts. fræŋk ɡɒt drʌŋk æt ðə ˈpɑːti. ð
eə wɜː lɒts ɒv ˈpiːpᵊl æt ðə ˈmiːtɪŋ. ænd wiː ˈɔːlsəʊ seɪ: æt ə ˈ
kɒnsət, æt ə ˈkɒnfᵊrᵊns, æt ə ˈwɛdɪŋ, æt ə ˈsɛmɪnɑː, ɪtˈsɛtᵊrə.
ænd ðeər ɑː sʌm ˈɪnstənsɪz ɪn wɪʧ wiː juːz "æt" ɪˈmiːdiətli bɪ
ˈfɔː ðə pleɪs. fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: hiːz æt wɜːk naʊ. ʃiːz ˈstʌdiɪŋ lɔː æ
t ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəti. ænd wiː ˈɔːlsəʊ seɪ: æt skuːl ænd æt ˈkɒlɪʤ. wi
ː seɪ "æt həʊm" æz wɛl. ɪf juː juːz vɜːbz laɪk "tuː biː" ɔː "tuː
steɪ", ðiː "æt" ɪz ˈɒpʃᵊnᵊl. fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl, juː kæn seɪ: aɪ wɒz æ
t həʊm ɔːl ˌwiːkˈɛnd. ɔː: aɪ wɒz həʊm ɔːl ˌwiːkˈɛnd. bʌt ɪf juː w
ɒnt tuː seɪ ðæt jɔː ˈduːɪŋ ˈsʌmθɪŋ weə juː lɪv, ðɛn juː niːd "æt"
. fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: aɪ juːzd tuː ɡəʊ tuː ðə ʤɪm, bʌt naʊ aɪ ˈɛksəs
aɪz æt həʊm. bɪˈkɒz aɪ æm ə ˈʧiːpskeɪt. jɛs, aɪ nəʊ ɪts ə ˈlɪtᵊl
bɪt kənˈfjuːzɪŋ. ˈtrɪki pɔɪnts ænd ˈspiːkɪŋ ɒv kənˈfjuːzɪŋ, naʊ wɪə
ˈɡəʊɪŋ tuː lʊk æt sʌm ˈtrɪki pɔɪnts. rɪˈmɛmbə,
"ˈtrɪki" miːnz ə bɪt ˈdɪfɪkᵊlt. ɪf ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɪz ˈtrɪki, ˈnɔːmᵊli juː niːd
tuː peɪ ə bɪt mɔːr əˈtɛnʃᵊn tuː ɪt. səʊ fɑːr aɪv ʤʌst ʃəʊn juː ðə
kwaɪt ˈsɪmpᵊl, ˈbeɪsɪk ruːlz fɔː "ɪn",
"æt" ænd "ɒn", wɛn ðeɪ ɑː juːzd æz ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃᵊnz ɒv pleɪs. naʊ
wɪə ˈɡəʊɪŋ tuː lʊk æt ðə ˈslaɪtli mɔː ˈkɒmplɪkeɪtɪd ruːlz. ɪn æt l
ɛts fɜːst lʊk æt "ɪn" ænd "æt" wɛn wɪə ˈtɔːkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈbɪldɪŋz.
æz aɪ sɛd ˈɜːliə, wiː juːz "ɪn" ɪf wiː ɑː səˈraʊndɪd baɪ ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɔː
r ɪf wɪər ɪn ən ɪnˈkləʊzd speɪs. ðæt miːnz ðæt juː kæn juːz
"ɪn" ɪf juː ɑːr ɪnˈsaɪd ə ˈbɪldɪŋ. bʌt wiː ˈɒfᵊn juːz "æt" fɔː ˈbɪldɪŋ
z ænd ˈaʊtˌdɔː ˈpleɪsɪz æz wɛl. fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl, juː kæn seɪ:
"ɪn ə ˈrɛstᵊrɒnt" ɔː "æt ə ˈrɛstᵊrɒnt". "ɪn ə ˈsuːpə
ˌmɑːkɪt" ɔː "æt ə ˈsuːpəˌmɑːkɪt".
"ɪn ə pɑːk" ɔː "æt ə pɑːk". ˈnɔːmᵊli "æt" ɪz ə bɪt mɔː ˈʤɛnᵊrᵊl. f
ɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl, ɪf juː seɪ "aɪ æm æt ðə ˈrɛstᵊrɒnt", juː maɪt biː ɪ
nˈsaɪd, ɔː juː maɪt biː ˌaʊtˈsaɪd ænd ˈvɛri kləʊz tuː ðə ˈrɛstᵊrɒn
t. juː maɪt biː ɪn ðə carpark. haʊˈɛvə, ɪf juː seɪ "aɪm ɪn ðə ˈrɛ
stᵊrɒnt", ɪt ˈdɛfɪnətli miːnz ðæt jɔːr ɪnˈsaɪd. wiː ˈɔːlsəʊ ˈjuːʒuəli j
uːz "æt" ɪf wɪə ˈtɔːkɪŋ əˈbaʊt weər ən ɪˈvɛnt teɪks pleɪs. səʊ w
iːd seɪ: ðeər ɑː 30 ˈteɪbᵊlz ɪn ðə ˈrɛstᵊrɒnt. bʌt: wiː hæd ˈdɪnər
æt ðə ˈrɛstᵊrɒnt. ðæt ruːl ˈɔːlsəʊ əˈplaɪz ɪf wɪə ˈtɔːkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈsʌ
mbədiz həʊm. fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: ðeər ɑː lɒts ɒv ˈkɒkrəʊʧɪz ɪn ʤɒnz
haʊs. aɪ duː nɒt wɒnt tuː steɪ æt ʤɒnz haʊs. ðeər ɑː sʌm ˈɪns
tənsɪz wɛn wiː juːz "ɪn" ɪˈmiːdiətli bɪˈfɔː ðə ləʊˈkeɪʃᵊn. fɔːr ɪɡ
ˈzɑːmpᵊl: ɪn ˈhɒspɪtᵊl. dɪd juː nəʊ ðæt keɪt wɒz ɪn ˈhɒspɪtᵊl? æ
nd: ɪn ˈprɪzᵊn ɔːr ɪn ʤeɪl. fræŋk spɛnt ə naɪt ɪn ʤeɪl. bʌt ɪf juː
seɪ "ɪn ˈhɒspɪtᵊl", ɪt miːnz ðæt ðə ˈpɜːsᵊn ɪz ə ˈpeɪʃᵊnt. ɪf juː s
eɪ "ɪn ðə ˈhɒspɪtᵊl" ɔː "æt ðə ˈhɒspɪtᵊl", ðə ˈpɜːsᵊn maɪt biː ə ˈ
peɪʃᵊnt, bʌt ðeɪ kʊd ˈɔːlsəʊ biː ə ˈvɪzɪtər ɔː ˈsʌmwʌn huː wɜːks
ðeə. ˈsɪmɪləli, ɪf juː seɪ "ɪn ˈprɪzᵊn" ɔː "ɪn ʤeɪl", ɪt miːnz ðæt
ðə ˈpɜːsᵊn ɪz ˈbiːɪŋ hɛld ðeə. ðeər ə ˈprɪzᵊnə, ɪn ˈʌðə wɜːdz. ɪf f
ræŋk wɜːkt ðeə, aɪ kʊd seɪ: fræŋks wɜːks æt ə ʤeɪl. striːts n
aʊ lɛts lʊk æt striːts. ðiːz wɜːdz ˈɔːlsəʊ əˈplaɪ tuː wɜːdz laɪk
"rəʊd" ænd "ˈævənjuː". ˈjuːʒuəli wiː juːz "ɒn" hɪə. ðeər ɑː lɒts ɒ
v pʌbz ɒn ʤɔːʤ striːt. sʌm ˈpiːpᵊl ˈɔːlsəʊ juːz "ɪn" fɔː striːts. ðe
ər ɑː lɒts ɒv pʌbz ɪn ʤɔːʤ striːt. haʊˈɛvə, ɪf ðeər ɪz ə ˈnʌmbə
 bɪˈfɔː ðə striːt neɪm, wiː juːz "æt". ðeər ɪz ə ɡʊd pʌb æt 110
ʤɔːʤ striːt. ˈwɔːtər ænd naʊ sʌm ruːlz fɔː ˈwɔːtər ænd ˈpleɪsɪz
wɪð ˈwɔːtə. ɪf ðə θɪŋ, ɔː ðə ˈpɜːsᵊn ɔː ði ˈænɪmᵊl ɪz səˈraʊndɪd
baɪ ˈwɔːtə, wiː juːz "ɪn". fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl: aɪ sɔː fræŋk ˈswɪmɪŋ ɪn
ˈaʊə ˈneɪbəz puːl. ðeər ɑː lɒts ɒv fɪʃ ɪn ðɪs ˈrɪvə. ðeəz ə smɔːl ˈ
aɪlənd ɪn ðə leɪk. haʊˈɛvə, ɪf ðə ˈpɜːsᵊn ɔː ðə θɪŋ ɪz ɒn ðə ˈsɜːfɪ
s ɒv ðə ˈwɔːtə, wiː ˈjuːʒuəli juːz "ɒn. ðeər ɑː lɒts ɒv bəʊts ɒn
ðə leɪk. bʌt sʌm ˈpiːpᵊl ˈɔːlsəʊ seɪ "ɪn" ðeə. ðeər ɑː lɒts ɒv bəʊ
ts ɪn ðə leɪk. ɪf ðə θɪŋ ɔː ðə ˈpɜːsᵊn ɪz nɒt ɪn ðə ˈwɔːtə, bʌt ɪz
kləʊz tuː ðə ˈwɔːtə, wiː ˈjuːʒuəli juːz "æt". aɪm ˈɡəʊɪŋ tuː hæv ə
ˈpɪknɪk æt ðə leɪk. juː kæn ˈɔːlsəʊ juːz "æt" tuː biː mɔː ˈʤɛnᵊrᵊ
l. fɔːr ɪɡˈzɑːmpᵊl, ɪf ˈsʌmwʌn ɑːskt miː: duː juː nəʊ weə ʤɔːʤ ɪ
z? aɪ kʊd seɪ: jɛs, hiːz æt ðə ˈləʊkᵊl puːl. aɪ dəʊnt nəʊ ɪf raɪt
naʊ æz wiː spiːk hiː ɪz ɪn ðə ˈswɪmɪŋ puːl (hiː maɪt biː ˈlaɪɪŋ n
ɛkst tuː ðə ˈswɪmɪŋ puːl), bʌt aɪ nəʊ ðæt hiː wɛnt tuː ðə ˈswɪ
mɪŋ puːl. ˈtrænspɔːt ænd naʊ, ˈtrænspɔːt. ˈʤɛnᵊrᵊli ˈspiːkɪŋ, wiː j
uːz "ɒn" fɔː fɔːmz ɒv ˈtrænspɔːt. aɪm ɒn ðə pleɪn. ʃiː mɛt hɜː ˈh
ʌzbənd ɒn ə bʌs. fræŋk ɡɒt əˈrɛstɪd ɒn ðə treɪn. juː kæn juːz
"ɪn" hɪə (ɪn ðə pleɪn, ɪn ðə bʌs, ɪn ðə treɪn), bʌt wiː ˈnɔːmᵊli ˈ
əʊnli juːz ðæt ɪf wiː ˈrɪəli wɒnt tuː ˈɛmfəsaɪz ðæt ðə θɪŋ ɔː ðə
ˈpɜːsᵊn ɪz ɪnˈsaɪd ænd nɒt ˌaʊtˈsaɪd. wiː ˈɔːlsəʊ seɪ: ɒn ə ʃɪp æ
nd ɒn ə bəʊt. haʊˈɛvə, ɪf ɪts ə smɔːl bəʊt, ɪˈspɛʃᵊli ɪf ɪts ˈsʌmθɪ
ŋ laɪk ə kəˈnuː ɔːr ə ˈrəʊbəʊt, wiː ˈjuːʒuəli juːz "ɪn". fɔːr ɪɡ
ˈzɑːmpᵊl: wɛn aɪ wɒz ɒn ðə leɪk ɪn maɪ bəʊt, ə bɜːd puːpt ɒn
maɪ hɛd. wiː ˈɔːlsəʊ juːz "ɒn" fɔː ˈbaɪsɪkᵊlz, ˈməʊtəˌbaɪks ænd ˈh
ɔːsɪz. ðə meɪn ɪkˈsɛpʃᵊn fɔː fɔːmz ɒv ˈtrænspɔːt ɪz kɑːz, ænd θɪŋ
z ðæt ɑː ˈsɪmɪlə tuː kɑːz. səʊ wiː seɪ: ɪn ə kɑː, ɪn ə ˈtæksi, ɪn
ə væn ænd ɪn ə trʌk. ɒn ðə ˈtɒpɪk ɒv ˈtrænspɔːt, wiː seɪ: æt
ði ˈeəpɔːt ænd æt ðə ˈsteɪʃᵊn. səʊ æt ðə bʌs ˈsteɪʃᵊn ɔː ðə treɪ
n ˈsteɪʃᵊn. ˈkɔːnə ðə ˈfaɪnᵊl ˈtrɪki pɔɪnt wɪə ˈɡəʊɪŋ tuː lʊk æt tə
ˈdeɪ ɪz wɪð ðə wɜːd "ˈkɔːnə". lʊk æt ðiːz ˈpɪkʧəz. ðə bɔːl ɪz ɪn
ðə ˈkɔːnə. əˈɡɛn ðeər ɪz ðɪs aɪˈdɪə ɒv ˈbiːɪŋ səˈraʊndɪd baɪ ˈsʌm
θɪŋ. bʌt wiː seɪ: ðeər ɪz ə pʌb ɒn ðə ˈkɔːnə. juː kæn ˈɔːlsəʊ seɪ
"æt ðə ˈkɔːnə". ðeər ɪz ə pʌb æt ðə ˈkɔːnə. ˌəʊˈkeɪ, ɡaɪz, ðæt ɪ
z ɪt fɔː təˈdeɪ. ðeər ɑːr ə fjuː ˈʌðə ˈtrɪki pɔɪnts rɪˈɡɑːdɪŋ "ɪn",
"æt" ænd "ɒn", bʌt aɪ θɪŋk ðɪs ˈvɪdiəʊ ɪz lɒŋ ɪˈnʌf, ænd aɪ duː
bɪˈliːv aɪv ˈkʌvəd ðə məʊst ɪmˈpɔːtᵊnt pɔɪnts. rɪˈmɛmbər ɪf juː w
ɒnt tuː wɒʧ maɪ ˈvɪdiəʊ ɒn ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃᵊnz ɒv taɪm, juːl faɪnd ðə lɪ
ŋk ɪn ðə dɪˈskrɪpʃᵊn. ɪf juː laɪkt ðɪs ˈvɪdiəʊ, pliːz rɪˈmɛmbə tuː h
ɪt ðə θʌmz ʌp. dəʊnt fəˈɡɛt tuː səbˈskraɪb ɪf juː dəʊnt wɒnt tuː
mɪs ˈɛni njuː ˈvɪdiəʊz, ænd aɪl siː juː nɛkst taɪm. baɪ ɡaɪz!