ESL Grammar: Prepositions - Prepositions of Place, In, On, At, Above, Under, Between

What It Is

Prepositions of place show where something is located. They can be confusing because there are many words that look and sound similar. For example, "in" and "on" are often used incorrectly. ESL learners may have trouble understanding when to use each preposition because their first language may use different words or rules.

Key Rules

• In is used for inside a container or a building: "I am in the kitchen."
• On is used for a surface or a flat area: "The book is on the table."
• At is used for a specific location or a point in time: "I am at the park."
• Above is used for something higher than something else: "The bird is above the tree."
• Under is used for something lower than something else: "The ball is under the bed."
• Between is used for two or more things: "The book is between the two chairs."
• Use in for cities and countries: "I live in Paris."
• Use on for streets and roads: "The store is on Main Street."
• Use at for addresses: "The hotel is at 123 Main Street."
• Use above and under for physical locations: "The picture is above the couch."
• Use between for physical locations: "The book is between the two couches."
• In and on can be used with the same preposition: "I am in the car and on the road."
• At can be used with the same preposition: "I am at the store and at the mall."
• Above and under can be used with the same preposition: "The picture is above the couch and under the table."
• Between can be used with the same preposition: "The book is between the two couches and between the two chairs."
• Use in for time: "I will meet you in an hour."
• Use on for time: "I will meet you on Friday."
• Use at for time: "I will meet you at 5 o'clock."
• Use above and under for time: "I will meet you above the clock and under the bridge."
• Use between for time: "I will meet you between 5 and 6 o'clock."

Common ESL Errors

• Error: "I am in the store and on the road." Why it happens: Interference from L1, overgeneralization. Correction: "I am in the car and on the road." (Use in for inside a vehicle and on for a surface.)
• Error: "I will meet you at 5 o'clock and at 6 o'clock." Why it happens: Overgeneralization. Correction: "I will meet you at 5 o'clock and on Friday." (Use at for a specific time and on for a day of the week.)
• Error: "The book is above the table and under the couch." Why it happens: Lack of understanding of preposition usage. Correction: "The book is above the table and under the bed." (Use above and under for physical locations.)

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blank: "The book is in the _____." (Answer: box, Correct because "in" is used for inside a container.)
2. Fill in the blank: "I will meet you at _____." (Answer: 5 o'clock, Correct because "at" is used for a specific time.)
3. Fill in the blank: "The picture is above the _____." (Answer: couch, Correct because "above" is used for something higher than something else.)

Last-Minute Revision

In and on can be used with the same preposition.
At can be used with the same preposition.
Above and under can be used with the same preposition.
Between can be used with the same preposition. Use in for cities and countries. Use on for streets and roads. Use at for addresses. Use above and under for physical locations. Use between for physical locations. Use in for time. Use on for time. Use at for time. Use above and under for time. Use between for time.
In and on can be used with the same verb.
At can be used with the same verb.
Above and under can be used with the same verb.
Between can be used with the same verb. Use in for inside a vehicle. Use on for a surface. Use at for a specific location or point in time. Use above and under for something higher or lower than something else. Use between for two or more things.