Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of Place (At, In, On)

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The prepositions "at," "in," and "on" are regularly used in expressions of place. For example:

"At" is used for a precise point.

at the bus stop
at the front door
at the entrance
at the reception desk

"On" is used with a surface.

on the street
on the carpet
on the floor
on the front cover

"In" is used for an enclosed space.

in my pocket
in the box
in the car
in the garden

Your Go!

It's your go! Select the correct preposition:

More Examples with "At"

"At" is generally used for a precise point:

Meet me at the park bench.
Sarah works at the club house.
Matt saw the owl at the barn.

More Examples with "On"

"On" is generally used with a surface:

The printer in on my desk.
Please put the candle on the ledge.
The drinks are on the counter.

More Examples with "In"

"In" is generally used with for an enclosed space:

I am in my room.
The mouse is in the box.
We are sitting in my car.

These guidelines are quite well-observed. However, there are exceptions, which should be learned as set phrases (or collocations, i.e., words that sound natural when used together).

Set Time Phrases

Here are some set phrases that are not obvious fits for the guidelines presented above.

Set Phrases with "At":

Phrase	Example
at home	She is currently at home.
at school	Jack met Jill at school.
at the bottom	The treasure is at the bottom of the sea.
at the top	I'll meet you at the top of the mountain.
at work	I hope you do not act like this at work.

Set Phrases with "On":

Phrase	Example
on television	What is on television tonight?
on the radio	I heard you on the radio yesterday.
on the left/right	The bank is the first building on the left.

"On" is also used with modes of transport, but not cars and lorries (these are treated as "enclosed spaces" that we in):

Phrase	Example
on a bike	Christ on a bike! You did what?
on a bus	The dog was found on a bus.
on a horse	You look confident on a horse.
on a plane	It is a film about deadly snakes on a plane.
on a ship	Her father worked on a ship for forty years.
on a train	We should travel on a train next time.

Set Phrases with "In":

Phrase	Example
in a row	I rolled three sixes in a row.
in the newspaper	Don't believe anything you read in the newspaper.
in the sky	There was a double rainbow in the sky.