Look at these examples to see how we use these prepositions.
Please put the book on the shelf.
They live in Helsinki.
You should keep milk in the fridge.
Mette is studying at the library.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
We can use the prepositions in, on and at to say where things are. They go before nouns.
I am in the kitchen.
My dog likes sleeping on the sofa.
The children eat lunch at school.
in
We use in to talk about a place that is inside a bigger space, such as a box, a house, a city or a country.
The clothes are in the wardrobe.
The children are playing in the park.
There's a bookshop in the shopping centre.
My grandmother was born in Sweden.
We also use in with other physical locations such as:
in the world
in water / the sea / a river / a lake / a pool
in the mountains / the countryside / a valley / the forest
in a car / a taxi
on
We use on to talk about location on a surface.
The books are on the desk.
We live on the fifth floor.
There are pictures on the wall.
She likes to sit on the floor.
We also use on for some types of public transport.
He's on the bus now.
You can't make phone calls on a plane.
They go to school on the train.
We also use on for lines (including rivers, borders, streets, etc.) and islands.
London is on the River Thames.
The Pyrenees are on the border of Spain and France.
There's a market on James Street.
I'd love to live on the Isle of Wight.
at
We use at in many common phrases, especially when we are talking about a place for a specific activity.
I'm at work.
She's working at home today.
The children are at school.
See you at the train station!
They're at the supermarket.
I met him at a party.
We also use at for addresses or exact positions.
I live at 15 Craig Street.
She's sitting at a desk.
He's waiting at the entrance.
Please sit at the back of the room.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hi.
I'm a litlle confused.
In the lesson explain:
"We also use in with other physical locations such as:
Adriana
Hello Adriana,
When we talk about physical locations, in the lake means getting wet while by the lake or on the lake means next to it. Since the cabin is probably not under the water you need on the lake here.
You can swim in the lake but you stay in a cabin/hotel etc on the lake or by the lake.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
I'm a litte bit confused by the use of "to which" in this sentence. Can you explain how I can understand this? Is it a seperate sentence?
The word kindness is a stem made up of a root, kind, and a suffix, -ness, to which another suffix, -es, could be added.
Hello Arsya,
You can find the answer on this page:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/relative-pronouns-relative-clauses
Look for the section headed 'Relative pronouns with prepositions'.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello,
Which one is correct - in the email or on the email?
Also, what's the difference between 'in the beginning' and 'at the beginning'?
Thank you.
Hello JemJem,
'In the email' is correct. We also use 'in' with document, text, SMS, message, picture and similar words. We use 'on' when the item is a poster, billboard or similar.
'In the beginning' is generally used to indicate an original state which later changes. For example, 'In the beginning he was very friendly but as time went by he became more irritable and impatient'. 'At the beginning' generally describes a particular point in a whole, so is often used when talking about a story or a film, for example. However, I think there is a lot of dialectic variation in how these phrases are used.
You can read a discussion on the topic here:
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/20389/at-the-beginning-or-in-the-beginning
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi teachers,
What is the difference between the sentences: I work in an office, or - I work at an office.
Another question - can I say that I'm at my parents - when I'm visiting them?
Hi Avigail,
In a context like this there's very little difference in meaing. However in other contexts the meaning is quite different. For example:
As you can see, the preposition in usually has a more precise meaning, while at is more general in terms of location. It is very context dependent, however.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello team,
I would be grateful if you could help me with the below.
(1) I know that we use "at" if we are at a restaurant for its normal purpose. But is it wrong to use "in"?
Eg. I was having a meal IN a restaurant yesterday evening.
(2) If I am not wrong, we usually use "on" for the below sentence. But is it wrong to use "in"?
Eg. I can see a motorboat moving IN the river now.
Thank you
Hello Yornis,
(1) in is fine here. Generally, we use in when we are referring to the building as a location rather than focusing on its use, but the context is so clear here that either form can be used.
(2) I would not use in here. Into is possible when the boat is entering the river from the bank or from another waterway, but in the river suggests some form of swimming or that the boat has sunk. However, it's possible that some dialects use prepositions differently.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team