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
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
Thank you
The LearnEnglish team,
Why do we say " London in on the Rivers Thames"?
We could say " London is by the River Thames" or " London is beside the River Thames".
Please help me understand this.
Thank you.
Hello ShetuYogme,
We quite often use 'on' with rivers, roads and squares/plazas. It means that the building has one side touching or close to the edge of the place. 'By' is similar but more vague in that it simply means 'near to'. 'Beside' is similar to 'next to'. Very often all of these prepositions are possible.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello teachers! I have a problem regarding using the correct preposition. I know the general idea of (at and in) but I saw different sites and books and videos talking about the difference between them like (we use at with buildings where an event or activity occurs) but I am still confused. Let me explain that by examples. Imagine I am inside the park playing with friends, and someone phones me and asks “hey! Where are you?” I reply “I am at the park” to deliver a message to him that I am doing an activity (which is playing) in the park. Another example: imagine that I am inside the restaurant having lunch, and my friend phones me and asks “where are you?” I reply “I am at the restaurant”. The question is: it’s right using (at) to express our presence with any building where an activity occurs??? For example: I am in the kitchen (can I say I am at the kitchen to indicate that I am doing an activity which is (cooking)?? And it’s ok to use (in) in these situations to just Indicate my presence inside the building?
Hello AboodKh9,
This is a complex area but I think you've more or less got it. One thing to remember, however, is that we don't use 'at' with rooms, so we would always say 'in the kitchen'. You would only say 'at the kitchen' if you were, for example, exploring a building and wanted to say where you were on a map as you progress: I'm at the stairs... now I'm at the doorway... I'm at the kitchen now... OK, I'm in the kitchen...
Generally, 'at' tells us about the area in a more general sense. We often use it before you enter a building or if you are near it. 'In' is more specific and describes a location with clear boundaries (walls, fences etc).
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you T. Peter
But I ask about the usage of "at" with the general places like (restauran, cafe, cinema, supermarke, llibrary... etc) for example: consider I am inside the library t borrow a book: I am at the library ?to iindicate that I am there for a purpose related to the library's goal which is lending books. And the same with the other places I mentioned above. So can I use at when I am inside a building for a purpose? For example: I am at the llibrary (I am inside the library looking for books. I am in the library ( I am inside the library just waiting for my friend, nto for a purpose related to the library's work.
Please clarify my explanation
Thank you so much ♥️
Hello again AboodKh9,
Yes, that's generally true but it depends on the context.
I'm at the library may mean that I am waiting outside it, or near the entrance. Alternatively, it may mean that I am borrowing books. On the other hand, I'm in the library certainly means I am inside the building, but it doesn't necessarily tell us anything about what I am doing there. I may be borrowing books, or I may be waiting for someone, or I may be a workman renovating the building. There is no one-to-one correlation between in and at and various meanings in terms of use.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello English Learning Team,
I have some problems with prepositions used with addresses, some books say: He lives in Chapman Street while you mention that it is with on.
In some research, I got even more confused.
Thanks in advanced.
Isabel