What are prepositions of place in English grammar?

Prepositions of place (a.k.a. prepositions of location) are words that we use to create phrases that describe where something happens or where something is. In a prepositional phrase of place, a nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. provides a location, and the preposition connects a person, place, thing, or action to that location. For example:

Look around the room you’re in right now and think about the things in it. Choose two items and consider how their position is related to each other. For example, is there a coffee cup on your desk? Do you have a pencil near your computer? Is a family member or pet sitting close to you? All of these descriptions use prepositions of place.

In this post, we’ll look at the most common English prepositions of place (at, on, in), how they’re used to make prepositional phrases, and how those prepositional phrases are used in English sentences.

We can use a preposition of place together with a nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., noun phraseNo definition set for noun phraseLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., or pronounNo definition set for pronounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. to create a prepositional phrase of place:

You can then use the prepositional phrase of place to describe the location of another noun or the location of an action (verbNo definition set for verbLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.). The prepositional phrase of place usually follows the noun or action it’s describing:

At, on, and in are the three most basic prepositions we use to describe location in English. Let’s jump in and take a closer look at each of these prepositions.

Use ‘at’ for a single point

We use at to describe a specific location or point in space.

Imagine you’re looking at a map — when you point to something on the map, it is a specific location and we use at + the specific location to create a prepositional phrase:

• Can you meet me at the library?

• The concert is at the performing arts center.

• I’m at the beach. Where are you?

We also use at with addresses and intersections:

• My mom lives at 295 River Road.

• The taxi dropped me off at 83rd and Park.

Even though we think of at as a point, we often use it to describe places that have three-dimensions, such as a building. In these cases, we use at because we’re thinking of the location of the building, and not the building itself.

In a similar way, we sometimes use at with events because we are thinking of the event as a spot or point on a map:

• I’m speaking at a conference next week.

• Can you meet me at the party?

Tip

When you want to know where someone is, you will usually ask: Where are you?

However, in the US, someone might ask Where are you at? or even Where you at?These are not grammatically correct, but they are very common in informal speech.

Use ‘in’ for enclosed spaces

We use in to describe positions within enclosed spaces that typically have width, height, and depth.

• The children like to play in the garden.

• The key is in the top drawer.

Sometimes these are used for spaces that we view in our minds as having these qualities.

My brother’s picture was in the newspaper.

→ The newspaper does not have walls, but it is a contained collection of writing.

Did you know that we also view clothing as containers or enclosed spaces? Because we think of clothes this way, we use in to describe someone wearing certain clothes:

• I think you look best in the blue shirt.

• The woman in the black dress is on her phone.

Tip

Use this to help you remember when to use at, on, and in:

'At' is a point.

Think of sticking a pin in a map.

'On' is open or flat.

Think of places where you could drop or hang a piece of paper.

'In' is for closed spaces.

Think of boxes, fences, or walls.

But at, on, and in aren’t our only prepositions of place! Let’s move on and take a look at some other common prepositions of place.

How to use other prepositions of place?

There are many other prepositions of place that we can use to describe spatial relationships. Some are individual words, others are longer phrases that we use like prepositions.

In this section we’ll introduce how these words and phrases are used to describe spatial relationships, but remember that some of these prepositions can also have other meanings! Check out our post on prepositions in English to learn more!

Tip

You might notice that sometimes there are two different options that are very close in meaning. Though there may be slight differences in usage, usually you can just use either option if it is appropriate!

One-word prepositions of place
above at a higher place, usually not touching the other object I hung the painting above my couch. My neighbor lives in the apartment above mine.
behind near the back side or far side of something The girl behind me in line is talking on her phone. The garbage cans are behind the house.
below in a lower position than something, usually not touching I walked through some bushes and got scratched below my knees. When it storms, the cat hides below the kitchen table.
beneath under something, usually touching or covered by it The dog was hiding beneath the blanket. When I go camping, I like to sleep beneath the stars.
beside at the side of something I usually keep a notebook beside my computer. The car beside mine is badly parked.
by near, usually on the same surface I put the keys by the phone. My house is by the train tracks.
near a relatively short distance from something I saw your dog near the school. I don’t like living near a college campus.
opposite placed face to face on both sides of a line or space The house opposite mine has a lovely garden. The two students constantly argued, so the teacher placed them at opposite sides of the room.
over at a higher place not touching or covering something I put the umbrella over my friend. Sam built a bridge over the creek by his house.
under at a lower position than something, sometimes covered by something During the summer, I store all my sweaters under the bed. My dog made a hole under the fence.

Phrases used as prepositions of place (= “compound prepositions”)
on top of at a higher position than something, always touching the item below it I usually keep my cereal boxes on top of the fridge. My dog likes to sit on top of the couch and look out the window.
in front of near the front of something I always stand in front of my brother in family photos because he is taller than me. There’s an apple tree in front of our house.
next to near the side of something My office building is next to the public library. Can you grab the keys? I think they’re next to the coffee maker.
close to a short distance from something I live close to the library. Johan was sitting close to Maria.
across from placed face to face on both sides of a line → less formal than opposite I always stop at the coffee shop across from my office before work. My parents sit across from each other at the dinner table.
far from a long distance from something My brother chose a college far from home, so we don’t get to see him very often. We’ve been hiking for a few hours, but we’re still far from the end of the trail.

Important

These longer phrases that we use as prepositions of place are called compound prepositions, because they involve multiple words that work together. Sometimes you can change one of the words in these phrases in ways that slightly change the meaning.

• ✅ We waited in front of the book store for our friend to arrive.

  → We waited outside, close to the front entrance.

• ✅ The mystery section is at the front of the book store.

  → The mystery section is inside, somewhere close to the entrance.

Prepositions of place are words we use to create prepositional phrases that describe the location or position of something in relation to something else. We can create these prepositional phrases with a preposition + noun, and these phrases can be used to modify nouns and verbs.

The most common prepositions of place are at (for specific points and events), on (for stacked surfaces, modes of transportation, and modes of communication), and in (for enclosed spaces, including clothing).

We can also use other prepositions (like below, under, above, and more) and longer phrases (like across from, next to, in front of, etc) to create prepositional phrases of place.

Let’s take another quick look around the room - now that you’ve learned about different prepositions to describe the locations and positions of things, try describing the positions of some things around you!

And when you’re ready for some extra practice, check out these activities on using prepositions of place!