Improve your speaking skills with instant feedback 🤖 Practice English with AI

    Prepositions of Place (in, on, at)

    Prepositions of place are essential for describing the location of something. These prepositions help in creating clear and precise sentences by indicating where something is located. The most commonly used prepositions of place in English are 'in', 'on', and 'at'. Understanding how to use these prepositions correctly is key to achieving fluency in spoken English.

    Structure of Prepositions of Place

    Each of the prepositions of place has its specific usage rules:

    In: Used to indicate that something is inside an enclosed space.
    On: Used when something is on a surface.
    At: Used to indicate a specific point or location.

    Examples with Explanations

    1. The cat is in the box.
    Here, 'in' is used because the cat is inside an enclosed space, which is the box.
    2. The book is on the table.
    'On' is used here to indicate that the book is resting on the surface of the table.
    3. She is at the bus stop.
    'At' is used to specify the exact location where she is, which is the bus stop.
    4. They are in the park.
    'In' is used here because the park is considered an enclosed area, even though it is open.
    5. The keys are on the shelf.
    'On' is used to show that the keys are placed on the surface of the shelf.

    Exceptions

    While the basic rules for using 'in', 'on', and 'at' are straightforward, there are some exceptions and special cases:

    Specific Buildings and Places

    For specific buildings and places, 'at' is often used instead of 'in'. For example, "She is at school" rather than "She is in school" when referring to the general location.

    On for Floors

    When referring to a specific floor in a building, 'on' is used. For example, "He lives on the third floor".

    In for Cities and Countries

    For cities and countries, 'in' is always used. For example, "She lives in New York" or "They are in France".