Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
Prepositions of place and direction
Choose the preposition that shows where something is, or which way it is going.
A preposition is a small word that puts two things in a position with each other. The book is on the shelf, under the shelf, beside the shelf — the book and the shelf never change, but the little word changes the whole picture.
Where something is
in, on, under, above, below, beside, between, behind, in front of, inside, outside. Nothing is moving in these sentences; the preposition is holding one thing still against another.
Which way something goes
into, out of, through, over, up, down, along, past, around. Here something is on the move, and the preposition traces the path it takes.
In or into?
In is a resting place: the ball is in the box. Into is a journey that ends there: the ball rolled into the box. The journey out again is out of — the ball rolled out of the box — and the same test settles them all: is anything moving?
Between is for two
Between the two goalposts, between the cup and the plate. When there are three or more, English usually switches to among: among the trees. Counting is nearly always all it takes to choose.
Worked example
Choose the preposition: "The mouse ran ____ the hole in the wall."
Look at the verb first: "ran" is movement, not rest.
That rules out the resting words like in and beside straight away.
Try it together
Let us put one ball in three different places.
Each answer is one word, and the sentence itself tells you which one it has to be.
1.The ball is resting on the ground, and the table is over it. The ball is ____ the table. Write one word.
Have a go
The kite flew ____ the roof of the house and away.
Ready to practise?
Eight questions on what you have just read. Nothing is timed, and you can play as many times as you like.