"The book is ON the table". When we want to express where an object or place is located we use a preposition of place. It's always placed after the main verb, which is usually "to be". Continue the lesson below.
Prepositions of place are used to show where something is located and they are always found after the principal verb, regardless of the verb tense. These prepositions are most often used with the verb “to be”.
We have already seen the various uses of the three most common prepositions (“in”, “at”, “on”) in the previous lesson. Below you will find many other prepositions of place.
Meaning: adjacent or by the side of
Use: “Next to” and “beside” can be used interchangeably as the meaning is the same. The use of one over the other depends on the speaker and the context.
Examples:
| The supermarket is next to (beside) the bank. |
| Sit next to (beside) me. |
Meaning: in proximity to, near
Use: “By” may be used in the same contexts as “next to” or “beside”, but the meaning is closer to “near” rather than directly adjacent.
Examples:
| I sit by the window. |
| Our house is by the river. |
Meaning: in the time or space that separates
Examples:
| The shop is between the bank and the train station. |
| She is standing between Peter and John. |
Meaning: in back of, to the rear of
Examples:
| The church is behind the school. |
| He is standing behind you. |
Meaning: the opposite of “behind” (when talking about people…see below) or across from
Use: We differentiate between these two prepositions when we are speaking about people. “Opposite” indicates that two people are facing one another (face to face), while “in front of” implies that one person is ahead of the other with their back to the person behind, as in a line or queue.
Examples:
| The hotel is in front of the station. |
| The bank is opposite the market. |
| Laura is standing in front of you. |
| She is sitting opposite me. |
Meaning: below or beneath, implying the object is covered by something
Examples:
| The ball is under the chair. |
| The dog is under the tree. |
Meaning: used in making comparisons, implying at a higher place than
Example:
| The clock is above the table. |
Meaning: used in making comparisons, implying at a lower place than
Example:
| The table is below the clock. |
