Prepositions of Place | List, Examples & Exercises
A preposition of place (e.g., “in,” “on,” or “at”) begins a prepositional phrase that describes a location (e.g., “under the sofa”). The prepositional phrase shows where a noun or action from another part of the sentence is located in relation to the object of the preposition (e.g., “The sock was under the sofa”).
The location can be physical (e.g., “in Paris” or “on the table”) or abstract (e.g., “on the radio” or “in the TikTok video”).
The English language has at least 22 prepositions of place and detailed rules about which preposition to use with different types of locations.
The examples and practice exercises below will help you choose the right preposition of place in conversation and writing.
I read about the eclipse in the New York Times and on the internet.
Beluga whales live in the Arctic Ocean.
How to use a preposition of place
Use a preposition of place at the beginning of a prepositional phrase that includes a noun or object pronoun (e.g., “him”) that represents a location. That noun or pronoun is the object of the preposition.
Sometimes the prepositional phrase only needs a noun or object pronoun. Other times, a prepositional phrase includes a noun phrase with determiners and/or modifiers.
I left my keys in the blue ceramic dish on the white credenza.
What are the prepositions of place?
Prepositions of place show where something happens or where something is located. The chart below shows how to use 22 prepositions of place in sentences. Each preposition of place refers to a specific type of location.
| Preposition | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| In | For a location in a larger space (e.g., a room) or in a text with a beginning and end (e.g., a movie or a magazine) | Patrick keeps his trophies in a locked cabinet. |
| Philomena interviewed several historians in her documentary. | ||
| On | For a surface (e.g., a table) or a form of communication (e.g., the internet or the radio) | Your birthday cards are on your desk. |
| I listened to a fascinating podcast on Spotify. | ||
| At | For a specific location or fixed point (e.g., a street address) | The jazz club is located at the corner of 12th Street and Vine. |
| Inside | For an enclosed location (e.g., a room) | No one was inside the house. |
| Outside | For a location that is external to an enclosure | The streetlight outside the house is too bright at night. |
| Above | For a location that is higher than the object of the preposition | The 2nd floor is above the hotel lobby. |
| Over | Two blue herons flew over the pond. | |
| Below | When the location is lower than a noun it isn’t touching | The parking garage is below the hotel lobby. |
| Beneath | When the location is under something that it’s touching or covered by | The ground beneath the house started to shake. |
| Under | Our cat Jinx hides under the bed. | |
| Underneath | Chipmunks live underneath our shed. | |
| Across from | For a location on the opposite side of someone or something | Helly sits across from Mark. |
| Among | When the location is surrounded by a group of people or things | A few butterflies flew among the wildflowers. |
| Beside | When a noun or action is close to a specific point | Estelle sat beside me during the movie. |
| By | The restaurant is located by a creek. | |
| Near | I wish we lived near the beach. | |
| Next to | Portugal is next to Spain. | |
| Behind | For a location that is further back than something | The wall behind the door has a small dent. |
| In front of | For a position just ahead of something | The tree in front of Kaya’s house had a giant swing. |
| Between | For a location that is in the middle of two people, places, or things | There’s a pet store between Trader Joe’s and Old Navy. |
| Beyond | For a location that is literally or figuratively further away from something | The mountain range lies beyond the valley. |
| Opposite | When something is on the other side of a particular area | We should put the new chair opposite the fireplace. |
Difference between in, on, and at
The difference between at, in, and on is subtle, so these prepositions of place are sometimes confused. The general rules for in, on, and at are as follows:
- Use at when the location is a point on a map or an event.
- Use in when the location is inside a larger or enclosed space or part of an audio or visual text (e.g., a movie or article).
- Use on when the location is the top of a surface, a page (e.g., a menu or poster), or a form of communication (e.g., the internet).
Some of the specific rules for using in, on, and at are illustrated in the table below.
| Preposition | Type of location | Example |
|---|---|---|
| At | Building or landmark as a point on a map | Meet me at the creek in 20 minutes. |
| Place of work | Jamie works at the library. | |
| Street address | Sherlock lives at 221B Baker Street. | |
| Event | I showed my resume to several employers at the career fair. | |
| On | Flat surface | The coffee grinder is on the kitchen counter. |
| Street | The advertising agency is located on Madison Avenue. | |
| Planet or moon | There’s no water on Mars. | |
| Communication device | If you want to spend less time on your phone, change the colors to gray. | |
| App or website | I learned how to make bread on YouTube. | |
| Menu, poster, or flier | There was no phone number on the flier for banjo lessons. | |
| Mode of transportation (except a car or truck) | My grandpa rode to school on a horse. | |
| In | Building or landmark as an enclosed space | Alfonso planted spinach and carrot seeds in the garden today. |
| Cities, states, and countries | Dorothy lives in Kansas with her aunt and uncle. | |
| Print or digital texts | The student quoted a famous author in the essay. | |
| Films, songs, and TV shows | Lupito plays the lead role in The Wild Robot. | |
| Clothing | The man in the yellow hat works at the zoo. | |
| Industries | Heidi always wanted to work in fashion design. | |
| Car, truck, or other vehicle | Winston drove to the party in his dad’s new Jeep. |
- I spent my lunch break at the park. [The park is a point on a map.]
- Is there a water fountain in this park? [The park is an enclosed area.]
- It’s too cold to swim in the river today. [The river is an enclosed space.]
- Bring a raft so we can float on the river. [The river is a surface.]
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use prepositions correctly in your writing.
Frequently asked questions about prepositions of place
- Is it on the plane or in the plane?
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It is on the plane or in the plane depending on the context. “On” is usually the correct preposition of place for a plane, but sometimes “in” is also a correct option.
Use “on” to describe travelling or riding by plane or other form of mass transportation where you can stand or choose a seat (e.g., “I took a nap on the plane”).
You can use “in the plane” or “on the plane” when you’re distinguishing between a location “inside” rather than “outside” the plane (e.g., “I’m still at the gift shop, but my wife is already in the plane”).
Have you tried QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker? It will help you use “on” and “in” correctly in your writing.
- Is it on the beach or at the beach?
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On the beach or at the beach are correct, but the best preposition of place depends on the context.
Use “on the beach” rather than “at the beach” when the location is the surface of the beach or a coastline (similar to how you’d say “on a street” or “along the coast”)
Use “at the beach” for a point on a map or a geographical location.
- We walked on the beach and looked for seashells.
- I stood on the beach and watched the waves.
- We spent the morning at the beach and the afternoon at the pool.
When you’re unsure about which preposition to use with “beach,” try QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker.
- Is it in line or on line?
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The correct phrase is usually in line when you’re waiting for your turn in a line of other people (e.g., “We waited in line at the restaurant”). On line is a regional variation in New York but uncommon in other places.
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use correct prepositions of place like “in” and “on” in your writing.
