Prepositions of place & direction
in - opposite of out, contained, inside
- The ball is in the box.
- The car is in the garage.
- The check is in the mail.
- The diplomat is in Iraq.
at - general location implies that the subject may be walking around in that area. It is also used for events held at a specific location.
- I am at the shopping center.
- He is at work.
- They were at the meeting.
on - at the surface or top.
- I was walking on the beach when I saw the crab.
- We are riding on our bikes (bicycles).
- She will be performing her best song on the stage.
- The book is on the table.
- the board is floating on the pond.
among - surrounded by, in the same area as
- The weed is among the tomato plants.
- The castle is among the forest hills.
- The deer lives among the trees.
between - in the middle, one on either side.
- The monitor is between the front speakers.
- The wall is between the floor and ceiling.
behind - on the side away from the speaker or normal perspective.
- The town is behind that mountain.
- You are hiding behind the statue.
- She did it behind my back.
- The children disappeared as the walked behind the building.
in front of - on the side closer to the speaker or normal perspective.
- The children were playing in front of the house when dad came home and he gave each of them a hug.
- The keyboard is infront of the monitor.
- You are sitting in front of the keyboard.
- The sidewalk is in front of the library.
across from - on the other side, with something in between.
NOTE: across from and in front of are NOT the same.
- The bank is across from the school.
- Stadium is across from the library.
- He was sitting across from me at the conference.
beside/by/next to - to the left or right of, to any side of
- The mouse is beside the keyboard.
- The report is by the books.
- The chair is next to the desk.
- You are standing beside me.
- The dolphin swam beside the boat.
over/above - higher vertically with a space. They don't touch.
- The light is attached to the ceiling. It is above the table.
- The spaceship hovered over the terrain.
- The flag flew over the park.
under/below/underneath/beneath - lower vertically
- The toys are under the bed.
- Underneath the Earth's surface lie many caves.
- The carpet is below my feet.
- The road is under the car's tires.

inside/within - completely contained - sometimes the same as in.
- We went inside the store.
- The intruders are inside your office.
- The money is locked inside the safe.
- The data is within the file.
Outside - not within the enclosure
- We keep the windows shut so that the flies and bugs are outside.
- Our dog stays outside because we are allergic to him.
- It is an outdoor antennae it is outside on the roof.
toward/towards - in that direction
note: toward and towards are basically the same.
note: toward and towards are basically the same.
- She prays facing toward Mecca.
- I last saw them driving toward the border.
beyond - a greater distance away than something else, past the limit.
- The path is beyond that tree.
- That computer is beyond repair.
- Safety is beyond the city gates.
in
at
on/on top of
among
between
behind
in front of
across from
beside/ by/ next to
over/above
under/below/underneath
beneath
inside/within
outside
toward/towards
beyond
at
on/on top of
among
between
behind
in front of
across from
beside/ by/ next to
over/above
under/below/underneath
beneath
inside/within
outside
toward/towards
beyond