Explanation
Exercises

📍 Prepositions of Place

AT

At – a point:
at the entrance, at the corner, at the bus stop

Top/Bottom/End of:
at the top of the hill, at the end of the corridor

Group activities:
at a meeting, at a festival, at the theatre

School/University:
at school, at college

Home/Work:
at home, at work

Shops:
at the supermarket, at a coffee shop, at the pharmacy

IN

In – a 3D space:
in the drawer, in the kitchen, in a suitcase

Territory:
in Italy, in Asia, in the city center

Car/Van:
in the car, in a taxi

Water:
in the ocean, in a pond, in a waterfall, in the pool

Printed material:
in a magazine, in a photo, in an email

ON

On – a surface:
on the shelf, on the wall, on the menu

Floor:
on the ground floor, on the second floor

Right/Left:
on the right, on the left

Public transport:
on the tram, on the subway, on a boat

Media:
on the radio, on YouTube, on the internet, on an app

📍 At – Specific Point or Place

At – a point: We use at to refer to a point near something.

  • Let’s meet at the bus stop. 🚌
  • There’s a small sign at the entrance. 🚪

Common expressions with “at”:

ExpressionExample
at the top ofThe café is at the top of the hill. ⛰️
at the bottom ofYour shoes are at the bottom of the stairs. 👟
at the end ofThe restroom is at the end of the corridor. 🚻

Group activities: Used with events or gatherings.

  • We’re at a meeting right now. 🗣️
  • I saw her at the theatre yesterday. 🎭
  • We met at a festival. 🎉

At + school/university/college:

  • My sister is at college this year. 🎓
  • The kids are at school until 2 p.m. 🧑‍🏫

At home / at work: No article “the” is used!

CorrectIncorrect
He’s at home. ✅He’s at the home. ❌
I’m at work today. ✅I’m at the work today. ❌

At the shop / café / restaurant:

  • I’m at the supermarket. 🛒
  • If you’re at the pharmacy, can you buy some vitamins? 💊

📦 In – Inside or Enclosed Space

In – a 3D space:

  • The keys are in the drawer. 🔑
  • She’s waiting in the kitchen. 🍳

In – a limited area: Continents, countries, cities, regions, etc.

  • They live in Canada. 🇨🇦
  • I love the cafés in the city center. ☕

In – a car / van:

  • He’s in a taxi right now. 🚕

In – the water:

  • The kids are playing in the pool. 🏊‍♂️

In – a book / picture / newspaper:

  • Who’s that boy in the photo? 📸
  • I read it in a magazine. 📰

🧍 On – Surface or Platform

On – a surface:

  • Your phone is on the shelf. 📱

On – a floor:

  • The gym is on the second floor. 🏋️

On – the right / left:

  • The exit is on the left. ⬅️

On – transport:

  • She’s on the subway now. 🚇

On – media:

  • I heard it on the radio. 📻
  • I found it on an app. 📲
Exercises:
1
2
3

Prepositions of Place

Choose at, in, on to complete the sentences.
1 The cat is the sofa.
2 We live New York City.
3 The keys are the drawer.
4 He is waiting the bus stop.
5 She left her bag the car.
6 The painting hangs the wall.
7 The shop is the corner.
8 They met the restaurant.
9 He sat the chair.
10 The letter is the envelope.

Prepositions of Place

Choose the correct prepositions of place (at, in, on) to complete the sentences.
1
He lives ____ 221B Baker Street.
A.
B.
C.
2
Sarah works ____ an international company.
A.
B.
C.
3
The keys are ____ the kitchen table.
A.
B.
C.
4
The café is ____ the corner of Main and Oak.
A.
B.
C.
5
The library is ____ the first floor.
A.
B.
C.
6
My shoes are ____ the closet.
A.
B.
C.
7
The children are playing ____ the backyard.
A.
B.
C.
8
The notice is posted ____ the door.
A.
B.
C.
9
The meeting will be held ____ the conference room.
A.
B.
C.
10
He placed the book ____ the shelf.
A.
B.
C.

Prepositions of Place

Complete the sentences using the correct prepositions of place: at, in, on.
1
The cat is
the roof.
2
The hotel is
the beach.
3
He works
a software company.
4
The store is
the corner of 5th and Elm.
5
The documents are
the top drawer.
6
There’s a chandelier
the ceiling.
7
She lives
an apartment building.
8
They had drinks
the rooftop terrace.
9
The café is
the end of the street.
10
His office is
the third floor.