Prepositions of place: in, on, at

Exercises

Grammar Explanation

We use in, on, and at to say where things or people are. They always go before nouns.

Examples

• Please put your shoes in the closet.

• There are two apples on the table.

• We met our teacher at the bus stop.

• My brother lives in Madrid.

IN

We use in for a place that is inside a bigger space (a room, a building, a city, a country, etc.).

Examples:

• The toys are in the box.

• She’s cooking in the kitchen.

• There’s a cinema in the shopping mall.

• My uncle was born in Canada.

We also use in with:

• in the world

• in the sea / a river / a lake

• in the forest / mountains / countryside

• in a car / a taxi

ON

We use on when something is located on a surface.

Examples:

• The keys are on the chair.

• There’s a clock on the wall.

• We live on the third floor.

• She’s lying on the grass.

We also use on for public transport:

• He’s on the train.

• You can watch a film on the plane.

• The students are on the bus.

And also for lines, streets, borders, or islands:

• Paris is on the River Seine.

• The town is on the border between two countries.

• There’s a café on Baker Street.

• They stayed on the island of Crete.

AT

We use at for specific places and common activities.

Examples:

• She’s at school now.

• I’ll see you at the airport.

• He’s at work today.

• We met at a concert.

• They’re shopping at the market.

We also use at for addresses and exact points:

• I live at 42 Green Road.

• He’s waiting at the corner.

• She’s sitting at the front of the class.

• Please stop at the entrance.