Preposition Definitions
1. In/inside when something is in the interior of a 3 dimensional
object.
Im in my car.
The time is right for dancing in the street.
2. On when something is on top of an object or surface.
I prefer to sit on the floor.
I just cant wait to get on the road again.
3. At expressing location in a specific place.
Shes at the door.
Where are you at?
4. Near a short distance away from (a place).
Do you live near here?
The restaurant is near the bakery.
5. Under directly below (generally 3 with dimensional objects).
The cat is under the table.
Under the bridge downtown I gave my life away.
6. Over directly on top of, but not touching (generally from one side
to another).
In the high jump, you have to jump over the bar.
Instead of going to the side of the rock, he drove over it.
7. Below directly underneath (generally with 2 dimensional objects).
Your stomach is below your chest.
The ocean floor is miles below the surface.
8. Above on top up/over something, without touching it.
He held a bucket of water above her head.
I want to fly above the clouds.
9. Round/around on every side of.
The hills around the city are beautiful.
I know for sure that life is beautiful around the world.
1o. Through moving in one side and out the other side.
The ball went through his legs.
The car went through the tunnel.
11. Among surrounded by.
The strawberries are hidden among the trees.
In the RLE Facebook Group, youre among friends.
12. Between in the space between two objects.
The United States is located between Canada and Mexico.
The dog walked between us and lay down at our feet.
13. Behind at the back/far side of something.
Look at the sunset behind you.
Theres a naked person behind the tree.
14. In front of the opposite of behind, a position at the front part of
something.
Ill meet you in front of my house.
Wait for me in front of the supermarket.
15. Along moving in a constant direction on (a path more or less
horizontal).
We were driving along a narrow [thin] road.
All along the watchtower, Princes kept the view.
16. Across from one side to the other.
She wants to travel across Europe.
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the
universe.
17. Up toward the sky or higher place.
He jumped up.
Get up stand up, stand up for your rights.
18. Down toward the ground or lower place.
The sun is starting to go down.
Everything that goes up, must come down.
19. Opposite have a position on the other or further side of
something.
A large group of people gathered [came together] on
the opposite side of the street.
Opposite the school is a church.
20. Onto moving to a location on (the surface of something).
We got onto the train.
He jumped onto the rock.
21. Of moving away and often down from.
He fell of the bed while he was sleeping.
He jumped of the horse.
22. Into to become enclosed/surrounded by something else.
I want to jump into the water.
I will follow you into the dark.
23. Out of moving away from.
Lets get out of here. Im tired.
He got out of the water.
24. Past in front of or from one side to the other.
He walked past me without saying hello.
The man drove past while honking his horn.
25. Next to/by/beside in or into a position immediately to one side
of.
We sat next to each other.
Stand by me.
26. Against in physical contact with something, generally supported
by it.
When Im tired, I rest my back against the wall.
He stood with his back against the door.
27. Over expressing passage or movement across the top of
something.
He jumped over the fence.
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high.
28. Fromto fromthe point in space where something starts, to
the point in space where something ends.
He drove from his house to the store to get some fruit.
Ill send it along with love from me to you.
29. Toward in the direction of.
I walked toward the front door.
Shes walking toward me.
