Here, There, Home and Away

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Here, There, Home and Away

In this lesson, you can say where people are with here and there.

Created by , British English teacher.

I’m studying:

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Choose a short recording.

Before you start

Say where you are now.

See one possible response

I’m here at home.

A neighbour is helping you collect a parcel. You need to say where people are and where they should go.

What you will practise
  • Say where people are with here and there.
  • Use go home and come here without to.
  • Say whether someone is at home or away.

Say your answer. Then check the model. Your answer can be different if it fits the task.

Say where someone is

Here means at this place. There means at another place shown or understood in the conversation. Use be for location: I’m here; the parcel is there. The words depend on where the speaker is.

I’m here by the door.

Your parcel is there on the table.

The curly-haired woman gestures near herself to establish here, then points toward a parcel resting farther away on a small separate stand. The Asian woman follows her gesture. Their body position and the separate parcel establish the conversational viewpoint on white.
I’m here. The parcel is there.Here and there depend on the conversational viewpoint.

Move to a place

After come or go, use here and there without to in these simple patterns. Say come here and go there. Use go home for a destination; compare I’m at home for a location.

Please come here.

I go home after class.

Home and away

At home gives a home location. Away means not here or not at the usual place; it does not always mean far away. A clear time phrase can help: I’m away today.

My neighbour is at home.

I’m away this afternoon.

The curly-haired woman walks through an isolated home doorway holding a house key and neat handbag, while the Asian woman is already inside near a small chair. The doorway and chair are essential home props; no complete house or room background. Show moving home and being at home.
I go home. I’m at home.Use no to before home in this movement pattern.

Guided practice

Say or write your answer first. Then compare the meaning and grammar with the model.

1. You stand beside the listener. Complete: I’m ___ with you. Use here or there.

Compare a model and explanation

I’m here with you.

Here points to the shared place.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

2. The box is across the room, not beside you. Point to it with there.

Compare a model and explanation

The box is there.

There points to the other place.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

3. Correct the simple instruction: Come to here.

Compare a model and explanation

Come here.

This pattern does not need to.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

4. Correct: I go to home at six.

Compare a model and explanation

I go home at six.

Bare home follows go directly.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

5. Say that your parents are in their home. Use at home.

Compare a model and explanation

My parents are at home.

The plural subject takes are.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

6. Complete the two patterns: I am ___ home. I go ___ home.

Compare a model and explanation

I am at home. I go home.

Location uses at home here; movement uses bare home.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

7. I’m away today. Must the speaker be in another country?

Compare a model and explanation

No. The speaker is not at the relevant usual place.

Away does not specify a country or distance.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

8. The parcel is at your home. You are away. Ask the neighbour to go there.

Compare a model and explanation

The parcel is at my home. I’m away. Please go there.

At my home names the place; there refers back to it.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

A short conversation

Listen to the exchange, then take one role. The speaker labels identify roles; do not narrate them.

Open the conversation transcript

Neighbour: Are you at home?

Resident: No, I’m away today. Is the parcel there?

Neighbour: Yes, it’s here with me.

Resident: Thank you. I’ll come home later.

Listening checks

Listen to each extract, then choose the best answer. These three questions have their own score.

1. Where is the speaker?
Read the listening transcript

I’m here at the café. My brother is there at the library.

2. What does the second speaker say?
Read the listening transcript

Please go home now. I’m already at home.

3. Does away mean far away here?
Read the listening transcript

I’m away from the office this morning, but I’m in the building next door.

Answer key with explanations

  1. Where is the speaker?

    At the café.: Here identifies the speaker’s stated location.

    Compare all choices
    • At the library.: That is the brother’s location.
    • At home.: Home is not mentioned.
    • At the café.: Here identifies the speaker’s stated location.

  2. What does the second speaker say?

    They are already at home.: At home describes their location.

    Compare all choices
    • They are already at home.: At home describes their location.
    • They want the first speaker to leave home.: That request is not made.
    • They are still travelling home.: No ongoing journey is stated.

  3. Does away mean far away here?

    No. The speaker is next door.: The explicit location is nearby.

    Compare all choices
    • Yes. They are in another country.: That contradicts next door.
    • No. The speaker is next door.: The explicit location is nearby.
    • It means they are in the office.: They explicitly say they are away from it.

Mastery quiz

Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.

1. You are beside the door. Choose a statement from your viewpoint.
2. The chair is across the room. Point to it.
3. Choose the simple movement instruction.
4. Choose the usual destination phrase.
5. Choose the location phrase taught here.
6. Which pair correctly contrasts location and destination?
7. Someone is away today. What is certain from that sentence alone?
8. You are at a shop; your friend is at home. Which message is clear?
Answer key with explanations

  1. You are beside the door. Choose a statement from your viewpoint.

    I’m here by the door.: Here points to your current place.

    Compare all choices
    • I’m at to here.: The prepositions do not form the target pattern.
    • I’m here by the door.: Here points to your current place.
    • I here by the door.: Am is missing.

  2. The chair is across the room. Point to it.

    It’s there.: There points to the other location.

    Compare all choices
    • It’s to there.: A simple location statement does not need to.
    • It are there.: It takes is, not are.
    • It’s there.: There points to the other location.

  3. Choose the simple movement instruction.

    Come here, please.: Come takes here directly in this pattern.

    Compare all choices
    • Come here, please.: Come takes here directly in this pattern.
    • Come to here, please.: Omit to in the simple target phrase.
    • Come at here, please.: At does not fit this movement pattern.

  4. Choose the usual destination phrase.

    I walk home.: Bare home follows the movement verb.

    Compare all choices
    • I walk at home to.: This does not form the intended destination statement.
    • I walk home.: Bare home follows the movement verb.
    • I walk to home.: The simple adverbial home pattern does not take to.

  5. Choose the location phrase taught here.

    She’s at home.: At home describes her location.

    Compare all choices
    • She’s in home.: Bare home does not use in in this pattern.
    • She at home.: Is is missing.
    • She’s at home.: At home describes her location.

  6. Which pair correctly contrasts location and destination?

    I’m at home. I go home.: The first is location, the second movement.

    Compare all choices
    • I’m at home. I go home.: The first is location, the second movement.
    • I home. I go to home.: The first lacks be and the second adds unnecessary to.
    • I’m to home. I go at home.: Both prepositions misfit the target meanings.

  7. Someone is away today. What is certain from that sentence alone?

    They are absent from the relevant usual place.: Away marks absence without a specific distance.

    Compare all choices
    • They are very far away.: Distance is not specified.
    • They are absent from the relevant usual place.: Away marks absence without a specific distance.
    • They are abroad.: A foreign country is not stated.

  8. You are at a shop; your friend is at home. Which message is clear?

    I’m here at the shop. You’re there at home.: Here and there match the stated viewpoints.

    Compare all choices
    • I’m home at to the shop.: The phrase does not express the intended location.
    • I’m here at home. You’re there at the shop.: This reverses the supplied locations.
    • I’m here at the shop. You’re there at home.: Here and there match the stated viewpoints.

Use it in your own words

Locate people and things

Say where you are and point out something in another part of the room.

Reveal a possible response

I’m here by the window. My bag is there by the door.

  • Here matches my viewpoint.
  • There points to another place.

Use your real room or an imagined room.

Give two movement messages

Ask someone to come to you, then explain when you go home.

Reveal a possible response

Please come here. I go home at five.

  • I use come here without to.
  • I use go home without to.

Other movement verbs and times may work in your own message.

Put it all together

You help at a book collection. Tell a visitor where the books are, ask them to come to you and explain that the organiser is away but another helper is at home.

Reveal a possible response

The books are there by the wall. Please come here. The organiser is away today, but our helper is at home.

  • I distinguish here and there.
  • I give a clear instruction.
  • I use at home and away appropriately.

Use this collection setting, not the parcel dialogue. Invent names only if helpful.

Take it with you

Use here and there for places. Say go home and come here without to. At home and away describe different situations.