Prepositions of Place A2

A2 vocabulary and grammar

Prepositions of Place Made Clear

Describe where people and objects are using precise, practical location language.

Created by , British English teacher.

Understand · You say · Check

A clear route through the lesson

Use the same map for explanation, practice and speaking. The labels fix the position, so you do not need a teacher to invent a scene.

Read the explanations, answer aloud at each You say pause, then reveal the model and check one point. A model is one possible answer. Finish with the 5-question understanding check.

Keep the learner’s speaking time. At each You say pause, use the suggested follow-up and one correction focus. Finish with the 5-question understanding check.

Your neighbourhood map

LibraryCaféBank
HIGH STREET · facing buildings are opposite each other
SchoolParkSupermarket
Top row, left to right: library, café, bank. Across the street, left to right: school, park, supermarket. The café is between the library and the bank. The supermarket is opposite the bank.

The three essential prepositions

In

Inside an enclosed space or a larger area: in a bag, in Colombia.

On

Touching a surface or positioned along a line: on the desk, on this street.

At

A specific point or activity location: at the entrance, at school.

More useful relationships

PrepositionExample
next to / besideThe pharmacy is next to the bank.
betweenThe café is between two shops.
oppositeThe station is opposite the hotel.
under / belowThe keys are under the newspaper.
above / overThe clock is above the door.
behind / in front ofThe garden is behind the house.

Common mistakes

  • We say at home, not “in home”.
  • Use in a car, but normally on a bus, train or plane.
  • Use in front of for position. Use opposite when two places face each other across a space.

Practice

Choose the best preposition.

  1. The picture is (in / on / at) the wall.
  2. Our classroom is (between / under) the library and the office.
  3. Meet me (in / at) the main entrance.
  4. The cat is hiding (under / opposite) the table.
  5. On the lesson map, the supermarket faces the bank across High Street. It is directly (opposite / above) the bank.
Check the answers
  1. on

    Why: On describes contact with the wall surface.

  2. between

    Why: Between relates the classroom to two reference places.

  3. at

    Why: At identifies the specific meeting point.

  4. under

    Why: Under places the cat below the table.

  5. opposite

    Why: On the map the supermarket faces the bank across High Street.

Optional extension: a longer speaking task

Imagine your teacher is visiting your neighborhood. Explain where five useful places are and give directions from your home to one of them. Your teacher should draw a simple map from your description, then ask questions when anything is unclear.

Build stronger descriptions with basic sentence structure and explore more lessons on the Grammar page.

Final check

Check your understanding

Choose one answer for each question. Read the context carefully: a question may ask for a particular form, meaning or register. The explanations show why that answer fits.

0 of 5 questions answered

1. On the lesson map, the café is ___ the library and the bank.
2. On the map, the supermarket faces the bank across High Street. It is ___ the bank.
3. On the map, the school and park are side by side. The school is ___ the park.
4. A picture is attached to a vertical wall. The picture is ___ the wall.
5. Choose the usual phrase for a meeting point.

Practise this skill in a personalized lesson

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