Prepositions of Place (Next to / beside, Between, In front of, Behind, Opposite, Under, Above / over)

Prepositions of Place (Next to / beside, Between, In front of, Behind, Opposite, Under, Above / over)

A preposition of place is a small word before a noun. It shows where something is. Next to, between and under are prepositions of place.

Structure

• Statement: the thing + is/are + preposition + the place. Example: The cat is under the table.
• Question: Where + is/are + the thing? Example: Where is the cat? It is under the table.
• With me, you, him, her, it, us, them: use these words after the preposition. Example: The bag is behind him.

How the Grammar Works

1. Next to / beside: at the side of something. The two words mean the same. Example: The lamp is next to the sofa.
2. Between: in the middle of two things. You can also use it for more separate things. Example: The park is between the school and the library.
3. In front of: at the front of something. Example: The car is in front of the house.
4. Behind: at the back of something. Example: The garden is behind the house.
5. Opposite: on the other side, face to face with something. Example: The bank is opposite the supermarket.
6. Under: lower than something. Example: The shoes are under the bed.
7. Above / over: both mean higher than something. Example: The picture is above the sofa. Over can also mean that one thing covers another. Example: The blanket is over the bed.

Common Use Cases

• Giving directions. Example: The bank is opposite the supermarket.
• Saying where things are in a room. Example: The lamp is next to the sofa.
• Saying where people are. Example: Anna is between Tom and Sam.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• The car is in front the house. - correct: The car is in front of the house. In front of has three words. Do not drop of.
• The bank is opposite to the shop. - correct: The bank is opposite the shop. Do not add to after opposite.
• The bank is behind of the shop. - correct: The bank is behind the shop. Do not add of after behind.
• The lamp is next the sofa. - correct: The lamp is next to the sofa. Say next to, not only next.

Comparison with Related Grammar

• Above and over: both can mean higher than something. Example: The clock is above the door. Use over when one thing covers another. Example: The blanket is over the bed.
• Next to and opposite: next to means at the side. Opposite means on the other side. Examples: The café is next to the bank. The café is opposite the bank.
• In front of and behind: they are the two opposites. Examples: The bus is in front of the car. The car is behind the bus.

Example Sentences

• The book is beside the phone.
• The dog sleeps under the table.
• The museum is opposite the park.
• The keys are in front of the vase.
• The painting hangs above the couch.
• My bike is next to the door.
• The shop is between the bank and the café.
• The blanket is over the bed.

When to Use This Rule

Use these words to say where people, things and places are. They are useful for directions and for talking about a room.