Unit 124 · Prepositions
in/at/on (position) 2
Study
We say that somebody/something is:
| in a line, in a row, in a queue | in an office, in a department |
| in a picture, in a photo(graph) | in the sky, in the world |
| in a newspaper, in a magazine, in a book | in the country (= not in a town) |
When I go to the cinema, I like to sit in the front row.
Amy works in the sales department.
Who is the woman in that picture?
Do you live in a city or in the country?
It's a lovely day. There isn't a cloud in the sky.
We say that somebody/something is:
on the left, on the right (or on the left-hand side, on the right-hand side)
Do you drive on the left or on the right in your country?
on the ground floor, on the first floor, on the second floor etc.
Our apartment is on the second floor of the building.
on a map, on a menu, on a list, on a page, on a website
Here's the shopping list. Don't buy anything that's not on the list.
You'll find the information you need on our website.
We say that a place is on a river / on a road / on the coast:
Vienna is on the (river) Danube.
The town where you live – is it on the coast or is it inland?
We say on the way (from one place to another):
We stopped at a shop on the way home.
We say:
at the top (of …), at the bottom (of …), at the end (of …)
Write your name at the top of the page.
Jane lives at the other end of the street.
We say:
in the front, in the back of a car
I was in the back (of the car) when we had the accident.
at the front, at the back of a building / theatre / group of people etc.
The garden is at the back of the house.
Let's sit at the front (of the cinema).
We were at the back, so we couldn't see very well.
on the front, on the back of an envelope / a piece of paper etc.
I wrote the date on the back of the photo.
We say:
in the corner of a room
The TV is in the corner of the room.
at the corner or on the corner of a street
There is a small shop at the corner (of the street).
or … on the corner (of the street).
→ in the world ➜ Unit 108D · in/at/on (position) ➜ Units 123, 125 · American English ➜ Appendix 7
Exercises (3)
Answer the questions about the pictures. Use in, at or on with the words below the pictures.
- 1
Where does Amy work? the sales department.example - 2
Amy lives in this building. Where's her flat exactly? the second floor. - 3
Where is the woman standing? the corner. - 4
Where is the man standing? the corner. - 5
Where's the cat? the top of the stairs. - 6
Where's the dog? the back of the car. - 7
Lisa is in this group of people. Where is she? the front. - 8
Where's the post office? the left. - 9
Gary is at the cinema. Where is he sitting? the back row. - 10
Where is the bank? the end of the street.
Complete the sentences. Use in, at or on + the following:
- 1It's a lovely day. There isn't a cloud .example
- 2In most countries people drive .
- 3What is the tallest building ?
- 4I met a friend of mine this morning.
- 5San Francisco is of the United States.
- 6We went to the theatre last night. We had seats .
- 7I couldn't hear the teacher. She spoke quietly and I was sitting .
- 8I don't have your address. Could you write it ?
Complete the sentences with in, at or on.
- 1Write your name the top of the page.example
- 2Is your sister this photo? I don't recognise her.
- 3They live in a small house the bottom of the hill.
- 4We normally use the front entrance to the building, but there's another one the back.
- 5We had to wait a queue for an hour to check in at the airport.
- 6There was a list of names, but my name wasn't the list.
- 7Is there anything interesting today's newspaper?
- 8I love to look up at the stars the sky at night.
- 9When I'm a passenger in a car, I prefer to sit the front.
- 10I live in a very small village. You probably won't find it your map.
- 11Joe works the furniture department of a large store.
- 12Paris is the (river) Seine.
- 13I don't like cities. I'd much prefer to live the country.
- 14My office is the top floor. It's your left as you come out of the lift.