In English grammar, Prepositions are the words that show the relationship of a noun or pronoun with another word in a sentence — such as place, direction, time, or reason.
Today, we will focus on Prepositions of Position (showing place) and Prepositions of Direction (showing movement).

Prepositions of Position

These prepositions show where something is — that is, the location or position of an object.

Common Prepositions of Position

In – inside
👉 The book is in the bag.
(The book is inside the bag.)

On – on top of
👉 The keys are on the table.
(The keys are placed on the surface of the table.)

At – at a specific point or place
👉 She is waiting at the bus stop.
(She is waiting at a particular point – the bus stop.)

Under – below or beneath
👉 The cat is under the chair.
(The cat is beneath the chair.)

Above – higher than something but not touching
👉 The picture hangs above the sofa.
(The picture is positioned higher than the sofa.)

Below – lower than something
👉 The temperature is below zero.
(The temperature is less than zero.)

Between – in the middle of two things
👉 The park is between the school and the hospital.
(The park lies in the middle of the two places.)

Next to / Beside – beside or alongside
👉 The bank is next to the post office.
(The bank is beside the post office.)

Near – close to
👉 There is a shop near my house.
(A shop is located close to my house.)

Prepositions of Direction

These prepositions show movement or direction — that is, where something or someone is going.

Common Prepositions of Direction

To – towards a destination
👉 She goes to school every day.
(She moves in the direction of school.)

Into – moving inside
👉 He jumped into the pool.
(He moved from outside to inside the pool.)

Onto – moving on top of
👉 The cat jumped onto the roof.
(The cat moved up and landed on the roof.)

Towards – in the direction of
👉 They are walking towards the station.
(They are moving in the direction of the station.)

Across – from one side to the other
👉 He ran across the street.
(He moved from one side of the street to the other.)

Along – moving beside or parallel to something
👉 We walked along the river.
(We moved beside the river.)

Past – going beyond or passing by
👉 She walked past the market.
(She walked beyond the market.)

Over – moving above something
👉 The plane flew over the city.
(The plane moved above the city.)

Out of – moving from inside to outside
👉 He came out of the room.
(He moved from inside the room to the outside.)

Usage Tips

• Prepositions of Position are generally used to show where something is (static position).
  Example: The pen is on the table.

• Prepositions of Direction are used to show movement or change of place.
  Example: She walked to the table.