Prepositions of place – "in", "on", "at"

Do you know how to use in, on and at to talk about location?

Look at these examples to see how we use these prepositions.

• Please put the book on the shelf.

• They live in Helsinki.

• You should keep milk in the fridge.

• Mette is studying at the library.

Explanation

in. We use in to talk about a place that is inside a bigger space, such as a box, a house, a city or a country.

on. We use on to talk about location on a surface.

at. We use at in many common phrases, especially when we are talking about a place for a specific activity.

We can use the prepositions in, on and at to say where things are. They go before nouns.

• I am in the kitchen.

• My dog likes sleeping on the sofa.

• The children eat lunch at school.

in

We use in to talk about a place that is inside a bigger space, such as a box, a house, a city or a country.

• The clothes are in the wardrobe.

• The children are playing in the park.

• There's a bookshop in the shopping centre.

• My grandmother was born in Sweden.

We also use in with other physical locations such as:

• in the world

• in water / the sea / a river / a lake / a pool

• in the mountains / the countryside / a valley / the forest

• in a car / a taxi

on

We use on to talk about location on a surface.

• The books are on the desk.

• We live on the fifth floor.

• There are pictures on the wall.

• She likes to sit on the floor.

We also use on for some types of public transport.

• He's on the bus now.

• You can't make phone calls on a plane.

• They go to school on the train.

We also use on for lines (including rivers, borders, streets, etc.) and islands.

• London is on the River Thames.

• The Pyrenees are on the border of Spain and France.

• There's a market on James Street.

• I'd love to live on the Isle of Wight.

at

We use at in many common phrases, especially when we are talking about a place for a specific activity.

• I'm at work.

• She's working at home today.

• The children are at school.

• See you at the train station!

• They're at the supermarket.

• I met him at a party.

We also use at for addresses or exact positions.

• I live at 15 Craig Street.

• She's sitting at a desk.

• He's waiting at the entrance.

• Please sit at the back of the room.