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Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to – prepositions of place exercises for A1 students

This A1 drill lesson gives prepositions of place exercises for things at home and places in town, from under the bed to at 25 Elm Street.

Grammar
Is / are + a preposition + a place with in, on, under, above, next to, near, between, behind, in front of and across from; at, on, in for addresses and cities; Where is…?
Topic
A town guide for new students at an invented language school in Nashville, with the café, bank, park, library and pharmacy around it.
Activities
Choices, sorts, gap-fills, a match of words and meanings, word order, a table, messages with gaps, a chat in a café and a final test.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1The rule

    • PictureUnlock
    • Study the scheme: prepositions of placeGrammar schemeTry it
    • Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Sort the sentences: at, on or in?Sort into columnsTry it
    • Choose the right prepositionChoose the optionUnlock
    • Write the missing wordFill in the gapsUnlock

  2. Chapter 2In, on or under?

    • Choose in, on or under: around the houseChoose the optionTry it
    • Sort the sentences: in, on or under?Sort into columnsUnlock
    • Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: ask and answerFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Read the family messages and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Next to, behind, across from…

    • Match the words and the meaningsMatchTry it
    • Choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
    • Sort the phrases: right or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: make the phraseFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Choose the right words: read and thinkChoose the optionUnlock
    • Choose the correct sentence: next to, behind, across fromQuizUnlock
    • Read Carlos's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Places in town: at, on, in

    • Sort the places: at or on?Sort into columnsUnlock
    • Choose at, on or in: places in townChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: places in townFill in the gapsTry it
    • Read Erin's invitation and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
    • Fill in the table: where are they?Fill in the tableUnlock
    • Find the mistake: places in townQuizUnlock
    • Put the words in the right order: in townUnjumbleUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Real life: A town guide

    • Read the town guide for new studentsReal-life documentUnlock
    • Read the guide again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
    • Read Brooke's message to Dev and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Read Dev's message to his mom and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
    • Read the sign in the café and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
    • Choose the right replies: at the Blue Mug CaféChatTry it
    • Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Choose in, on or under: at home and outsideChoose the optionUnlock
    • Sort the sentences: correct or not?Sort into columnsUnlock
    • Write the missing word: in the cityFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Choose the right form: around townChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: write the whole phraseFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Choose the right words: where is it?Choose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: places and addressesFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Put the words in the right order: where are things?UnjumbleUnlock
    • Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
    • Unscramble the words: places and positionsAnagramUnlock
    • Fill in the table: correct the mistakesFill in the tableUnlock
    • Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: Molly's postcard from ChicagoFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Read the apartment ad and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
    • Read Jenny's note and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock

48 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Grammar: prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to and more

Prepositions of place say where people, things and places are: The cat is under the bed. The bank is next to the café. At A1, they mostly come after is or are. Each one has a clear meaning, a few need a second small word, and at, on and in also place homes, streets and cities.

Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to

Say where things, people and places are: The cat is under the bed. The bank is next to the café.

What each preposition means

The scheme gives each word a short meaning: in is inside, on is on top and touching, under is lower, above is higher without touching, and near is a short walk away. Across from means on the other side of the street: The bakery is across from the bank.

be + preposition + place

thing / personis / areprepositionthe place

My pens are in the box.

The ball is under the bed.

The café is next to the bakery.

Where is it?

PrepositionWhere?Example
ininside itThe juice is in the fridge.
onon top of it, touching itThe books are on the shelf.
underlower than itMy socks are under the bed.
abovehigher than it, not touching itThe lamp is above the table.
next toat its sideThe sofa is next to the window.
nearnot far from it, a short walkThe school is near my house.
between … and …in the middle of two thingsThe bank is between the café and the park.
behindat the back of itThe yard is behind the house.
in front ofat the front of itThe bus stop is in front of the bank.
across fromon the other side of the streetThe bakery is across from the bank.

Next to, in front of, between … and …

Four need a small second word: next to, in front of, across from and between … and …: The bakery is between the café and the bank. The others take no of: under the chair, behind the door, near the beach, above my bed.

  • The taxi is in front the hotel.

    The taxi is in front of the hotel.

    in front of · next to · across from

  • My bag is under of the chair.

    My bag is under the chair.

    no of after under, behind, near, above

  • I'm in home.

    I'm at home.

    at home · at work · at school · at the bus stop

  • The bakery is between the café with the bank.

    The bakery is between the café and the bank.

    between … and …

At home, on Main Street, in Nashville

At marks a point or an address with a number: at home, at 25 Elm Street. On takes a street with no number, a corner or a floor; in takes a city, a state or a country. In the USA, the ground floor is the first floor.

Places in town: at, on, in

WordUse it withExamples
ata point: home, work, school, a bus stop · an address with a numberat home, at work, at school, at the bus stop, at 25 Elm Street
ona street name with no number · a corner · a flooron Elm Street, on the corner of Elm Street and Main Street, on the first floor
ina city, a state, a country · a picture · a carin Nashville, in Tennessee, in the USA, in the picture, in the car

Floors in the USA

In the USA, the ground floor is the first floor. One floor up is the second floor. We say on the first floor, on the second floor. (Not: in the second floor.)

Where is…? Where are…?

Where is (Where's) asks about one thing and Where are about more: Where are my shoes? – They're under the bed. The verb comes before the subject, so it's Where is the remote?, not Where the remote is?

QuestionAnswer
Where is the museum? · Where's the museum?It's on Main Street.
Where are my shoes?They're under the bed.
Where is Mom?She's at work.
Is the café near here?Yes, it is. It's across from the park.

More traps

Four pairs to watch: in the picture, not on the picture; on the table, not in the table; next to the bank, not next the bank; at the bus stop, not in the bus stop. A house number turns on into at: on Elm Street, at 25 Elm Street.

More traps

in the picture (Not: on the picture) · on the table (Not: in the table) · next to the bank (Not: next the bank) · behind the door (Not: behind of the door) · at the bus stop (Not: in the bus stop) · at 25 Elm Street, but on Elm Street (no number).

Examples

  • My grandma is in this picture, next to the tree.in the picture (not: on)
  • The cups are on the table, and the cat is under the table.on · under
  • I'm at home, and my sister is at work.at home · at work
  • We live at 25 Elm Street, on the second floor.at + a number · on + a floor
  • The café is on Main Street, across from the bank.on + a street name
  • We live in Nashville. It's in Tennessee.in + a city, a state

More lessons on this grammar: Prepositions lessons and exercises

Try the prepositions of place exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 41 auto-checked exercises
  • 4 games
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • say where things are with in, on and under: The cold drinks are in the fridge. The ball is under the sofa.
  • use next to, between … and …, behind, in front of and across from: The library is between the park and the school.
  • choose at, on or in for places: at home, at 52 Oak Street, on Main Street, on the third floor, in Chicago
  • ask and answer Where is…? and Where are…?: Where are my socks? – They're on the floor.
  • avoid the usual slips: in front of the hotel, not in front the hotel; under the chair, not under of the chair

Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to is lesson 13 of 24 in English Grammar Practice · A1 and belongs on the prepositions page. It picks up right after lesson 12, In, on, at: times, days and months, which used the same three words for time, and lesson 14, Can and can't: I can swim, comes next. There's no word list to learn first, so the lesson works as a grammar top-up alongside any course.

Students start with the scheme and four drills, including a sort of sentences into at, on and in. In, on or under? moves around the house and ends with family messages about a backpack and soccer shoes; Next to, behind, across from… adds the longer prepositions and Carlos's welcome note; Places in town: at, on, in brings addresses, streets and floors. The real-life chapter is a town guide for new students in Nashville, with Brooke's and Dev's messages, a café sign, a chat with the café owner and a twelve-question test.

Every homework task checks itself and uses new sentences: in, on or under at home and outside, a correct-or-not sort, the missing to, of, from or and, forms and whole phrases around town, choices by meaning, places and addresses, word order, questions to match, an anagram, a table of corrections and a quiz, then Molly's postcard from Chicago, an apartment ad and Jenny's note for her roommate.

Grammar:
prepositions of place · in / on / under · next to, between, behind, in front of, across from · at / on / in for places and addresses · Where is…? Where are…?
Topic:
grammar practice · places in town · at home · directions

Teaching tips

  • Act it out with a box and a pen: put the pen in, on, under, next to and behind the box, and let students say where it is before they open the scheme.
  • Draw the town guide as a map: students read the guide and sketch Maple Avenue and Willow Street with the café, the bank, the grocery store and the park, then check the true or false items against their map.
  • Drill the small words in chorus: you say next, the class answers to; in front, of; across, from; between the bank, and the park. A short burst of this fixes the most common slips.
  • Point out American floors: in the USA, the ground floor is the first floor. Ask students which floor their classroom is on, counted the American way, and where they live: I live on the second floor.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A1

English Grammar Practice · A1 has 24 drill lessons for adult beginners, one grammar point each, from the verb to be and the present simple to can, was and were and telling the time. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words, so it works next to any course.See the course

  1. 1To be: I am, you are, she is
  2. 2To be negatives and questions: is it your bag?
  3. 3Subject pronouns and possessive adjectives: I, my, she, her
  4. 4This, that, these, those: what's this?
  5. 5Plural nouns: one box, two boxes
  6. 6A, an, the: a new apartment
  7. 7There is, there are: what's in the hotel?
  8. 8Have and has: she has a dog
  9. 9Present simple: she works, they work
  10. 10Present simple: don't, doesn't, do you…?
  11. 11Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, never
  12. 12In, on, at: times, days and months
  13. 13Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to
  14. 14Can and can't: I can swim
  15. 15Imperatives: open, don't run, let's go
  16. 16Object pronouns: me, him, her, them
  17. 17Possessive 's: whose bag is this?
  18. 18Present continuous: what's happening now?
  19. 19Present simple or present continuous: every day or now?
  20. 20Like, love, hate + -ing: I love dancing
  21. 21Wh- questions: what, where, when, why?
  22. 22Countable and uncountable nouns: some, any, how much?
  23. 23Was and were: where were you yesterday?
  24. 24Telling the time and dates: what time is it?

Questions about this lesson

What are prepositions of place?
Prepositions of place are words that say where something is: in, on, under, above, next to, near, between, behind, in front of and across from. At A1, they usually come after is or are: My socks are under the bed. The A1 drill lesson Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to on edio.ai practices all ten, plus at, on and in for places in town.
When do you use at, on and in with addresses and streets?
Use at with a house number and on with a street name alone: at 25 Elm Street, but on Elm Street. On also goes with corners and floors (on the corner of Pine Street and Lake Road, on the third floor), and in with cities, states and countries: in Nashville, in Tennessee. Chapter 4 of Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to on edio.ai is all about places in town.
What's the difference between next to and near?
Next to means right at the side of something, while near only means not far away: The sofa is next to the window. The school is near my house. So anything next to a place is also near it, but not the other way around. In Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to on edio.ai, the items that test the two give a picture in words, such as a ten-minute walk to the beach.
Is it “in front the bank” or “in front of the bank”?
It's in front of the bank: in front needs of before the place. In the same way, next needs to and across needs from: next to the bank, across from the park. But under, behind, near and above take nothing extra, so never under of the bed. The homework of Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to on edio.ai has a table of eight corrections like these.
What does across from mean?
Across from means on the other side of the street from something: Our school is across from the park. Americans often use it where British speakers say opposite. It always takes from, never of or to. In the town guide of Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to on edio.ai, Willow Park is across from the school, on the other side of Maple Avenue.
Are there interactive prepositions of place exercises?
Yes. This page plays five parts of Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to, an A1 drill lesson on edio.ai, without an account: a sort into at, on and in; a choice of in, on or under around the house; a match of prepositions and their meanings; gaps with places in town; and a chat at the Blue Mug Café. The rest of the 45 exercises, homework included, needs an account.
How do I teach prepositions of place to A1 students?
Show, then say, then write: move real objects so students see each preposition, have them say where things are, and only then move to gaps and choices. Teach in, on and under first, the longer prepositions next, and at, on, in for addresses last. Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to on edio.ai follows that order in its three drill chapters.
What's a good prepositions of place game?
Hide and seek with a small object works at any age: one student hides a toy in the classroom, and the others guess with Is it under the desk? or Is it behind the door? until they find it. For a quieter version, describe a room and let students draw it. Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to on edio.ai adds an anagram and find-the-mistake quizzes as game-like drills.
What's good homework for prepositions of place?
Good homework mixes meaning with form: a choice like The cat is behind the curtain. We see only its tail., phrases to complete with to, of and from, and addresses with at and on. The 15 homework tasks in Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to on edio.ai all check themselves, from an anagram to Molly's postcard from Chicago and an apartment ad.
How do you practice prepositions of place one-to-one?
Describe a room on screen: the student says where things are, the teacher asks Where's the lamp? and What's next to the sofa?, then they swap. Without a teacher, the chat in Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to on edio.ai puts the student in a café in Nashville, asking the owner where the bank and the restrooms are.
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