Prepositions of Place: “In,” “On,” & “At”

Last week we discussed how the small connecting words of the English language are just as important as mastering a larger vocabulary... but the correct usage of these tiny words can sometimes fall through the cracks for non-native English speakers. You may start to use words like “in,” “on,” and “at” interchangeably, when they actually each have a specific purpose. Incorrect usage of these prepositions can cause native English speakers to question your fluency, or become confused by your meaning.

In my last article, we looked at how to use “in,” “on,” and “at” when describing time... This time, we'll follow the same principle when using them to describe locations.

If you can remember this order, “IN, ON, AT”... then you can remember this general rule for how to describe places:

See again how “IN, ON, AT” progress from general to specific locations as you read their descriptions:

I have some more sample sentences for you again this week. Take a look and choose the correct prepositions for each location.

This video I created a few years ago further explains the usage of “IN, ON, AT” with regard to location beyond what I've detailed here. Check it out and then look below to see if you got the sample sentences correct!