Test it, Fix it. English grammar - Kenna Bourke 2003

Prepositions of place: in, on, at

Test it

1 Choose the best option.

a Catherine's in/at the United States at the moment.

b What's that black thing in/on the ceiling?

с 'I can see Tom in the garden but where's George?' 'He's at/in the cinema.' d Have you read the article in/on page 16?

e Get the 9.15 train from Paddington and change at/in Oxford.

f Can you call back later? Myles isn't on/at his desk right now.

g Cool! I've just found €20 in/at the pocket of my jeans.

h The ancient town of Luxor is in/on the Nile.

i He left all his shopping on/in the bus.

j Your homework's still on/in the car.

2 Complete the sentences. Use in, on or at.

a Guess who I met ... the train?

b Please put the books back ... the shelf.

c Turn left ... the traffic lights.

d She's lived ... this village for about ten years.

e Who's that ... the door?

f Help! There's a spider ... the wall!

g Kenya is ... the equator, isn't it?

h There's a funny mark ... the carpet.

i Mum's ... the supermarket. She'll be back by four.

j Luckily no one was ... the ship when it sank.

Test it again

1 Match the two halves of each sentence. Add in, on or at.

a There's some milk 1 ... the waiting room.

b Please buy some aspirin 2 ... Singapore?

c Turn right 3 ... the river Ganges.

d I left the dogs 4 ... the chemist's.

e Billy's 5 ... a busy road so it’s quite noisy.

f My house is 6 ... school. He'll be home at four.

g There are three patients 7 ... the car.

h He spends a lot of time 8 ... the crossroads and go straight on

i The city of Varanasi is 9 ... the fridge.

j How long have you lived 10 ... planes and trains.

2 Find the incorrect sentences.

Fix it

Answers to Test it

Check your answers. Wrong answer?

Read the right Fix it note to find out why.F

1 a in → A f at → E

b on → B g in → A

c at → F h on → C

d on → B i on → D

e at → E j in → A

2 a on → D f on → B

b on → B g on → C

c at → E h on → B

d in → A i at → F

e at → E j on → D

Now go to page 71. Test yourself again.

Answers to Test it again

1 a 9 in f 5 on

b 4 at g 1 in

c 8 at h 10 on

d 7 in i 3 on

e 6 at j 2 in

Fix it notes

Use in for three-dimensional spaces, e.g. pockets, rooms, buildings, villages, countries, cars.

Use on for two-dimensional surfaces, e.g. pages of a book, walls, ceilings, carpets, tables, shelves.

Use on to talk about places on a line, e.g. on the Nile, on the equator.

Use on to talk about buses, trains, planes and ships (but not cars).

Use at for one-dimensional points or positions, e.g. at a desk, at the door, at the traffic lights. Also use at when you're talking about points on a journey, e.g. at Oxford.

Use at for buildings when you're thinking about what people do inside them, e.g. at the cinema (watching a film), at the supermarket (doing the shopping), at Mary’s house (for a party).

Review

Prepositions of place: in, on, at

• You use in to talk about spaces that are three-dimensional, like boxes, drawers, cupboards, rooms, houses, cities, countries, etc.

What's in the box?

The letters are in the top drawer.

Put the salt back in the cupboard, please.

I'm in the kitchen.

He lives in Oxford.

How long have they been in France?

Your glasses are in the car.

• You use on to talk about two-dimensional surfaces, like the pages of a book, TV or computer screens, walls, ceilings, shelves, tables, beaches, grass, etc.

It's on page 237.

Hang the picture on the wall.

What's that mark on the ceiling?

I love lying on the beach.

The rabbit's sitting on the grass.

• You use on to talk about the position of something on a line, e.g. a road or a river.

My house is on a busy street.

London is on the river Thames.

Ecuador is on the equator.

• You also use on to talk about many methods of transport including buses, trains, planes, ships, bicycles, horses, etc. Note, however, that you don't use on for cars, you use in.

I left my homework on the bus.

We'll get a coffee on the train.

Malcolm cycled from Leeds to London on his bike.

• You use at to talk about one-dimensional points or positions in space. Often these are points on a journey or places to meet.

The coach stops at Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Turn right at the traffic lights.

See you at the bus stop.

• You use at to talk about buildings or places when you're thinking about what people do inside them.

Mum's at the supermarket.

We met at Nick's house.

Let s meet at the restaurant.

I'll drop you at the station.

Note: There's a change in manning when you use in or at.