Preposition Use - in / at / on - prepositions of place
IN
Use 'in' with spaces:
in a room / in a building
in a garden / in a park
Use 'in' with bodies of water:
in the water
in the sea
in a river
Use 'in' with lines:
in a row / in a line
in a queue
AT
Use 'at' with places:
at the bus-stop
at the door
at the cinema
at the end of the street
Use 'at' with places on a page:
at the top of the page
at the bottom of the page
Use 'at' in groups of people:
at the back of the class
at the front of the class
ON
Use 'on' with surfaces:
on the ceiling / on the wall / on the floor
on the table
Use 'on' with small islands:
I stayed on Maui.
Use 'on' with directions:
on the left
on the right
straight on
IMPORTANT NOTES
In / at / on the corner
We say 'in the corner of a room', but 'at the corner (or 'on the corner') of a street'
In / at / on the front
We say 'in the front / in the back' of a car
We say 'at the front / at the back' of buildings / groups of people
We say 'on the front / on the back' of a piece of paper
IN
Use 'in' with spaces:
in a room / in a building
in a garden / in a park
Use 'in' with bodies of water:
in the water
in the sea
in a river
Use 'in' with lines:
in a row / in a line
in a queue
AT
Use 'at' with places:
at the bus-stop
at the door
at the cinema
at the end of the street
Use 'at' with places on a page:
at the top of the page
at the bottom of the page
Use 'at' in groups of people:
at the back of the class
at the front of the class
ON
Use 'on' with surfaces:
on the ceiling / on the wall / on the floor
on the table
Use 'on' with small islands:
I stayed on Maui.
Use 'on' with directions:
on the left
on the right
straight on
IMPORTANT NOTES
In / at / on the corner
We say 'in the corner of a room', but 'at the corner (or 'on the corner') of a street'
In / at / on the front
We say 'in the front / in the back' of a car
We say 'at the front / at the back' of buildings / groups of people
We say 'on the front / on the back' of a piece of paper
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