Using prepositions "in", "on", and "at" are the most common when describing locations. However these prepositions cause a lot of confusion for English learners. In this lesson, we'll focus on the most common uses for these prepositions.
IN
The preposition "in" is short for "inside", and the word "inside" means that there are sides to the object that is surrounding another object. By definition, a "room" has four sides (walls) so when something is surrounded by the four walls of the room, we say it's inside or "in" the room.
Rooms are not the only things that have walls to contain other objects. For example, a bowl, a bathtub, and a box all have walls that surround objects too, so we say the soup is in the bowl, the water is in the bathtub and the items are in the box.
Some objects do not have physical walls but are areas that surround objects, and therefore we use "in" with these areas, too. For example, if you are in a neighborhood, it's because you are surrounded by that neighborhood and inside it.
Rooms
in....the living room / the bedroom / the dining room / the bathroom / the closet / the garage / the waiting room / the change room
Things That Surround Other Things
in a bathtub / a sink / a cabinet / a cupboard / a refrigerator / an oven / a box / a bowl / a bucket / a basket / a cup / a glass
Areas
in....an area / a zone / a part / a section / a hallway / a corridor / a wing / the sky / the air / the clouds / a plaza / a courtyard / a square / a neighborhood / a community / a city / a country / a region / the world
ON
The preposition "on" is used when one object is touching the surface of another object. In this case, it is not inside because it's not surrounded. This is usually because the surface is flat and does not have walls to surround. For example, "the floor" is a flat surface and you can stand "on the floor" by touching the surface of the floor with your feet but the floor come up and surround you like a room does.
We also use "on" to describe the fact that you can stand "on" large transportation vehicles like a bus or a train. This one is always difficult for non-native speakers to grasp but we don't say "I'm in the bus", even though a bus has walls. For some reason, this is an exception where we focus on the fact that you are standing on the floor of the bus and we say "I'm on the bus"
Lastly, "on" is used with communication channels and digital platform to say that the information is available through this channel or platform. You cannot say that you are watching a show "in TV" or looking at photos "in your computer" because the show is not physically happening inside your TV and the photos are not inside your computer. There is only hardware inside a TV and computer. The information is actually being channeled through the device and we use "on" to express this by saying "I'm watching a show on TV" or "I'm looking at photos on the computer".
Surfaces
on...a table / a desk / a stand / a chair / a bench / a seat / a wall / a window / a counter / a shelf / a court / a field / ice / snow / a balcony / a veranda / a porch / a patio / a path / a trail / a track / a sidewalk / the floor / the ground / Earth / the street / the road / the highway
Transportation That You Can Stand On
on...a bus / a train / a plane / the subway / a boat (large)
Communication Channels and Digital Platforms or Devices
on....the internet / the TV / the radio / social media / a phone / a computer / a device / Netflix / Instagram / Twitter / Tik Tok
AT
The preposition "at" is used when on object is near another object. For example, if you are sitting on a chair near your desk, you can say that you are sitting "at your desk" because you are near it but you are not inside it (in) or touching the surface of it (on).
We also use "at" for buildings. While we use "in" to mention the specific room, we use "at" to refer to the general building. For example, you could say "I'm at hospital, in the waiting room". We can also use "at for general locations that are not physical buildings, like "at the park" and "at the zoo".
Finally, we use "at" with events to describe them as locations, which answers the question "where did it happen?" For example, if you wanted to describe where you met someone, you can say "at a party". Events are not physical things that surround you, so we don't say "inside" or "in" but use "at" instead.
Nearby Objects
at...a fountain / a statue / a monument / the door / the gate / the entrance / an intersection / a stoplight / a stop sign / a bus stop / a crosswalk / an intersection
Buildings and General Locations
at...a hotel / a restaurant / the hospital / the airport / the bank / the post office / the store / the gym / the museum / the library / the stadium / the park / the zoo / the playground / the beach
Events
at...an event / a party / a wedding / a dinner / a meeting / a conference / a concert / a festival / a parade
It is important to note that using the correct preposition depends on what you are trying to say. For example, if your desk has a drawer that can open and close, then you can put your pens "in your desk" because your desk is like a little room that surrounds those pens.
On the other hand, you can put your computer "on your desk" because it only touches the top surface of your desk.
Meanwhile, you can sit at your desk because you are sitting near the desk but not inside or on the surface of the desk..
Saying "on a desk" is most common because the main purpose of a desk is to put things like your computer, books, or paper on the top surface of it. However, this does not mean that you should just automatically always say "on the desk". Try to remember why we use "in" (inside), "on" (touching the surface) and "at" (nearby) to help you choose the most suitable preposition for the situation.
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Practice
Fill in the blank with the appropriate preposition. Use the rules explained in this lesson to help you. Here is a quick summary of the rules:
In: rooms, things that surround other things, areas
On: surfaces, large transportation vehicles, communication channels and digital platforms or devices
At: nearby objects, buildings and general locations, events
I met my wife for the first time____ a friend’s wedding.
I can’t sleep ____ a plane so I usually just read.
What are you watching ____ Netflix these days?
Sometime drivers don’t stop ____ this stop sign, so be careful.
I never use cash ____ the store anymore.
The meeting will be _____ the boardroom.
If you stand ____ that statue, I'll take your picture.
She knows everyone ____ the community.
I can’t lose my phone because all of my pictures are saved ____ it.
Excuse me for a moment, there’s a delivery person waiting ____ my front door.
I'm still ___ the bus but I'll be there soon.
We spent the whole day ___ the beach.
I'll wait for you ____ the elevators.
I'll put the plates ____ the cupboard. Do they go ____ the top shelf?
I don't trust the news that I read ____ social media.
I have to speak ____ a conference this weekend.
The weather is nice today. Let's sit ___ the patio.
There's a free concert ____ the town square tonight.
If you stay ____ this path, you'll reach a beautiful valley.
You can pay for your parking ____ that machine over there.
Answers
I met my wife for the first time at a friend’s wedding. (wedding = event)
I can’t sleep on a plane so I usually just read. (plane = large transportation vehicle)
What are you watching on Netflix these days? (Netflix = digital platform)
Sometime drivers don’t stop at this stop sign, so be careful. (stop sign = nearby object)
I never use cash at the store anymore. (store = building)
The meeting will be in the boardroom. (boardroom = room)
If you stand at that statue, I'll take your picture. (statue = nearby object)
She knows everyone in the community. (community = area)
I can’t lose my phone because all of my pictures are saved on it. (it = phone = digital device)
Excuse me for a moment, there’s a delivery person waiting at my front door. (door = nearby object)
I'm still on the bus but I'll be there soon. (bus = large transportation vehicle)
We spent the whole day at the beach. (beach = general location / note: you can use "on" if you specifically mean "on the sand" when talking about the beach)
I'll wait for you at the elevators. (elevators = nearby object)
I'll put the plates in the cupboard. Do they go on the top shelf? (cupboard = thing that surrounds / shelf = flat surface)
I don't trust the news that I read on social media. (social media = communication channel)
I have to speak at a conference this weekend. (conference = event)
The weather is nice today. Let's sit on the patio. (patio = flat surface)
There's a free concert in the town square tonight. (square = area)
If you stay on this path, you'll reach a beautiful valley. (path = flat surface)
You can pay for your parking at that machine over there. (the machine = nearby object)