Prepositions of Place

Prepositions can be used to show where something is located.

The prepositions at, on, and in

We use at to show a specific place or position.

For example:

Someone is at the door.
They are waiting at the bus stop.
I used to live at 51 Portland Street.

 

We use on to show position on a horizontal or vertical surface.

For example:

The cat sat on the mat.
The satellite dish is on the roof.

We also use on to show position on streets, roads, etc.

For example:

I used to live on Portland Street.

We use in to show that something is enclosed or surrounded.

For example:

The dog is in the garden.
She is in a taxi.
Put it in the box.

We also use in to show position within land-areas (towns, counties, states, countries, and continents).

For example:

I used to live in Nottingham.