Prepositions of position: next to (or beside), between, in front of, behind, on the left, on the right, in the middle, opposite, by, under, above and below. in front of means facing the same way; opposite means facing each other.
A next to, between, in front of, behind
Five people in a photo. Three stand in a row: Asha on the left, Ben in the middle, Cara on the right. Dev kneels in front of Ben. Ed stands behind Ben.
| sentence | meaning |
|---|---|
| Asha is next to Ben. / Asha is beside Ben. | side by side |
| Ben is between Asha and Cara. | one on each side |
| Dev is in front of Ben. | nearer the camera |
| Ed is behind Ben. | further from the camera |
| Asha is on the left. Cara is on the right. | |
| Ben is in the middle (of the group). |
- Asha is next to Ben.
- Ben is between Asha and Cara.
- Dev is in front of Ben.
- Ed is behind Ben.
B opposite and in front of
Three people at a café table. Jo and Kit sit on one side, facing the same way; Kit's chair is directly behind Jo's. Lena sits across the table from Jo, facing her.
Jo is sitting in front of Kit. (same direction)
Jo is sitting opposite Lena. Lena is sitting opposite Jo. (facing each other)
- Jo is sitting in front of Kit.
- Jo is sitting opposite Lena.
C by = next to, beside
by means next to or beside.
- Their cottage is by the river. (= beside the river)
- Who's that woman by the door?
- "Is there a cash machine here?" "Yes, by the entrance."
D under
under = directly below something, often covered by it.
- The dog is under the table.
- We had our picnic under a tree.
- I'm wearing a T-shirt under my jumper.
E above and below
above = higher than. below = lower than.
The mirror is above the sink. The sink is below the mirror.
- The mirror is above the sink.
- The sink is below the mirror.
- Line A is above the red line. Line B is below it.
Exercises
109.1 Read the description of the photo and complete the sentences. Back row, standing, from left to right: Adam, Bea, Carl. Front row, sitting, from left to right: Dina, Eve, Finn. Adam is directly behind Dina, Bea is directly behind Eve and Carl is directly behind Finn.
Carl is standing behind Finn.
Carl is standing behind Finn.
Finn is sitting Eve.
Finn is sitting next to Eve.
Eve is sitting Bea.
Eve is sitting in front of Bea.
Eve is sitting Dina and Finn.
Eve is sitting between Dina and Finn.
Dina is sitting Eve.
Dina is sitting next to Eve.
Finn is sitting Carl.
Finn is sitting in front of Carl.
Adam is standing Dina.
Adam is standing behind Dina.
Adam is standing left.
Adam is standing on the left.
Bea is standing middle.
Bea is standing in the middle.
109.2 Read each scene and complete the sentence with a preposition.
A cat curled up on the floor beneath a kitchen table.
The cat is under the table.
The cat is under the table.
A cottage seen from the road. A tall oak rises up at the back of it.
There's a tall tree the cottage.
There's a tall tree behind the cottage.
A plane in a clear blue sky with a layer of cloud lower down.
The plane is flying the clouds.
The plane is flying above the clouds.
A woman standing at the side of a piano, one hand resting on it.
She's standing the piano.
She's standing next to the piano.
A street. The theatre is on the right-hand side.
The theatre is the right.
The theatre is on the right.
A man sitting at a small table with the landline phone right beside him.
He's sitting the phone.
He's sitting by the phone.
A light switch on the wall, lower down than the window.
The switch is the window.
The switch is below the window.
A kitchen. The cupboard doors are underneath the sink.
The cupboard is the sink.
The cupboard is under the sink.
A pair of slippers on the floor beneath a bed.
There are some slippers the bed.
There are some slippers under the bed.
A pot plant on the floor at the side of a piano.
The plant is the piano.
The plant is next to the piano.
Two people at a restaurant table, facing each other: Tom and Lucy.
Tom is sitting Lucy.
Tom is sitting opposite Lucy.
A road sign in Britain: KEEP LEFT.
In Britain we drive the left.
In Britain we drive on the left.
109.3 Read the description of the town square and write sentences. Use the words in brackets. On the left side of the square, from front to back: the bank, the bookshop. On the right side, facing the bookshop: the supermarket. At the back of the square: the theatre, with the café on one side of it and Paul's office on the other. Paul's office is on the floor above the supermarket. In the centre of the square there is a fountain, and a man is standing on the near side of it, facing the theatre.
(next to) The bank ...
The bank is next to the bookshop.
The bank is next to the bookshop.
(in front of) The man ...
The man is standing in front of the fountain.
(opposite) The bookshop ...
The bookshop is opposite the supermarket.
(next to) The bookshop ...
The bookshop is next to the bank.
(above) Paul's office ...
Paul's office is above the supermarket.
(between) The theatre ...
The theatre is between the café and Paul's office.