Prepositions of place: between, above, under
450 fill-in-the-gap exercises, 45 tests of ten
The prepositions that place one thing in relation to another. Several come in pairs that are easy to mix up.
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Getting your first question ready.
above or over
Both mean higher, and in many sentences either works: the lamp above / over the table.
The difference shows in two cases:
- movement across takes over: He climbed over the fence.
- covering takes over: She pulled a blanket over her knees.
- measurements and levels take above: above sea level, above average
below or under
Same pattern, reversed:
- directly beneath, often touching or covered → under: under the bed, under a blanket
- lower on a scale → below: below zero, below average, below the surface
between or among
- between — two things, or a few you could name: between the two houses, between Monday and Friday
- among — a group you do not count: among the trees, among friends
inside and outside
Both can appear without a noun, and then they are adverbs:
Come inside. / Come inside the house.
behind and in front of
Note that in front of is three words and means at the front of something. In the front of means inside, at its front part:
The car is in front of the house. — outside it. I sat in the front of the car. — inside it.
opposite
Means facing, which is not the same as in front of:
The bakery is opposite the bank. — they face each other across the street.
All forms
| Preposition | Idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| between | with something on each side | between the two chairs |
| above | higher, not touching | above the table |
| below | lower, not touching | below the surface |
| under | directly beneath, often covered | under the bed |
| over | across, or covering | over the wall, over her shoulders |
| inside / outside | within / beyond the limits | inside the envelope |
| behind / in front of | at the back / at the front | behind the building |
Examples
Taken from the 450 sentences in this drill. The answer is highlighted.
- My name comes below yours in the list, on the very last line.
- We spent the whole evening outside the house, around the fire.
- The old photographs were behind the tall cabinet, pressed against the back wall.
- The goat jumped over the low stone wall and ran off.
- She hung the painting above the fireplace.
- The ball is inside the box with the lid shut.
- The dog curled up under my desk while I worked.
- There is a narrow path between the two houses.
- They took a photograph in front of the fountain.
- The bird is perched on the tree branch.
- The moon is shining among the stars.
- The total is printed below the list of prices, on the last line.
Mistakes to avoid
Wrong: He jumped above the puddle. correct: He jumped over the puddle.
Over carries the idea of crossing. Above is a static position.
Wrong: The temperature dropped under zero. correct: The temperature dropped below zero.
With measurements and scales, English uses below.
Wrong: She sat between her parents and her brother and her sister. correct: She sat among her family.
Between works with two sides, or with a small number you can list. Among is for a group.