Olly English
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The quick answer
Use in for cities, countries, rooms and closed spaces. Use on for surfaces and streets. Use at for exact points and fixed phrases. Say in Madrid, on the wall, at home.
Prepositions of place: in, on and at
Big places take in, flat places take on, exact points take at.
The rule
Choose the preposition by the size of the place. In marks a space around you: a city (in Madrid), a country (in Spain), a room (in the kitchen). On marks a surface you can touch: a wall (on the wall), a shelf (on the shelf), a street (on Green Street). At marks one exact point: a door (at the door), a station (at the station), or a fixed phrase like at home or at work. Buses, trains and planes take on (on the bus). Small cars and taxis take in (in a taxi).
Form
| Word | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in | cities, countries, rooms, closed spaces | in Madrid, in bed |
| on | surfaces, streets, big transport | on the wall, on the bus |
| at | exact points, fixed phrases | at the door, at home |
Examples
- They live in Madrid.
- The photo is on the wall.
- Dad is at work now.
- We go to school on the bus.
- The baby sleeps in its room.
- She is at home. Call later.
Common mistakes
- ❌ She is in home. → ✅ She is at home. Home with at is fixed.
- ❌ They live on Paris. → ✅ They live in Paris. Cities take in.
- ❌ We go to school in bus. → ✅ We go to school on the bus. Buses and trains take on.
Ready to try it?Practise with the test: Prepositions of Place: At, In and On →