Prepositions of Place in English: In, On, Under and More

How to teach it

1. 1. Ball and box

   Use a ball and a box. Say, "Put the ball in the box," and the child does it. Then on, under, behind, next to and so on. Let the child change the position and say a sentence: "The ball is under the box." Real objects make the meaning clear.

2. 2. Teddy treasure hunt

   Hide a teddy bear in the room and give a clue with a preposition: "It is behind the sofa." The child looks and answers: "Here it is. It is behind the sofa." Swap roles and let the child hide the toy and give the clue.

3. 3. Body positions game

   Use a chair and ask the child to stand in different places: "Stand behind the chair. Stand next to the chair. Sit on the chair. Go under the table." The whole body learns the words, and the game is fun for active children.

4. 4. Listen and draw

   Give the child a blank sheet and a pencil. Say, "Draw a house. Draw a tree next to the house. Draw a sun above the house. Draw a cat in front of the house." Then compare the picture with the instructions and talk about it.

5. 5. Picture description

   Look at a picture book scene with many things. Ask, "Where is the dog? Where is the bird?" The child answers with a full sentence: "The dog is next to the tree." Take turns, so the child also asks the questions.

6. 6. Cup and coin game

   Put three cups upside down on a table and hide a small object under one. The child asks, "Is it under the red cup?" You answer yes or no. Move the cups and play again. The game practices the question and the preposition together.

Common mistakes

• Leaving out of in in front of

  In front of has three words. Wrong: "The dog is in front the house." Right: "The dog is in front of the house." The opposite is behind, which is one word and needs no of.

• Saying "next of" or only "next"

  Say next to: "I sit next to Mia." Wrong: "I sit next of Mia." Wrong: "I sit next Mia." Near is a good short alternative: "I sit near Mia."

• Using between with one thing

  Between needs two things or places: "The ball is between the two boxes." Wrong: "The ball is between the box." For one thing, use next to, near or in.

• Mixing up in, on and at

  Use in for inside something (in the box), on for touching a surface (on the table, on the wall) and at for a point (at the door, at the table). Wrong: "The picture is in the wall." Right: "The picture is on the wall."

• Confusing under, below and above, on

  Under is directly beneath: the ball under the box. Below is lower, often not touching. On touches the surface, and above is higher with space between. Children can start with on and under and add the others later.