Prepositions of Direction

Prepositions of direction tell us the path or route that something or someone takes when moving. You already know direction words like "along", "across", "into", "from", and "over" from Primary 3. Now you will learn more direction prepositions and discover how to tell apart words that seem similar.

What You'll Learn

How to use through, onto, and towards to describe different kinds of movement
How to tell the difference between through and across
How to tell the difference between into and onto
How to choose the correct direction preposition in tricky sentences

When to Use

Moving from one end to the other end of an enclosed space: "The train passed through the tunnel near Bukit Timah."
Moving from one side to the other of an open area: "We jogged across the field during PE lesson."
Moving from the outside to the inside: "The boy ran into the classroom before the bell rang."
Moving up and landing on a surface: "The cat jumped onto the table and knocked over the cup."
Moving in the direction of something (but not arriving): "She walked towards the hawker centre to buy lunch."

How to Form

The Five Direction Prepositions

Preposition	What it shows	Example
through	Moving in one end and out the other end of something enclosed	He cycled through the park.
across	Moving from one side to the other side of a flat or open space	They swam across the pool.
into	Moving from outside to inside	She stepped into the lift.
onto	Moving up and landing on top of a surface	The frog hopped onto the lily pad.
towards	Moving in the direction of something (may or may not reach it)	The bus drove towards the interchange.

How to Tell Apart Similar Prepositions

These pairs often confuse students. Use this table to pick the right one.

Pair	Key difference	Choose this one when...	Example
through vs across	Through = enclosed or surrounded (tunnel, forest, crowd). Across = open and flat (field, road, river).	The path goes through something with things on all sides, not just two sides.	He walked through the market. / He walked across the car park.
into vs onto	Into = ending up inside. Onto = ending up on top of a surface.	Ask: "Is the person or thing going inside or landing on a surface?"	She jumped into the pool. / She climbed onto the stage.
towards vs to	Towards = moving in the direction of, but may not arrive. To = reaching the destination.	The sentence focuses on the direction of movement, not the arrival.	He ran towards the gate. / He ran to the gate and stopped.

Key Rules

"Through" means passing in and out: Use through when someone or something enters one end of a space and exits the other end. The space is usually enclosed or surrounded, like a tunnel, forest, crowd, or doorway. "The river flows through the nature reserve."
"Across" means crossing a surface: Use across when someone or something moves from one side to the other of something flat or open, like a road, field, or lake. "She skated across the ice rink."
"Into" means going inside: Use into when someone or something moves from outside to inside a space. The movement ends with the person or thing being inside. "He put the books into his bag."
"Onto" means landing on a surface: Use onto when someone or something moves up and lands on the top of something. The movement ends with the person or thing being on a surface. "The bird flew onto the branch."
"Towards" shows direction, not arrival: Use towards when someone or something moves in the direction of a target but the sentence does not say they arrived. "The children ran towards the playground."
Do not confuse "in" with "into" or "on" with "onto": "In" and "on" describe a position (staying still). "Into" and "onto" describe movement. "The ball is in the box" (position). "She threw the ball into the box" (movement).

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
He walked across the tunnel.	He walked through the tunnel.	A tunnel is enclosed, so use "through", not "across"
She climbed into the roof.	She climbed onto the roof.	A roof is a surface you climb on top of, not inside
The dog jumped on the sofa.	The dog jumped onto the sofa.	Jumping is movement, so use "onto" (not "on" which shows position)
We swam through the river.	We swam across the river.	A river is open water you cross from side to side, so use "across"
He ran towards the shop and bought ice cream.	He ran to the shop and bought ice cream.	He arrived and bought something, so use "to" (not "towards" which means he may not have arrived)
She put the cup on to the shelf.	She put the cup onto the shelf.	"Onto" is one word, not two

Clue Words

Use "through" when you see:

tunnel, forest, crowd, door, gate, passage, corridor, park (enclosed or surrounded spaces)

Use "across" when you see:

road, field, river, lake, playground, car park, bridge (open, flat areas to cross)

Use "into" when you see:

room, car, building, pool, box, bag, lift (going inside something)

Use "onto" when you see:

table, stage, roof, branch, platform, shelf (landing on top of a surface)

Use "towards" when you see:

walked/ran/drove towards and the sentence does not say the person arrived

Tip: Picture the movement in your head. Is it going inside something? Use "into". Landing on top of something? Use "onto". Passing all the way through something enclosed? Use "through". Crossing a flat, open space? Use "across". Moving in a direction without arriving? Use "towards".

Practice Tips

The "picture it" test: Before choosing a preposition, draw the movement in your mind. Ask: Where does the person start? Where do they end up? What does the path look like? This helps you pick the right word.
Position vs movement check: If the sentence has an action verb (ran, jumped, climbed, threw), you probably need a movement preposition like "into" or "onto". If the sentence describes where something already is (sitting, lying, standing), use "in" or "on" instead.
The arrival test for "towards" vs "to": Read the rest of the sentence. If the person does something at the destination (bought, opened, stopped), they arrived -- use "to". If the sentence only describes the direction of movement, use "towards".
The "enclosed or open" test for "through" vs "across": Ask yourself: "Are there things on all sides?" If yes (like trees in a forest or walls in a tunnel), use "through". If the space is flat and open (like a field or car park), use "across".

Quick Reference

Preposition	Movement type	Picture it as...	Example sentence
through	In one end, out the other (enclosed)	An arrow passing through a box	He drove through the carpark gantry.
across	Side to side (open, flat)	Drawing a line from left to right	She ran across the court during recess.
into	From outside to inside	Dropping a coin into a piggy bank	The children rushed into the hall.
onto	Up and landing on a surface	A cat jumping onto a shelf	He placed the trophy onto the display case.
towards	In the direction of (not arriving)	Walking in the direction of a building	They marched towards the parade ground.

Prepositions of Direction (P4) (Primary 4)