Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place are words that tell us where something or someone is. You already know basic ones like "in", "on", and "under". Now you will learn more prepositions and how to describe where things are in different ways.

What You'll Learn

How to use near, over, above, below, and among to describe where things are
How to tell the difference between similar prepositions like "over" and "above"
How to describe spatial relationships between objects and places

When to Use

To describe something higher up: "The clock is above the whiteboard in our classroom."
To describe something crossing over: "The bird flew over the playground."
To describe something close by: "The bookshop is near the MRT station."
To describe something facing another thing: "The canteen is opposite the library."

How to Form

Put the preposition after the verb and before the noun (the place or thing).

Pattern: Subject + verb + preposition + noun

"The lamp hangs above the dining table."
"The cat jumped over the fence."

New Prepositions of Place

Preposition	What it means	Example
near	not far from something	The playground is near the school.
above	higher than, but not touching	The fan is above our heads.
below	lower than, but not touching	The car park is below the building.
over	higher than and often across or covering	The bridge goes over the river.
among	in the middle of a group (three or more)	I found my shoe among the pile of shoes.

Prepositions You Already Know (from P1 and P2)

Preposition	What it means	Example
in	inside something	The books are in the cupboard.
on	touching the surface of	The vase is on the shelf.
at	at a specific place or spot	Grandma is at the market.
under	directly below and often covered	The ball rolled under the sofa.
behind	at the back of	The garden is behind the house.
beside / next to	at the side of	I sat beside my best friend.
between	in the middle of two things	The library is between the hall and the canteen.
opposite	facing something, on the other side	The hawker centre is opposite the bus stop.

Key Rules

"Above" means higher, not touching: Use "above" when something is higher than another thing but does not touch it. "The painting is above the sofa." The painting is higher up on the wall, but it does not sit on the sofa.
"Over" can mean across or covering: Use "over" when something goes from one side to another, or when it covers something. "She held the umbrella over her head." "The plane flew over the island."
"Above" vs "over": If something is directly higher up and still, use "above". If something moves across or covers, use "over".
- Still: "The light is above the table." (fixed position)
- Moving: "The kite flew over the field." (moving across)
"Below" is the opposite of "above": Use "below" when something is lower, but not directly under and touching. "The valley is below the hill."
"Between" vs "among": Use "between" for two things. Use "among" for three or more things.
- "I stood between my parents." (two people)
- "I stood among my classmates." (many people)

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
The fan is over my head.	The fan is above my head.	The fan is fixed in place, not moving across -- use "above"
She is among her two brothers.	She is between her two brothers.	Use "between" for two things, "among" for three or more
The shop is near to the park.	The shop is near the park.	"Near" does not need "to" after it
The bridge is above the river.	The bridge is over the river.	The bridge stretches across the river -- use "over"
The temperature is under zero.	The temperature is below zero.	Use "below" for measurements and levels, not "under"

Clue Words

Use "above" when you see:

higher, up on the wall, hanging, fixed, not touching

Use "over" when you see:

across, covering, moving past, from one side to another, jumping, flying

Use "below" when you see:

lower, under a level, beneath a line, measurements

Use "near" when you see:

not far, close to, nearby, a short walk from

Use "among" when you see:

group, many, crowd, pile, collection

Tip: Think of "above" as something still and "over" as something moving. A light is above the table. A bird flies over the table.

Practice Tips

The movement test: Is the thing moving across? Use "over". Is it staying still in a higher position? Use "above". Ask yourself: "Is it moving or fixed?"
Count the objects: Are there exactly two? Use "between". Are there three or more? Use "among". Always count before you choose.
Draw a picture: Sketch where things are in your classroom or HDB flat. Label each item with the correct preposition. For example: "The clock is above the whiteboard. The dustbin is near the door."

Quick Reference

I want to say...	Preposition	Example
Higher than, not touching	above	The clock is above the door.
Moving across or covering	over	The cat jumped over the box.
Lower than, not touching	below	The MRT runs below the road.
Not far from	near	My house is near the park.
Facing, on the other side	opposite	The shop is opposite the school.
In a group of three or more	among	He hid among the bushes.
In the middle of two things	between	The coin fell between the cushions.
Inside something	in	The clothes are in the wardrobe.
On a surface	on	The remote is on the coffee table.
Directly below, often covered	under	The slippers are under the bed.

Prepositions of Place (P3) (Primary 3)