Preposition of Movement
Across / Through
Across is movement from one side of an area, surface, or line to the other side.
I drew a line ACROSS the paper.
Through is movement from one side of an enclosed space to the other side.
The baseball went THROUGH the window.
Sometimes, either ACROSS or THROUGH can be used for areas:
- We walked across the park.
= We walked through the park. - They drove across the city.
= They drove through the city.
Along / Around
Along is to follow a line.
Around is to go in a circular direction around some obstacle.
Difference between ALONG and AROUND
Into / Out Of
Into is to go from outside a space to inside a space.
Out of is to go from inside a space to outside a space.
The cat went into the box.
The cat jumped out of the box.
Onto / Off
Onto and off refer to surfaces, differently from into / out of (which refer to enclosed spaces):
- The dog jumped onto the table.
The dog jumped into the table. - I took the picture off the wall.
I took the picture out of the wall.
Up / Down
Going up the stairs / Going down the stairs
Go up and go down can also be used for “increase” and “decrease,” in addition to physical movement.
- The price of food has gone up in the past two years.
- The number of children per family has gone down.
Over / Under
To go over is to pass above something.
To go under is to pass below something.
Prepositions in English – Over and Under
Towards / Away From
If you go towards something, you get closer to it.
If you go away from something, you get farther away from it.
The dog is running towards me.
The boy is running away from me.
Back To
“Back to” is movement of return to a place you have been before:
- He went to Italy.
(maybe for the first time) - He went back to Italy.
(it is the second time, or he is from Italy) - He went back Italy.
(this form is incorrect)
Prepositions of movement or direction are used to show movement from one place to another. These prepositions are most often used with verbs of motion and are found after the verb.
TO
“To” is the most common of the prepositions of movement or direction.
Meaning: a function word used to indicate movement or an action or condition suggesting movement in the direction of a place, person, or thing
Use: We use “to” to show movement in a specific direction.
Examples:
| I go to school by bus. |
| You walk to work every day. |
| They came to the wedding. |
| Sofia flew to Canada. |
ACROSS
Meaning: from one side to the other
Use: “Across” is used to show movement from one side to the opposite side.
Examples:
| The boat will take you across the river. |
| You must walk across the street at the crosswalk. |
ALONG
Meaning: in a line; a point in the length of; from one point to another
Examples:
| He’s walking along the path. |
| The street runs along the seafront. |
AROUND
Meaning: in a circle; in or along a curving path
Examples:
| You must drive around the city center to reach the cinema. |
| Let’s go for a walk around the park. |
DOWN
Meaning: high to low; to or toward the south
Use: “Down” is used to indicate movement from a higher to a lower position.
Examples:
| I prefer to ride my bike down the hill. |
| We are going down to Florida this summer. |
INTO
Meaning: to or toward to inside of; in the direction of; to enter
Examples:
| Don’t go into your sister’s room! |
| We went into the shop on the corner. |
OFF
Meaning: away from
Examples:
| Get your feet off the sofa! |
| We get off the train at the next stop. |
ONTO
Meaning: to move to a position that is on
Examples:
| We can get onto the bus here. |
| The dog got onto the sofa. |
OVER
Meaning: in an upward and forward direction across something; from one place to another; from or to a place that is higher than
Examples:
| The cat jumped over the dog. |
| You must cross over the bridge. |
PAST
Meaning: at the far side of something; beyond; up to or going near
Examples:
| Walk past the theater on the right and the bank is on the left. |
| Go past Main Street and turn left at the next street. |
THROUGH
Meaning: from one point to the other; from one end to the other
Use: “Through” is used to show movement within an enclosed space.
Examples:
| You must turn on your lights when passing through the tunnel. |
| She walks through the park on her way to work. |
TOWARD[S]
Meaning: in the direction of
Examples:
| Who is that woman running towards us? |
| Walk towards the sea and turn left at the first street. |
UP
Meaning: low to high; toward the ceiling, sky or the north
Use: “Up” is used to indicate movement from a lower to a higher position.
Examples:
| I don’t like riding my bike up these hills. |
| We climbed up the mountain this morning.
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