Where is it? In, on, under and other place words

Short answer: Place words say where something is. In means inside, on means on top, under means below, behind means at the back, next to means by the side, between means one on each side, and near means not far. Say is before the place word and use the before the place: The cat is on the bed.

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At a glance

In short

• in, on, under, behind, next to, between, near say where.
• Say is before the place word.
• Use the before the place.

What is the rule for “Where is it? Prepositions of place”?

The rule

Use a place word to say where something is.

How it looks

the + thing + is + place word + the + place

What it means

in = inside · on = on top · under = below · behind = at the back · next to = by the side · between = one on each side · near = not far

When to use it

Use them to say where things are.

How it works

• Picture the two things. Where is the first thing compared with the second?
• Choose the place word that matches the picture.
• Say the thing, then is, then the place word, then the place: The cat is on the bed.
• Remember the before the place noun. Do not say on bed.

Examples of “Where is it? Prepositions of place”

• The cat is on the bed.
  on = resting on top.
• The ball is between two boxes.
  between = one box on each side.
• The bag is next to the chair.
  next to = at the side.
• The bird is in the tree.
  in = inside the tree.
• The keys are in my bag.
  in = inside the bag.
• The picture is on the wall.
  on = touching the wall.
• A dog sleeps under the table.
  under = below the table.
• The school is near the river.
  near = not far from the river.

Common mistakes with “Where is it? Prepositions of place”

• The cat is on bed. → The cat is on the bed.
  We need the before bed.
• The cat on the bed. → The cat is on the bed.
  Do not leave out is.
• near to the bed → near the bed
  near does not need to.
• The cat sleeps in the sofa. → The cat sleeps on the sofa.
  We say on the sofa because the cat is on top.
• The book is between of the boxes. → The book is between the boxes.
  Do not add of after between.

Exceptions: watch out

• next to
  We say next to the bed. We do not say next the bed.

In, on or at?

These three small words are used for place and for time. For place: in is inside, on is on a surface, at is a point.

See also: at 7, on Monday, in May: time words

Check yourself

1. Fill the gap: “The cat is ___ the bed.” (on top)
   Show the answer

   on On means on top.

2. Fill the gap: “The shoes are ___ the chair.” (below)
   Show the answer

   under Under means below.

3. Fix: “near to the bed”
   Show the answer

   near the bed Near does not need to.

How to practice “Where is it? Prepositions of place”

The interactive version adds step-by-step help, spoken instructions and a quick check. One rule card, one sound lesson and the first lesson of every stone are free to try; the rest is part of Full Access. See Full Access.

• Practice lesson: Where is it? Prepositions of place

Questions

What is the difference between “next to” and “beside”?

They mean almost the same. Next to is more common in speech.

Do I say “in front of” or “before”?

For place, in front of: The car is in front of the house. Before is mostly for time.

Why “in the tree” and “on the tree”?

In the tree means among the branches. On the tree can mean on the surface, such as a nail on the tree.

More Sentence Building rules

• Subject + Verb: A sentence needs someone or something (the subject) and a verb: Birds fly.
• Verbs can have an object: Some verbs can have an object: the person or thing that gets the action.
• Present simple: I, you, we, they: For things we do again and again, and for likes, use the plain action word with I, you, we and they.
• Present simple: he, she, it + -s: With he, she, it or one name, the action word usually adds -s.
• Negatives: not with be and can: To say no with am, is, are or can, add not: I am not, she isn't, they aren't, it can't.
• Negatives: don't and doesn't: To say no with an action word, use don't or doesn't and then the plain action word.

Used in these writing topics

• Connected sentences: descriptive
• Descriptive paragraphs

Part of the 📘 Grammar tool. Level G2: Sentence Building. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.

Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.

Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30

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