in, on and at (place)

Oxford Practice Grammar
by John Eastwood

I don't have a permission from the writer and the publisher but I hope I won't get into trouble of putting this online. I really want to help my students. Enjoy this part of the lesson. It really helps a lot.

in, on, at (place)

A. Meanings

in

We use in when something is around, on all sides:

in the phone box
in the playpen
in my pocket
in the garden
in the kitchen
swimming in the pool

in + town/country
Kate lives in New York
Bologna is in Italy,

in + street (Great Britain)
in Shirley Road
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on

We use on for a surface:
lying on the rug
walk in the pavement
a number on the door
egg on your shirt

And we use on for a line:
Bath, on the River Avon
a village on this road
a town on the border

on + floor:
on the first floor

on + street (USA)
on Fifth Avenue

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at

We use at for a position, a point in space:

someone at the door
sitting at my desk
at the crossroads

We also use at for events:

See you at the match.
at the meeting
at a church service

at + house/address:
at 65 Shirley Road
at Mike's (house)

at + place on a journey:
Does this train stop at York?


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Some common phrases

in prison/hospital
in the lesson
in a book/newspaper
in this photo/picture

in the sky
in the middle
in the back/front of a car
in a queue/line/row

on the platform
on the farm
on this page
on the screen
on the island
on the beach
on the coast
drive on the right/left
on the back of an envelope

at the station/airport
at home/work/school

at the seaside

at the top/bottom of a hill
at the back of a queue
at the end of the corridor