PREPOSITION OF MOVEMENT

 

There are 9 prepositions that pertain to movement:

 

To

‘To’ is used when there is a specific destination in mind. The destination can be a number of things:

 

A place:

I’m going to the doctor’s.

Can you direct me to the nearest post office?

 

An event:

Are you going to the party?

I have never been to a concert.

 

A person:

                                    She came up to me.

                                    I go to my father for advice.

 

A position:

                                    The bathroom is to your left.

                                    Keep to the left.

 

Towards

‘Towards’ is used in the following instances:

When one has movement in a particular direction in mind, rather than simply a destination:

He was walking menacingly towards me.

 

Or to refer to a position, in relation to a direction from the point of view of the speaker:

He was sitting with his back towards me.

 

 

Through

‘Through’ refers to the following types of movement:

 

Within a space, which can be thought of as surrounding, enclosing or around the object:

The train went through the tunnel.

 

Movement across something, i.e. from one side of it to the other:

He cut through the gauze.

 

Into

‘Into’ refers to the following types of movement:

Movement from the outside to the inside of something that can be imagined as surrounding, enclosing or around the object:

He got into the car.

 

Movement causing something to hit something else:

He swerved into the tree.

 

Across

‘Across’ is used to describe:

 

Movement from one end of something to the other:

                                    He walked across the road.

                                    He strode across the bridge.

 

Something’s position when it stretches over the surface it is on:

                                    There was a barricade across the road.

 

To describe something’s position when it is at the opposite end from one’s position:

                                    We went to the restaurant across the road.

 

Over

‘Over’ is used in the following instances:

 

To describe something’s position when it is above something else:

The bottle is in the cabinet over the sink in the kitchen.

 

To describe something’s position when it covers a surface:

A white cloth had been spread over the corpse.

 

Along

‘Along’ is used to describe:

 

Movement in a line:

We walked along the river.

 

The collective position of a group of things that are in a line:

He lived in one of the houses along the river.

 

In

‘In’ is used in the following instances:

 

Something’s position in relation to the area or space or place surrounding it:

                        We are going to have our picnic in the park.

                        I left my car in the garage.

 

To express towards the inside of something:

                        Put the pickle in the cabinet.

 

On

‘On’ is used in the following instances:

 

To describe something’s position in relation to a surface:

There was an array of food on the table.

 

To describe movement in the direction of a surface:

The rain falling on the roof kept me from sleeping.