Prepositions of movement and of place

PREPOSITION OF MOVEMENTS

Prepositions are used to show movement to or from a place.

For example:-

to, through, across

We use to to show movement with the aim of a specific destination.

For example:-
I moved to Germany in 1998.  
He's gone to the shops.

We use through to show movement from one side of an enclosed space to the other.    

For example: 
The train went through the tunnel.

We use across to show movement from one side of a surface or line to another.

For example: 
She swam across the river.

More prepositions of movement
She ran...  
  across the road. (from one side to the other)
  along the road. (The length of the road.)
  around the playground.
  away from the policeman.
  back to the shop.
  down the hill.
  into the room.
  off the stage.
  onto (on to) the platform.
  out of the theatre.
  over the bridge. (from one side of an open space to the other)
  past the opening.
  round the track.
  through the tunnel.
  to the door.
  towards the bus stop.
  under the shelter.
  up the hill.

At and in can also be used as prepositions of movement, but they're used to show the purpose of the movement.

For example:

I threw the paper in the bin.
Let's have dinner at my place.

When used after some verbs, the preposition at also shows the target of an action:

The bowler was sent off for throwing the ball at the umpire, instead of to the batsman.

!Note - a lot of sites say that around and round are the same, but there can be a difference, especially in BrE. If someone says "they were running around", it implies the movement is erratic.

For example: Children tend to run around at school.

In BrE when we use "round" we imply a more definite purpose and a more circular movement.

For example: The athlete ran round the track.

PREPOSITION OF PLACE 

In general, we use:

  • at for a POINT
  • in for an ENCLOSED SPACE
  • on for a SURFACE
at in on
POINT ENCLOSED SPACE SURFACE
at the corner in the garden on the wall
at the bus stop in London on the ceiling
at the door in France on the door
at the top of the page in a box on the cover
at the end of the road in my pocket on the floor
at the entrance in my wallet on the carpet
at the crossroads in a building on the menu
at the front desk in a car on a page

Look at these examples:

  • Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.
  • The shop is at the end of the street.
  • My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late.
  • When will you arrive at the office?
  • Do you work in an office?
  • I have a meeting in New York.
  • Do you live in Japan?
  • Jupiter is in the Solar System.
  • The author's name is on the cover of the book.
  • There are no prices on this menu.
  • You are standing on my foot.
  • There was a "no smoking" sign on the wall.
  • I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.

Notice the use of the prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions:

at in on
at home in a car on a bus
at work in a taxi on a train
at school in a helicopter on a plane
at university in a boat on a ship
at college in a lift (elevator) on a bicycle, on a motorbike
at the top in the newspaper on a horse, on an elephant
at the bottom in the sky on the radio, on television
at the side in a row on the left, on the right
at reception in Oxford Street on the way