Prepositions of PLACE 👉 IN / ON / AT / BY 👈 Common English Grammar Mistakes
Aug 24, 2023
Prepositions of PLACE 👉 IN / ON / AT / BY 👈 Common English Grammar Mistakes
In this lesson, learn how to use English prepositions when giving information about PLACE. https://bit.ly/prepositions8x8 https://www.mmmenglish.com/2017/10/03 …https://mmm.heylady.io/join \u0026 build the confidence and fluency you need to speak English in a supportive women-only community:https://mmm.heylady.io/join https://bit.ly/mmmEnglishCourses https://bit.ly/prepositions8x8 https://bit.ly/mmmEnglishImitationCourse https://www.grammarly.com/mmmenglish http://www.audibletrial.com/mmmEnglish http://bit.ly/mmmEnglish http://bit.ly/mmmEnglishFB http://bit.ly/mmmEnglishInsta http://bit.ly/Subscribe2mmmEnglish
Content
8.5 -> Hello! This is Emma from mmmEnglish,
12.44 -> back with another lesson
14.7 -> on the mmEnglish Youtube channel.
17.88 -> Now in English, we say
20.56 -> "The school is on Bay Street."
24.12 -> Not "The school is at Bay Street."
28.12 -> "They live at 10 Park Road."
31.34 -> Not "She lives in 10 Park Road."
35.2 -> "The museum is in the city."
38.58 -> Not "The museum is on the city."
42.72 -> "I live at 300 King Street,
45.5 -> in an apartment, on the fourth floor."
50.64 -> These little words can cause lots of headaches
54.12 -> if English is not your first language.
57.02 -> They're called prepositions
59.6 -> and there are lots of them in English.
62.18 -> In, on, at,
63.84 -> by, with, for,
66.08 -> over, under,
67.98 -> of, to.
69.74 -> They all help to give information about the time,
74.02 -> location or direction in your English sentences.
79.32 -> in, on, at
82.02 -> and by
83.62 -> In this lesson,
84.68 -> we'll take a closer look at these
87.18 -> small but very common,
89.04 -> very useful English words.
91.98 -> And we'll concentrate on how you can use them
94.78 -> to give information about
96.88 -> the place or location of something.
100.76 -> Now, the bad news is
103 -> that there's no clear
104.16 -> way of knowing which preposition you need to use.
107.7 -> In fact,
108.54 -> different prepositions can be used with the same words
112.48 -> but this can change the meaning of
114.6 -> your sentence.
116.24 -> Am I at the car?
118.52 -> At the location of the car?
121.28 -> Am I in the car?
122.86 -> Or am I on the car?
125.18 -> All of these sentences are okay
128.04 -> but the meaning is different in each question.
132.04 -> Most of the time,
134.06 -> you can't just guess the correct preposition.
136.74 -> It's not really a good strategy
138.76 -> to improve your English
140.32 -> - unless you're a really lucky person!
144.66 -> The worst way to try and learn prepositions
147.72 -> is to translate them from your native language.
150.48 -> This can cause lots of problems.
153.86 -> Prepositions must be learned in chunks of words
158.24 -> or called collocations.
160.32 -> Groups of words that are often used together.
163.92 -> Like, "In the morning."
166.06 -> "At night."
167.7 -> "It depends on... (something)"
170.52 -> "He's keen on football."
173.3 -> Learning this way will help you to make
175.64 -> fewer mistakes with prepositions.
178.94 -> Instead,
180.22 -> pay attention to how native speakers
183.14 -> use these prepositions.
185.1 -> How are they used in the newspaper articles
187.72 -> that you read or stories?
189.5 -> What words are they used with?
192.64 -> And pay close attention to the general rules
195.82 -> that I'll teach you in this lesson,
197.74 -> so that you can make
199.4 -> the right choices
200.86 -> when choosing prepositions of place.
204.02 -> Let's get started with
206.4 -> "in"
208.28 -> Now the best way to think about the preposition, "in"
212.28 -> is being within something
215.32 -> inside the edges of something.
218.46 -> So let's start really simply with containers or spaces
224.14 -> that are enclosed.
225.98 -> I've got the key in my pocket.
229.42 -> There's some milk in the fridge.
232.96 -> She left it in the top drawer.
237.46 -> There's nothing left in my cup.
240.88 -> Now, it's easy to think about all of these examples
244.7 -> as being inside something
246.66 -> because the edges are really clear.
249.32 -> You can see inside them.
251.6 -> There's a clear inside and an outside.
254.7 -> Right?
256.78 -> Take our earlier example,
259.48 -> I'm in the car.
261.48 -> The car has clear edges,
264 -> I'm definitely inside the edges of the car.
268.44 -> We can use "in" with buildings or rooms
271.84 -> and places that can surround a person or an object
275.5 -> on all sides.
278.14 -> Can you take a seat in the waiting room please?
281.98 -> I've left my bag in your office.
285.82 -> Why don't we have a picnic in the park?
289.46 -> But there are lots of times when you need to
291.8 -> use this preposition
293.5 -> when the edges are less clear.
296.92 -> So for example,
298.12 -> with areas or regions or cities and towns.
302.76 -> I'm filming this video in Spain.
306.8 -> I grew up in Melbourne.
309.94 -> Holidaying in France is easy if you speak French!
314.3 -> Regolisa is a small village in the mountains.
318.72 -> We're going for a drive in the country.
322.6 -> Lots of people were swimming in the lake.
326.5 -> Now, all of these nouns
328.58 -> have borders or edges,
330.72 -> even if they're not really obvious or clear.
335.46 -> We can physically be located
338.16 -> inside the edges of this space.
341.12 -> Now when talking about groups of people,
344.32 -> you can often use "in".
346.6 -> She works in the finance team,
349.28 -> surrounded by people.
352.44 -> He got selected to play in the national team.
356.84 -> But there's an exception for important high-level groups
360.58 -> where members are often elected.
363.42 -> He's on the board.
365.42 -> Or they're on the committee,
367.48 -> or on the council.
369.72 -> We can also use "in" with liquids and other substances
374.54 -> to show what they contain.
377.94 -> Careful! There's a lot of chilli in that sauce.
383.12 -> There's too much sugar in soft drinks.
387.14 -> Do you have milk in your coffee?
390.46 -> Now the preposition "on"
392.64 -> is used to talk about the position of something
396.24 -> on surfaces
398.44 -> or things that can be thought-of as surfaces
401.42 -> like walls or tables.
405.26 -> My phone is on the table.
408.16 -> You can see a painting on the wall behind me.
412.66 -> We live on the fourth floor of the building.
416.94 -> Can you write it on that piece of paper?
422.32 -> He's spilled ice cream on his new jumper!
427.26 -> Now, keep thinking about this idea of
430.34 -> flat surfaces
432.84 -> because it includes roads and streets
436.48 -> and rivers.
438.76 -> The supermarket is on the corner of Martin Street.
443.44 -> Nice is on the south coast of France.
448.42 -> Now the idea of flat surfaces also includes water,
452.62 -> so rivers, oceans, lakes.
456.46 -> What's that on the water?
459.12 -> Floating on the water.
461.12 -> We'll take you out on the lake
464.74 -> - in our boat.
466.28 -> We'll be on the lake, in our boat.
470.18 -> Okay, now let's talk about the preposition "at".
474.2 -> It's used to talk about specific places or points in space.
480.52 -> Sarah's still at school.
483.88 -> I'll meet you at the bus stop.
487.18 -> Turn left at the traffic light.
490.8 -> Now it's also used with public places and shops.
494.68 -> For example,
496.02 -> I studied design at college or school or university.
501.6 -> Let's meet at the station.
504.82 -> We have to stop at the supermarket on the way home.
508.54 -> There was a crazy guy at the library today.
513.28 -> We also use it with addresses.
516.2 -> They live at 14 Eagle Road.
520.5 -> I'll meet you at the corner
522.4 -> of Beach Street and Park Road.
525.6 -> I had a coffee at Helen's house.
529.16 -> At her house, right?
531.22 -> Careful, not to confuse the preposition with another,
535.62 -> "with".
536.96 -> I had a cup of coffee with Helen.
541.06 -> That means Helen, the person,
543.04 -> not Helen's house.
546.12 -> We can use "at" with events.
549.04 -> We met at a party.
551.58 -> He's speaking at a conference later this week.
556.28 -> So in all of these examples,
558.4 -> the preposition "at" is used to talk about
561.44 -> specific places or points in space.
566.16 -> Okay I went through quite a few examples there,
569.72 -> but let's just stop and review the rules for a minute.
574.16 -> "At" is one-dimensional.
577.02 -> Think of a map.
578.56 -> When you're looking at a map, you're referring to a
581.64 -> specific place or position in space.
586.02 -> "On" is more two-dimensional.
589.68 -> You have a flat surface
591.5 -> and you're referring to the position of
594.5 -> something or someone
596.46 -> in relation to that surface.
600.58 -> So you're recognising the space around you
603.6 -> a little more when you're using that preposition.
606.74 -> Now "in" is the sort of
608.98 -> three-dimensional preposition.
611.16 -> So when you use it,
612.5 -> you need to think about
614.06 -> the position of something
616 -> in relation to what surrounds it.
619.94 -> Now of course,
621.1 -> there are grey areas and many exceptions
624.56 -> that will make you
626.04 -> scratch your head and wonder, what?!
629.58 -> When you hear that expression, "grey areas"
632.7 -> it means that something is
634.7 -> unclear.
636.64 -> It's not black and it's not white,
639.74 -> it's somewhere in the middle
642.24 -> but we don't know exactly where
644.48 -> - it's unclear.
646.18 -> That's a very common expression.
648.92 -> Now there are many grey areas for prepositions
652.5 -> when you're talking about
654.06 -> the place or the location of something.
658.42 -> It's on the corner.
660.28 -> Or it's at the corner.
662.26 -> These two examples mean almost the same thing.
666.22 -> The museum is on the south side of the city.
670.88 -> So this expression, on the south side
673.7 -> or on the right side
675.5 -> or on the left side,
677.3 -> it always uses the preposition "on".
680.18 -> Your seat is on the left side.
683.66 -> Now I said before that Nice
686.62 -> is on the south coast of France
689.44 -> but Nice is also in the south of France.
693.78 -> Now there is a difference here
695.12 -> when we're referring to the flat surface
699.3 -> and the region or the area.
702.7 -> So it's that spatial difference.
705.3 -> On the south coast
707.8 -> or in the south of France.
711.98 -> It's a little hard to get your head around, right?
714.92 -> But France is a space that has edges.
718.34 -> It's enclosed so we use "in".
721.86 -> I'll see you at Melanie's house.
724.88 -> So that's the place right?
727.14 -> But I'll meet you in the kitchen.
730.3 -> It's an enclosed room or enclosed space.
735.38 -> I'll meet you at the corner of Beach
Street and Park Road.
740.58 -> I saw it in the corner of the room.
744.82 -> So that's an enclosed space, right?
748.24 -> How about this one?
749.66 -> Write it on the paper
752.06 -> in your notebook,
754.18 -> at the top of the page
756.18 -> or in the corner.
759.48 -> We say I'm in the car
761.68 -> and I'm on the bus or the train.
765.66 -> So there are also times when you can use
768.66 -> two different prepositions
770.98 -> and the meaning is actually really similar
773.84 -> especially between "at" and "on"
777.9 -> Sarah's still in school.
781.08 -> Or Sarah is still at school.
784.36 -> Now these sentences mean almost exactly
787.28 -> the same thing.
789.2 -> "In" school suggests that Sarah is
792.58 -> inside the school buildings.
795 -> She's a student, she's learning there.
798.3 -> "At" suggests that she's at the location of the school
802.66 -> but she could be inside a building or outside
805.96 -> and she's not necessarily a student either.
809.1 -> She could be a parent visiting the school, for example.
813.5 -> I think they're at the beach
816.92 -> Or I think they're on the beach.
820.34 -> "At the beach" is the place.
823.06 -> "On the beach" means the sand.
826.98 -> But you can't use "in".
828.98 -> If you say "in" you need to use
832.54 -> the water.
833.72 -> You can be in the water.
835.46 -> She's in the sea.
837.58 -> She's in the lake.
838.88 -> She's in the water.
841.28 -> One more two-lettered preposition
843.96 -> to add to this lesson about place
847.24 -> is "by".
850.02 -> I'm waiting by the car.
853.46 -> Put your bag by the door and sit down.
856.84 -> Here, "by" is used to mean
859.78 -> next to something or beside or near.
864.42 -> These are all prepositions that give us detail
866.98 -> about the location of something.
869.54 -> They live near the school.
872.04 -> They live next to the school.
874.04 -> They live by the school.
877.22 -> So there are definitely a few
879.16 -> confusing things about prepositions, right?
882.9 -> To successfully learn to use prepositions really well,
887.16 -> learn them with the words around them.
890.14 -> Don't try and learn them on their own.
892.96 -> The general rules that we talked about during
895.76 -> this lesson, will help you to make better choices
899.04 -> - most of the time!
901.22 -> Well I hope this lesson has helped to make a few things
904.68 -> clearer for you.
905.96 -> If you've got any questions at all,
907.88 -> just pop them in the comments under this video.
911.28 -> If you love this channel and you enjoy my lessons,
914.88 -> then please make sure that you subscribe to my channel
918.14 -> right here or here.
921.24 -> And check out some of the other lessons
923.86 -> that I've made in these playlists, right here.
927.96 -> See you next week
929.12 -> and thanks for watching mmmEnglish.
931.42 -> Bye for now!
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzkbcWh8s4w
