Preposition of Direction

Preposition of direction specifies where the user needs to go or where to put something.

Some examples are to, on, onto, in, and into.

Preposition Use E
'To' is used when there is a specific destination in mind. The destination can be I am going to
To
number of things. bathroom
When one has movement in a particular direction in mind, rather than simply a He was walking
Towards
destination.
Within a space, which can be thought of as surrounding, enclosing or around the
Through The train wen
object
Movement from the outside to the inside of something that can be imagined as
Into He go
surrounding, enclosing or around the object.
To describe something’s position when it is at the opposite end from one’s We went to the
Accross
position
The bottle is in
Over To describe something’s position when it is above something else
sink in
When something is behind a second thing, the first thing is in back of the
Behind Our house is be
second.
Death Valley is
Below lower than any object

He lived in one
Along The collective position of a group of things that are in a line
th

1. To

 Use: Shows movement towards a specific place or person (a fixed destination).

 Think: You're moving from point A to point B.
 Examples:
o I am going to the doctor’s. (destination: doctor’s office)
o The bathroom is to your left. (direction towards your left)

2. Towards

 Use: Shows movement in a direction, but not necessarily reaching the destination.
 Think: You're heading in the direction of something.
 Examples:
o He was walking towards me. (coming in my direction, but hasn’t reached yet)

3. Through

 Use: Movement inside and out of something enclosed or surrounded (like a tunnel,
forest, hallway).
  Think: You enter, pass inside, and exit.
 Examples:
o The train went through the tunnel.
o She walked through the forest.

4. Into

 Use: Movement from outside to inside of something enclosed.

 Think: You enter inside an object or space.
 Examples:
o He got into the car.
o She jumped into the pool.

5. Across

 Use: Shows that something is on the opposite side or from one side to the other.
 Think: Cross over something flat like a road, river, or bridge.
 Examples:
o We went to the restaurant across the road.
o He ran across the field.

6. Over

 Use: Something is above or higher than something else; can also mean movement
above something.
 Think: No touching – it’s just above.
 Examples:
o The cabinet is over the sink.
o The plane flew over the mountains.

7. Behind

 Use: Something is at the back of another object.

 Think: One thing is hiding or placed at the back.
 Examples:
o Our house is behind the supermarket.
o The ball rolled behind the sofa.

8. Below

 Use: Something is lower than another thing.

 Think: Far beneath, not just under – possibly at a much lower level.
 Examples:
o Death Valley is 86 meters below sea level.
 o The basement is below the ground floor.

9. Along

 Use: Things are placed in a line or movement following a path.

 Think: Beside or following a path like a river, road, wall, etc.
 Examples:
o He lived in one of the houses along the river.
o We walked along the beach at sunset.

What is a Phrasal Verb?

 A phrasal verb is made of:

o A verb + a particle (preposition or adverb)
 It has a new meaning, different from the individual words.

🔹 1. Break down

 Break = to separate into pieces

 Down = towards a lower place
 Break down = to stop working / to collapse emotionally
o 👉 My car broke down on the way to work.
o 👉 She broke down in tears.

🔹 2. Look after

 Look = to see
 After = following
 Look after = to take care of
o 👉 Can you look after my dog while I’m away?

🔹 3. Turn off

 Turn = to rotate
 Off = opposite of "on"
 Turn off = to stop a machine/device
o 👉 Please turn off the lights before leaving.

🔹 4. Run into

 Run = to move quickly

 Into = inside
 Run into = to meet someone unexpectedly
o 👉 I ran into my teacher at the mall.
🔹 5. Give up

 Give = to offer
 Up = direction or end
 Give up = to stop trying or quit
o 👉 Don’t give up on your dreams.

🔹 6. Take off

 Take = to grab
 Off = away
 Take off =
o To remove (clothes)
👉 He took off his jacket.
o To rise in flight
👉 The plane took off at 6 PM.

🔹 7. Get over

 Get = to obtain/reach
 Over = above or beyond
 Get over = to recover from something
o 👉 It took her months to get over the flu.

🔹 8. Put on

 Put = to place
 On = on top
 Put on =
o To wear (clothes)
👉 She put on her shoes.
o To present (a show or act)
👉 The school put on a play.

🔹 9. Call off

 Call = to speak
 Off = cancel/stop
 Call off = to cancel
o 👉 They called off the meeting due to rain.
🔹 10. Look up

 Look = to see
 Up = higher
 Look up =
o To search for information
👉 I looked up the word in the dictionary.
o To improve
👉 Things are finally looking up!