Common mistake: “The book is in the table.” — Correct: “The book is on the table.”
We use prepositions of place (in, on, under, next to, behind, in front of, between) to say where something is.
Where is it?
Preposition
Meaning
Example
in
inside
in the box
on
on
on the table
under
under
under the chair
next to
next to
next to Ben
behind
behind
behind the door
The book is on the table, and the cat is under the chair.
Sofía sits next to Ben, behind Kenji.
The keys are not in the bag.
The dog isn't behind the door.
Where is the cat? Is the book on the table?
Is your phone in your pocket?
Is the cat under the table? Yes, it is.
Is the pen in the bag? No, it isn't.
Practice
The book is ___ the table. (on) (in, on, under)
The cat is ___ the chair. (under) (on, under, next to)
'next to' means 'al lado de'.
The keys are ___ the bag. (inside)
Sofía sits ___ to Ben. (next to)
Find the mistake: The book is in the table.
Unscramble: is, The, under, cat, the, bed, .
The pen is on the desk. — Make it negative (use 'not').
Where is your phone right now? (Use a preposition of place.)
Listening
Ben: Kenji, where are my keys? I can't find them!
Kenji: Are they in your bag?
Ben: No, they aren't in my bag.
Kenji: Look under the books on the table.
Ben: No... oh, wait! They are behind the laptop!
Kenji: Next time, put them in your pocket!
Reading
Ben's desk is a mess! His laptop is on the table, and his books are under the laptop. His phone is next to the coffee, and his keys are behind the computer. 'Where is my pen?' he asks. Sofía laughs and points. 'It's in your hand, Ben!' Poor Ben — he never finds anything.