Prepositions of Direction
A complete A2 guide to prepositions of direction and movement, including to, into, out of, across, through, over, under, up, down, around, past, toward, onto, and off.
What Are Prepositions of Direction?
Prepositions of direction describe movement from one place to another.
She walked to the station.
The cat jumped onto the sofa.
We drove through the tunnel.
They answer questions like:
Where did the person go?
How did the object move?
What path did it take?
To, Toward, and Into
Use to for movement with a destination.
I went to the grocery store.
They drove to the airport.
Use toward when something moves in the direction of a place, but it may not arrive there.
The dog ran toward me.
She walked toward the door.
Use into for movement from outside to inside.
He walked into the room.
The ball rolled into the box.
With a few common verbs, especially go, get, and put, speakers sometimes use in instead of into.
She got in the car. = She got into the car.
Put the letter in the envelope. = Put the letter into the envelope.
Use into when you want the movement to be very clear.
Spelling note: American English usually uses toward. British English often uses towards.
Out Of, Onto, and Off
Use out of for movement from inside to outside.
She came out of the building.
Take the keys out of your bag.
Use onto for movement to the top surface of something.
The cat jumped onto the table.
He put the box onto the shelf.
Use off for movement away from a surface.
The book fell off the desk.
She got off the bus.
Across, Through, Around, and Past
Use across for movement from one side to the other over an open area.
They walked across the street.
The plane flew across the sky.
Use through for movement from one side to the other inside something.
We drove through the tunnel.
The river flows through the city.
Use around for movement in a circle or along a curved path.
The cyclist rode around the corner.
We walked around the lake.
Use past when you move by something and continue.
We walked past the bank.
The bus went past my house.
Up, Down, Over, and Under
Use up for movement to a higher place.
She climbed up the ladder.
Use down for movement to a lower place.
The children slid down the slide.
Use over for movement above and across something.
The horse jumped over the fence.
Use under for movement below something.
The mouse ran under the table.
Direction or Place?
Prepositions of direction show movement. Prepositions of place show location.
| Direction | Place |
|---|---|
She walked into the room. | She is in the room. |
The cat jumped onto the sofa. | The cat is on the sofa. |
He walked to the door. | He is at the door. |
The ball rolled under the bed. | The ball is under the bed. |
The verb often helps you decide. Verbs like go, walk, run, drive, jump, climb, fly, fall, and move often need direction prepositions.
Common Mistakes
| Problem Sentence | Better | Why |
|---|---|---|
I went at the store. | I went to the store. | Use to for destination. |
She walked in the room. | She walked into the room. | Use into when the meaning is “entered the room.” |
The cat is onto the sofa. | The cat is on the sofa. | Use on for location and onto for movement to a surface. |
We drove across the tunnel. | We drove through the tunnel. | Through means inside from one side to the other. |
He fell down the chair. | He fell off the chair. | Off means away from a surface. |
We walked through the street. | We walked across the street. | Across means from one side to the other of an open area. |
Practice: Exercises
She walked ___ the room and sat down.
Summary
Prepositions of direction describe movement. Use to for a destination, into for movement inside, out of for movement outside, onto for movement to a surface, and off for movement away from a surface.
Use across for movement from one side to another over an open area, through for movement inside something, over for movement above and across, under for movement below, up/down for vertical movement, around for curved movement, past for going by something, and toward for movement in a direction.