Топик: Грамматика

You also use ‘in’ with containers of any kind when talking about things inside them.

She kept the cards in a little box.

4 Compare the use of ‘at’ and ‘in’ in these examples.

I had a hard day at the office. (‘at’ emphasises the office as a public place or institution)

I left my coat behind in the office. (‘in’ emphasises the office as a building)

There’s a good film at the cinema. (‘at’ emphasises the cinema as a public place)

It was very cold in the cinema. (‘in’ emphasises the cinema as a building.)

5 When talking about addresses, you use ‘at’ when you give the house number, and ‘in’ when you just give the name of the street.

They used to live at 5, Weston Road.

She got a job in Oxford Street.

Note that American English uses ‘on’: ‘He lived on Penn Street.’

You use ‘at’ when you are talking about someone’s house.

I’ll see you at Fred's house.

6 You use ‘on’ when you are talking about a place as a surface. You can also use ‘on top of’.

I sat down on the sofa.

She put her keys on top of the television.

You also use ‘on’ when you are thinking of a place as a point on a line, such as a road, a railway line. a river, or a coastline.

Scrabster is on the north coast.

Oxford is on the A34 between Birmingham and London.

Practice

1 Put the correct preposition into each gap.

Education

When my grandmother was at school, she had to learn everything (a) ________ heart, and even years later she could recite countless poems (b) _______ memory. She was discouraged (c) _______ thinking (d) _______ herself, and concentrated simply (e) _______ learning facts. The teachers were very strict (f) _______ pupils in those days. My grandfather confided (g) _______ me that he was expelled (h) _______ school (i) _______ playing truant just once.

It is always worthwhile for governments to invest (j) _______ education. Nobody should be deprived (k) _______ a good education, and everybody should benefit (l) _______ it. Nothing can compensate (m) _______ a bad start in life. Pupils (n) _______ public schools still account (o) _______ many of the students at Oxford and Cambridge University. Until quite recently these universities seemed to be prejudiced (p) _______ pupils from state schools. Many people objected very strongly (q) _______ this and at last things are changing.

I had no intention (r) _______ staying (s) _______ at university after I had finished my first degree. I finally succumbed (t) _______ parental pressure, but only (u) _______ protest, and carried out research (v) _______ the life of Baudelaire.

2 Put the correct preposition into each gap (if necessary).

1 Are you coming to classes _____ Monday?

2 Can’t you hurry up? The train leaves _____ 9 o’clock.

3 There weren’t many people _____ the party.