Skip to content
Pick TwoActivity

A1 Movers prepositions of place: practice for children

A1-A2A1 Movers40 questionsUpdated

Prepositions of place decide more A1 Movers marks than any other small word group, because the listening and reading tasks constantly say where something is. This page practises in, on, under, behind, in front of, between, next to and opposite in short sentences a child can picture straight away.

What this task tests

  • The core set: in, on, under, next to, behind, in front of, between.
  • The harder ones at this level: opposite, near, above, below.
  • Understanding a spoken instruction about position: put the ball under the chair.
  • Describing where something is in a picture, in a full sentence.
  • Holding two pieces of position information at once: between the tree and the gate.
  • The difference between in and on with places: in the box, on the table.
  • Prepositions used with places in town: at the bus stop, in the park.
  • There is and there are combined with a preposition phrase.
  • Listening for a position word without being distracted by the noun.

How to do it

  1. Step 1:

    Move a real object

    One toy and one box teaches every preposition in the set. The child moves it and says the sentence.

  2. Step 2:

    Give instructions, then swap

    You instruct, the child moves. Then the child instructs you. Producing the preposition is much harder than understanding it.

  3. Step 3:

    Draw to dictation

    Describe a simple picture and let the child draw it. Comparing the drawings afterwards shows exactly which word was misheard.

  4. Step 4:

    Teach the hard four separately

    Between, opposite, in front of and behind cause most errors. Give each its own day rather than presenting all eight at once.

  5. Step 5:

    Use the classroom itself

    Where is the bin? Where is the clock? Real positions beat picture cards and cost nothing to prepare.

  6. Step 6:

    Say the whole phrase

    Under the table, not under. The preposition is only useful attached to a noun phrase.

  7. Step 7:

    Add a second fact

    The ball is under the blue chair. Two pieces of information is what the exam actually asks for.

  8. Step 8:

    Contrast the pairs

    In front of and behind, above and below. Pairs are learned faster than single words.

  9. Step 9:

    Play hide and describe

    The child hides an object and gives clues. Every clue is a preposition sentence and the game runs itself.

  10. Step 10:

    Check with a drawing

    When a child gets one wrong, ask for a quick sketch. Most errors are about the meaning, not the spelling.

Mistakes that cost marks

  • Not thisThe book is in the table.

    ThisThe book is on the table.

    In means inside. On means touching the top. A box and a table side by side make it obvious.

  • Not thisThe cat is behind of the sofa.

    ThisThe cat is behind the sofa.

    Behind takes no of, although in front of does. Teach the two as a contrasting pair.

  • Not thisHe is between the tree.

    ThisHe is between the tree and the gate.

    Between needs two things. Hold up two objects every time you use it.

  • Not thisThe shop is in front of the bank, so they are the same street side.

    ThisThe shop is opposite the bank.

    Opposite means across from. Children default to in front of for everything facing them.

  • Not thisI am in the bus stop.

    ThisI am at the bus stop.

    At is used for points you go to. Teach at the bus stop and at the door as fixed phrases.

  • Not thisThe picture is in the wall.

    ThisThe picture is on the wall.

    On is used for surfaces, including vertical ones.

  • Not thisThe ball is under of the chair.

    ThisThe ball is under the chair.

    Only in front of takes of in this set. Mark it as the odd one out.

Language this task keeps reusing

in
Inside something.
on
Touching the top or the surface of something.
under
Below something.
next to
At the side of something.
behind
At the back of something.
in front of
At the front of something.
between
In the middle of two things.
opposite
Across from something, facing it.
near
Not far from something.
above
Higher than something, not touching it.
below
Lower than something.
beside
Another way to say next to.
corner
The place where two walls meet.
middle
The centre of something.

Practice: prepositions of place

40 original questions. The first 10 are open to everyone. Answers are checked in your browser and never sent to us, so you can share this page with a class as it is.

1Complete the sentence.

The cat is sleeping the table.
Where are the books? They are __ the shelf.

3Complete the sentence.

The milk is the fridge.
Right or wrong?
  • Between needs two things.
  • Behind means at the front of something.
  • Under means below something.
3 to go

5Complete the sentence.

The girl is standing her mum and her dad.
Choose the correct sentence.

7Complete the sentence.

The picture is the wall above my bed.

8Where is your school bag right now?

The lamp is higher than the table and does not touch it. It is:

10Complete the sentence.

My house is the park, on the other side of the road.

Keep going

30 more questions on this page

Leave your email and the rest of the set opens straight away — on this page and every other exam page on the site. We read every address by hand and write back with practice suited to what you are preparing for. No list, no drip sequence.

One email, once. We never sell it or pass it on.

Note

Pick Two Activity is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, the British Council, IDP, ETS, Duolingo or any other exam board. Exam names are trademarks of their owners and are used here only to describe the exam you are preparing for. Every question on this page is original practice written by us: we do not provide, copy or reproduce official exam papers.

Frequently asked questions

Which prepositions cause the most trouble at Movers?

Between, opposite, in front of and behind. The first two need two reference points, and the last two are easy to confuse when the child is facing the picture rather than standing in it.

Is in front of or opposite correct for a shop across the road?

Opposite. In front of means directly ahead of something on the same side, while opposite means facing it from across a gap.

How do I practise listening for position words?

Drawing to dictation is the best single activity. The child hears a sentence and draws, and the drawing shows you what was understood.

Do children need above and below?

They are useful at Movers and expected by Flyers. Introduce them once on, under and in are completely secure.

Why does my child write behind of?

Because in front of ends in of and the pattern is over-applied. Put the two phrases side by side and cross the extra word out together.

How long should a preposition lesson be?

Ten minutes of moving objects beats half an hour of worksheets. Then follow it with a short written set so the child sees the written forms too.