Expressing WHERE something is going
Prepositions of Direction describe movement from one place to another. They answer the question "Where is it going?"
What is it?
Expressing WHERE something is going (movement)
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to | Towards a destination | "I am going to the market." |
| into | Entering a closed/enclosed space | "He walked into the room." |
| onto | Moving to and landing on a surface | "The cat jumped onto the table." |
| out of | Exiting an enclosed space | "She ran out of the building." |
| off | Away from a surface | "The book fell off the shelf." |
| across | Moving from one side to the other of a flat surface or water | "Walk across the bridge." |
| through | Moving inside something from one end to the other | "Drive through the tunnel." |
| towards | In the direction of (may not reach) | "He moved towards the door." |
| away from | Moving in the opposite direction | "She turned away from the crowd." |
| up | Moving to a higher position | "Climb up the stairs." |
| down | Moving to a lower position | "Roll down the hill." |
| along | Following the length of something | "Walk along the river bank." |
| around | Moving in a circle or arc | "Drive around the roundabout." |
| past | Moving beyond a point or place without stopping | "She walked past the shop." |
[!NOTE]
Direction prepositions are almost always used with movement verbs like walk, run, drive, go, come, fly, jump.