Prepositions of Place (AT / IN / ON) – English Grammar Exercises for A1
You are in the living room and calling out to your brother in the bedroom, asking him to find and bring your personal items.
Choose the best option (A, B, or C) to complete each sentence.
1 Tom, can you get my English book? It is ______ the desk.
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
2 Please bring my phone to the living room. I left it ______ the bed.
(A) on
(B) in
(C) at
3 Look for my car keys, please. They are ______ the small table.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
4 Where is my red pen? Oh, I see it! It is right ______ the chair in your room.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
5 Can you fetch my reading glasses? They are ______ the shelf.
(A) on
(B) at
(C) in
6 I need my notebook for my homework. It is resting ______ your pillow.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
7 Could you pass me the TV remote? I think I dropped it ______ the floor in there.
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
8 Tom, my cup of tea is ______ the nightstand. Can you bring it carefully?
(A) on
(B) in
(C) at
9 I cannot find my wallet. Is it lying ______ the rug near the bedroom door?
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
10 Please grab my jacket. I put it ______ the small sofa in your room.
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
11 My headphones are ______ the top of the dresser. Do you see them?
(A) on
(B) in
(C) at
12 Can you look for my charger? It should be ______ the computer desk.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
13 Bring me the newspaper, please. It is flat ______ the carpet.
(A) on
(B) at
(C) in
14 I forgot my watch. It is sitting ______ the wooden tray.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
15 Can you check if my student ID card is ______ the flat surface of my laptop?
(A) on
(B) in
(C) at
16 Look for my warm sweater. I think it is draped ______ the back of the chair.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
17 I need the printed documents. They are left ______ the top shelf of the bookcase.
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
18 I need a blank piece of paper. There is one ______ the center of the study table.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
19 Please get my heavy backpack. I dropped it ______ the floor, right next to the bed.
(A) on
(B) in
(C) at
20 Can you bring my painting brush? It is resting ______ the blank canvas.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B)
Explanation: (B) on.
Why it’s correct: A desk is a flat surface. We use “on” for objects touching a surface.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “at” is for a general point, not surface contact. (C) “in” means inside a container (like inside a drawer).
2 (A)
Explanation: (A) on.
Why it’s correct: The phone is resting directly on top of the bed’s surface.
Mistake Analysis: (B) “in” is a common mistake; you only use “in bed” when a person is under the blankets. (C) “at” is a structural error.
3 (C)
Explanation: (C) on.
Why it’s correct: A table is a horizontal flat surface made for putting things “on” it.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “in” is impossible unless the table has a closed drawer. (B) “at” is wrong for describing an object’s position on furniture.
4 (B)
Explanation: (B) on.
Why it’s correct: The pen is resting upon the seat of the chair (a surface).
Mistake Analysis: (A) “in” is only used for armchairs that enclose you. (C) “at” is a structural error.
5 (A)
Explanation: (A) on.
Why it’s correct: A shelf is a flat board attached to a wall. Things are placed “on” it.
Mistake Analysis: (B) “at” is a basic grammar error here. (C) “in” is wrong because a shelf is open, not a closed box.
6 (C)
Explanation: (C) on.
Why it’s correct: The notebook is touching the top surface of the pillow.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “in” means it would be stuffed inside the pillowcase. (B) “at” is grammatically incorrect.
7 (B)
Explanation: (B) on.
Why it’s correct: The floor is the largest flat surface in a room.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “at” is wrong. (C) “in” is a common mistake for learners thinking the object is contained within the room’s space, but the direct contact is with the floor surface.
8 (A)
Explanation: (A) on.
Why it’s correct: A nightstand is a small table, so it has a flat top surface.
Mistake Analysis: (B) “in” is for the drawers inside the nightstand. (C) “at” is a structural error.
9 (C)
Explanation: (C) on.
Why it’s correct: A rug covers the floor and provides a flat surface for objects to lie upon.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “in” is a common mistake (you can’t put a wallet inside a flat rug). (B) “at” is wrong.
10 (B)
Explanation: (B) on.
Why it’s correct: The jacket is placed over the surface of the sofa.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “at” is incorrect. (C) “in” is a common mistake; while people can sit “in” an armchair, clothes are generally thrown “on” a sofa.
11 (A)
Explanation: (A) on.
Why it’s correct: The word “top” emphasizes the uppermost horizontal flat surface.
Mistake Analysis: (B) “in” means inside the dresser’s drawers. (C) “at” is wrong for this context.
12 (B)
Explanation: (B) on.
Why it’s correct: Just like a normal desk, a computer desk is a flat surface.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “in” is incorrect. (C) “at” is for a person sitting at the desk, not an object resting there.
13 (A)
Explanation: (A) on.
Why it’s correct: The carpet acts as a surface just like the floor.
Mistake Analysis: (B) “at” is a structural error. (C) “in” is physically impossible for a newspaper and a carpet.
14 (C)
Explanation: (C) on.
Why it’s correct: A tray is designed as a flat surface to hold items.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “at” is incorrect. (B) “in” is a common mistake if the learner thinks the tray is a deep container.
15 (A)
Explanation: (A) on.
Why it’s correct: Even a closed laptop provides a flat, hard surface.
Mistake Analysis: (B) “in” is wrong (the card isn’t inside the screen). (C) “at” is grammatically wrong.
16 (C)
Explanation: (C) on.
Why it’s correct: The back of the chair acts as a physical surface that the sweater is touching.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “in” is wrong. (B) “at” is a structural error.
17 (B)
Explanation: (B) on.
Why it’s correct: Even though a bookcase is a large furniture piece, the “top shelf” is specifically a flat surface.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “at” is wrong. (C) “in” is a common mistake (we put books “in” a bookcase, but “on” a specific shelf).
18 (C)
Explanation: (C) on.
Why it’s correct: The paper is resting directly upon the table’s surface.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “in” is wrong for a table. (B) “at” is incorrect for an object’s physical placement.
19 (A)
Explanation: (A) on.
Why it’s correct: The floor is a flat surface.
Mistake Analysis: (B) “in” is a common mistake. (C) “at” is a structural error.
20 (B)
Explanation: (B) on.
Why it’s correct: A canvas (like paper) is a flat material. The brush rests on top of it.
Mistake Analysis: (A) “in” is wrong. (C) “at” is wrong.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The Rule of Surfaces: When an object is touching or resting directly on top of a flat, horizontal, or vertical surface, we must use the preposition “ON”.
- Examples of Surfaces in a house: * Furniture tops: on the table, on the desk, on the shelf, on the bed.
- Ground areas: on the floor, on the carpet, on the rug.
- Why not IN or AT? * Use IN only when an object is enclosed inside a 3D space or container (e.g., in the drawer, in the box).
- Use AT for a general location or a specific point on a map (e.g., at home, at the door), but not for an object’s physical contact with a piece of furniture.