Prepositions of Place (AT / IN / ON) – English Grammar Exercises for A1
A passerby is lost and asks you for directions to the local hospital. You are guiding them through the streets to help them find the building.
Choose the correct preposition (A, B, or C) to complete the sentences.
1 The new city hospital is located ______ Washington Street.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
2 Walk straight for two blocks, and you will see the hospital ______ your left.
(A) on
(B) in
(C) at
3 Excuse me, is there a good children’s hospital ______ this city?
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
4 Keep walking straight. The main entrance is ______ the right side of the road.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
5 My friend is already waiting for me ______ the hospital gate.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
6 If you need the emergency room, the exact address is ______ 450 Pine Avenue.
(A) on
(B) at
(C) in
7 Go past the supermarket. The clinic is the large white building ______ the hill.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
8 Don’t worry, you are not lost. You are still ______ the right road.
(A) on
(B) in
(C) at
9 Keep going until you see a large pharmacy ______ the end of this street.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
10 The dental department is not on the ground floor; it is ______ the second floor.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
11 You need to stop ______ the next traffic light and turn right.
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
12 You can easily take a bus to get there. There is a bus stop right ______ front of the hospital.
(A) on
(B) at
(C) in
13 The private clinic you are looking for is ______ a very quiet and safe neighborhood.
(A) in
(B) at
(C) on
14 You can’t park here, but you can leave your car ______ the street behind the hospital.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
15 The ambulance is parked right ______ the corner of First Avenue and Elm Street.
(A) on
(B) in
(C) at
16 Please be careful and do not stand ______ the middle of the road while looking at your map!
(A) at
(B) on
(C) in
17 The old hospital is located ______ a small town outside the city limits.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
18 Once you enter the building, go ask for directions ______ the main reception desk.
(A) on
(B) at
(C) in
19 I can send you a pin location. Just look at the map ______ your phone.
(A) in
(B) on
(C) at
20 After a ten-minute walk, we finally arrived ______ the hospital.
(A) at
(B) in
(C) on
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) on
Explanation: In English, we use “on” for names of streets, roads, and avenues because a street is considered a flat surface. (A) is a common mistake for speakers of languages that use “in the street”. (C) is incorrect because “at” is for exact addresses with numbers.
2 (A) on
Explanation: For directions indicating sides (left or right), we always use the fixed phrase “on the left” or “on the right”. (B) and (C) are grammatical errors in this context.
3 (C) in
Explanation: We use “in” for large geographical areas with boundaries, such as cities, towns, and countries. (B) is a common mistake (you cannot be “on” a city). (A) is structurally incorrect here.
4 (C) on
Explanation: Similar to question 2, “the right side” acts as a surface or direction, requiring the preposition “on”. (A) and (B) are basic preposition errors.
5 (A) at
Explanation: “At” is used for a specific point or location on a map, such as a gate or an entrance. (B) is a common mistake (meaning inside the physical gate structure, which is illogical). (C) is incorrect.
6 (B) at
Explanation: When giving a specific, exact address with a street number (450 Pine Avenue), we must use “at”. (A) is a common mistake (students use “on” because they see the word “Avenue”, forgetting the specific number changes the rule). (C) is a structural error.
7 (B) on
Explanation: A hill is a geographical surface. Buildings are constructed “on” this surface. (A) is a common mistake. (C) is incorrect for this natural feature.
8 (A) on
Explanation: You travel “on” a road or street. (B) is a common mistake because students translate directly from “in the street” in their native tongue. (C) is incorrect.
9 (C) at
Explanation: “At the end of” is a fixed phrase referring to a specific point where the street finishes. (A) is a common mistake (“in the end” means “finally,” referring to time, not location). (B) is a grammar error.
10 (C) on
Explanation: Floors in a building are stacked flat surfaces. We always say “on the first floor,” “on the second floor,” etc. (B) is a common mistake. (A) is a structural error.
11 (A) at
Explanation: A traffic light is a specific point or landmark on your journey, so it takes “at”. (B) and (C) are basic grammatical errors in this context.
12 (C) in
Explanation: The prepositional phrase is always “in front of”. (A) and (B) are common mistakes for beginners trying to guess the preposition without knowing the fixed vocabulary block.
13 (A) in
Explanation: A neighborhood is an enclosed area or district within a city. Therefore, we use “in”. (B) and (C) are incorrect for referring to areas with boundaries.
14 (B) on
Explanation: You park a car “on the street” (the surface of the road). (A) is a common mistake (again, native language interference). (C) is structurally incorrect.
15 (C) at
Explanation: The intersection of two streets creates a specific point on a map: “at the corner”. (B) is a common mistake (though “in the corner” exists, it is only used for the inside corner of a room, not a street). (A) is incorrect.
16 (C) in
Explanation: The fixed phrase for this location is “in the middle of”. (B) is a common mistake because students think of the road as a surface (“on the road”) and wrongly apply it to the phrase “the middle”. (A) is wrong.
17 (A) in
Explanation: Like cities and countries, towns are geographical areas with boundaries. We always use “in a town”. (B) and (C) are structural errors.
18 (B) at
Explanation: A reception desk is a specific point of service inside a building. You stand “at” the desk. (A) is a common mistake (sitting “on” the desk means climbing on top of it). (C) is incorrect.
19 (B) on
Explanation: A phone screen is a flat, digital surface. We look at things “on the phone” or “on a map”. (A) is a common mistake. (C) is structurally wrong.
20 (A) at
Explanation: When we arrive at a specific building or institution (like a hospital, an airport, or a station), we use “arrive at”. (B) is a common mistake (we only use “arrive in” for cities and countries). (C) is incorrect.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- ON (Streets & Surfaces): Use “on” when referring to the name of a street, road, or avenue without a specific building number (e.g., on Washington Street). Use it for directions (on the left, on the right) and building floors (on the second floor).
- AT (Specific Points & Addresses): Use “at” for exact addresses with a number (e.g., at 450 Pine Avenue). Also use “at” for specific map points or landmarks on your journey (e.g., at the traffic light, at the corner, at the hospital).
- IN (Cities & Areas): Use “in” for large locations with boundaries like neighborhoods, towns, cities, and countries (e.g., in the city, in this neighborhood). Also used in fixed phrases like in front of or in the middle of.