AtInOn
He is good at Singing.Keep in touch while you’re away.I am on the bus.
I’ll meet you at 9 p.m.I’m interested  in teaching.They have a pic of New York on the wall.
I like getting up at dawn.We live in Roma.They went to Cuba on the first of July.
I will see them at  Christmas.I like to travel in (the) spring.He kissed me on my Cheek.
there were hundreds of people at  park.Sam was born in 1981.My favorite film is on TV right now.
Look at that man.I’ll be there in a couple of hours.The building is on fire.
I laughed at his joke.The pen is in the drawer.He studies on Fridays.
When did you arrive at the airport.Do you work in an office?The pen is on the Table.
She smiled at me.Jeff is in the garden.I will see Jack on his birthday.
Call me. I’m at home.I’m currently staying in a hotel.The flat is on the third floor.
She always visits her sister at work.In Japan, it often snows in October.He is on the Phone Right now.

Guidance for “at”, “on”, “in” for PLACES

  • “in” is used when dealing with “volume” (height, length, width). So when we say “in Jakarta” then Jakarta is considered as a big room
  • “on” is used when dealing with “the surface.” “on the table” means that the object touches the surface of the table
  • “at” when dealing with “point”.   “at the table” means surrounding the table and considered as a point

Let’s combine them with ” over” and “under” versus “above” and “below”

  • ” over” and “under” show a “vertical relationship”.  If “A” is over “B” then if we draw a vertical line, we can connect “A” and “B”
  • “above” and “below” show which one is higher and which one is lower. A good example is: ” The bridge is above the house” which means that the bridge is higher in position than the bridge. The bridge IS NOT “over” the house……..If it is so, then the bridge is in the sky(remember it is a vertical relationship). You can say that the homeless people live “under” the bridge(because they live exactly in the bridge construction……..though many of them live in slum area “below” the bridge.

So, we hope that you see the differences in:

  • I arrived in Jakarta (volume) or at Jakarta (as a point in the map)
  • We sit at the table (surrounding the table) but we don’t sit on the table (impolite, except a kid, maybe). The food is on the table while a big lamp is exactly over the table. Some smaller lamps are above the table. A cat is possibly under the table. Some toys are scratching (on the floor )below the table.