Prepositions of Direction or Movement

The preposition of direction or movement describes how, where or in what way, something moves. Prepositions of direction or movement include: to, from, over, above, under, beneath, along, around, across, through, into, out of, toward(s), away from, unto, off, up, down.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: To

The preposition of direction/movement “to” is used to describe movement with a specific aim, direction or destination. Here are some examples:

1. He went to the market.
2. She is going to school.
3. They are going to work.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: From

The preposition of direction/movement “from” is used to describe movement with a specific point of origin. Here are some examples:

1. She walked from her home to car park.
2. They are from Europe to America.
3. The students walked from school.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Over

The preposition of direction/movement “over” is used to describe movement higher than and across something else. Here are some examples:

1. The boy jumped over the fence.
2. The fox jumped over the dog’s head.
3. I jumped over the narrow stream.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Above

The preposition of direction/movement “above” is used to describe movement to a point higher than something else. Here are some examples:

1. The fire soared above the buildings.
2. He placed the hat above the door.
3. The house stood above the hill.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Under

The preposition of direction/movement “under” is used to describe movement lower than something. Here are some examples:

1. The earth is under the heavens.
2. Strange creatures live under the (waters of) the seas.
3. We are sitting under the trees.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Beneath

The preposition of direction/movement “beneath” is used for the same purpose of the preposition “under”: to describe movement lower than something. Here are some examples:

1. The earth is beneath my feet.
2. Strange creatures live beneath the (waters of) ocean.
3. We are sitting beneath the trees.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Along

The preposition of direction/movement “along” is used to describe movement on a straight line or edge. Here are some examples:

1. He walked along the corridor.
2. He drove along the highway.
3. Along the front of fence were beautiful rows of flowers.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Around

The preposition of direction/movement “around” is used to describe movement in a circular direction. Here are some examples:

1. He ran around the race track.
2. He walked around the house.
3. We walked around the pond.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Across

The preposition of direction/movement “across” is used to describe movement from one end to the other. Here are some examples:

1. We walked across the bridge.
2. I waded across the river and came out on the other side.
3. Seeing that it was clear, the boy walked across the road.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Through

The preposition of direction/movement “through” is used to describe movement from one side of an enclosed space and out the other. Here are some examples:

1. We drove through a long tunnel.
2. He came through the door.
3. The water flows through the pipes.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Into

The preposition of direction/movement “into” is used to describe movement ending inside something. Here are some examples:

1. He went into the house.
2. She walked into the cave.
3. They got into the car.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Out Of

The preposition of direction/movement “out of” is used to describe movement ending outside something. Here are some examples:

1. We ran out of the house when we heard a frightful noise.
2. He scampered out of the cave when he saw the bear.
3. We jumped out of the water when we saw the alligator.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Toward or Towards

Note: Both “toward” and “towards” mean the same thing and are interchangeable.

The preposition of direction/movement “toward” or “towards” is used to describe movement closer to something. Here are some examples:

1. We walked toward the water.
2. The animal came toward us.
3. He ran toward the house.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Away From

The preposition of direction/movement “away from” is used to describe movement farther from something. Here are some examples:

1. He walked away from the barking dog.
2. She was so scared that she ran away from us.
3. We ran away from the falling tree.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Onto

The preposition of direction/movement “onto’ is used to describe movement ending on top of something. Here are some examples:

1. He climbed onto the table.
2. He walked onto the top of the mountain.
3. He jumped onto the ship.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Off

The preposition of direction/movement “off” is used to describe movement down or away from something. Here are some examples:

1. Get off the road.
2. I took my hat off my head.
3. He soon got off his bike.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Up

The preposition of direction/movement “up” is used to describe movement heading up. Here are some examples:

1. She walked up the stairs.
2. The boy climbed up the ladder.
3. The smoke goes up the chimney.

The Preposition of Direction/Movement: Down

The preposition of direction/movement “down” is used to describe movement heading down. Here are some examples:

1. He climbed down the ladder.
2. We walked down the stairs.
3. The water flows down the river.