A preposition of movement describes where someone or something is moving. Let’s examine these words more closely so you know how and when to use them.
What Is a Preposition of Movement?
As its name suggests, prepositions of movement (also called “prepositions of direction” or “prepositions of motion”) show the direction of a moving subject. Here are a few examples to demonstrate what that looks like.
Example sentences:
- She walked with them to the supermarket.
- The car drove across the bridge.
- Don’t go towards the light!
- I’m starting to think we should turn around and head back.
- They got out of the tunnel.
What’s the Difference Between Prepositions of Movement vs. Adverbs of Movement?
Both prepositions and adverbs of movement show direction, but they have slightly different jobs.
Prepositions of movement are responsible for linking nouns or pronouns within a sentence. You’d use an adverb of movement if you wanted to modify verbs, adverbs, or adjectives.
Most Common Prepositions of Movement
Common prepositions of movement would be words like “to”, “toward”, and “from.” But these are far from your only options. Let’s see a few different prepositions of movement in action.
To
To (no, not “too”) is almost always placed right before a subject’s final destination. You’ll often use it when something is moving toward something else with the intent of stopping there.
Examples:
- She said she was going to the living room.
- I heard they were travelling to Brazil and then to London for spring break.
Toward
Toward (or “towards,” if you’re from across the pond) is similar to “to.” The main difference is that it doesn’t imply the subject will get there — it’s just on the way.
Examples:
- I saw them moving toward the exit.
- My cat finally ran toward me when I called for her!
From
You use ‘from’ when you’re showing the starting point of a movement. It’s the opposite of ‘to’ in that way, and you use it before the location of origin. It’s not about where it’s going — it’s about where it came from.
Examples:
- She came directly from the city centre.
- I think we’re going home from the movie theater.
Up and Down
“Up” means the subject is moving to a higher position. “Down” is the opposite. You can use these prepositions of movement when showing vertical movement.
Examples:
- Georgie climbed all the way up there?
- I heard she fell down the stairs on the way to class.
Across
Use “across” when something is moving from one side to another. It’s perfect to use if the moving thing is crossing a surface or area.
Examples:
- She threw the banana across the room.
- The pencil flew across the table and landed in my lap.
Into and In
“Into” means the object is moving toward the inside of something. “In” means it’s already in there.
Examples:
- The dog just jumped into our pool!
- Our cat is sleeping in my lap.
Out Of
“Out of” is the opposite of “into.” It means the subject is moving from the inside to the outside of something.
Examples:
- I stepped out of the car.
- I ran out of the room to take an important call.
Onto and On
“Onto” means the object is moving toward a specific surface. “On” means it’s already in contact with the surface.
Examples:
- I thought about putting the flowers onto the mantle.
- You can put your coat on the bed.
Off (Of)
“Off of” or “off” means the subject is being removed from the surface. “Off of” is more informal, and “off” is technically more correct.
Examples:
- If your friends told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?
- I fell off my bike earlier today.
Along
“Along” shows a subject moving in a line parallel to something else. You’d usually use it if something is following a path.
Examples:
- We spent our lunch hour walking along the beach.
- I ran along the nature path by my parents’ house.
Around
You can use “around” when a subject is moving in a circular motion around something. You can also use it to describe something surrounding something else.
Examples:
- I walked around the park.
- I pace around the house when I’m on the phone.
Over and Under
“Over” means an object is moving above something. “Under” means it’s on its way below it. Both are used to describe vertical movement.
Examples:
- We should just jump over these puddles.
- I think the spider crawled under the fridge!
Through
Use “through” to describe movement from one side to another within a space or area.
Examples:
- I’m walking through the halls to get to class.
- The water flows through the pipes.
Past
“Past” means the subject is moving beyond a point or object.
Examples:
- They drove past the school’s entrance again.
- Luciano walked right past me without saying anything.
How to Use a Prepositional Phrase of Movement
If you want to use a prepositional phrase of movement, you should combine your noun with a noun phrase to show direction.
You would say, “She went to the store.”
“She” is the noun here or the subject heading somewhere. And the place she’s going is “to the store.”
“She went to store” obviously isn’t right because there isn’t an article linking the words together.
Phrasal verbs are also useful for showing movement. “Look up” is an example of a phrasal verb. It combines “look,” the verb, with “up,” being the adverb indicating direction.
