English — Prepositions of movement
Prepositions of movement show direction and a change of position: into a space, onto a surface, out of or off something, through an interior, across from one side to another, or along something. Compare She walked into the room with He ran towards the door.
How it works
Use into and onto for movement to the inside or top of something (She walked into the room, The cat jumped onto the table); use out of and off for the opposite (He ran out of the house, She got off the bus). through, across and along describe movement along a path, while towards and away from give pure direction.
Examples
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| into | movement to the inside of something | She walked into the room. |
| onto | movement to a surface or top | The cat jumped onto the table. |
| out of | movement from the inside | He ran out of the house. |
| off | movement away from a surface | She got off the bus. |
| through | from one side to the other, inside a space | We drove through the tunnel. |
| across | from one side to the other, over a surface | They swam across the river. |
| along | following the length of something | We walked along the beach. |
| towards | in the direction of something | He ran towards the door. |
Good to know
In and on often describe position, while into and onto emphasize movement to an interior or surface; however, in and on can also follow motion verbs, as in Put it in the box and Jump on the bed. Note also that enter takes no preposition: say enter the room, not enter into the room.