2015-08-21
583
A. In
We say that somebody/something is:
in a line/in a row/in a queue/in a street
in a photograph/in a picture/(look at yourself) in a mirror
in the sky/in the world
in a book/in a newspaper/in a magazine/in a letter (but 'on a page')
* When I go to the cinema, I prefer to sit in the front row.
* I live in King Street. Sarah lives in Queen Street.
* Who is the woman in that photograph? (not 'on that photograph')
* Have you seen this article in the paper (=newspaper)?
* It was a lovely day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.
B. On
We say that somebody/something is:
on the left/on the right
on the ground floor/on the first floor/on the second floor etc.
on a map/on the menu (in a restaurant)/on a list, on a farm
* In Britain we drive on the left. (or. on the left-hand side.)
* Our flat is on the second floor of the building.
* Here's a shopping list. Don't buy anything that's not on the list.
* Have you ever worked on a farm?
We say that a place is on a river/on a road/on the coast:
* London is on the river Thames.
* Portsmouth is on the south coast of England. We say that a place is on the way to another place:
* We stopped at a small village on the way to London.
C. The corner
We say 'in the corner of a room', but 'at the corner (or on the corner) of a street':
* The television is in the corner of the room.
* There is a public telephone at/on the corner of the street.
D. The front and the back
We say in the front/in the back of a car:
* I was sitting in the back (of the car) when we crashed.
but at the front/at the back of a building/cinema/group of people etc.:
* The garden is at the back of the house.
* Let's sit at the front (of the cinema). (but 'in the front row'--see Section A)
* I was standing at the back, so I couldn't see very well.
Also on the front/on the back of a letter/piece of paper etc.:
* Write your name on the back of this envelope.
