Prepositions of Movement

   Prepositions of movement

In the previous class, I talked about the theoretical aspect of prepositions. We came to know what preposition is; we came to

know different types of prepositions. The delimitation of that class is that It deals with theoretical aspects of prepositions. 

But without enough practice prepositions will be very tough to master. Another thing we should keep in mind is that though there are about only 150 prepositions, each and every rule of the preposition is full of exceptions. By the way,

 I've planed to make some videos on the usage of prepositions in sentences. Today I am going to teach you prepositions of movement or direction. Similarly, I'll talk about prepositions of time, prepositions of place, prepositions used to express transformation so and so forth.

 Preposition of movement includes "to" "towards", " into", "onto", "from", "along", "across", "down", "past", " through", "over", 

" under", "up", "down"

1. To
"To" is one of the most common prepositions of movement or direction. We use it to suggest our direction or movement in the direction of a person, place, or thing. Example:

•  Rohit is walking to/ towards the college. 
• He is walking in the direction of the college. Here, the destination is certain.

2. Towards
Like "to", " towards" also means a movement in the direction of a destination. But the destination is not given importance. For example:

•  I kick the ball towards the goal but it may or may not reach the goal. If I say I kicked the ball to the goal, it means that the ball reached the goal. That is the difference between "to" and "towards".

3. Into

"Into" is used to mean a movement to/towards the inside of something.  

• I entered the classroom. 
• He entered the shop. 

Into also mean to collide with something. 

• The buses crashed into each other.  

The opposite of "into" is "out of".  

4. Through

"Through" means getting in one side and getting out the opposite; it means a movement from one side of an enclosed space to the other side. in the open spaces, we use "across". In the close spaces, we use "through. 

• They are driving through a tunnel.                 

5. Onto

"Onto" refers to a position that is on. "Onto" has a sense of movement, but the preposition "on" doesn't have that sense of movement. "On" only let us know about the location. "onto" is to mentally say "up" before "on" in a sentence

• My cat jumped onto a chair. 
• I tossed a coin onto my reading table. 

Opposite of onto is off. We can say the dog jumped off the table. When Someone jumps from an upper position to a lower position we use "off". We use "onto" when someone jumps from a lower position to an upper position. We use no preposition when someone only jumps from one position to another position. 

6. From

"From" refers to a place where someone or something starts. It indicates a specified place as a starting point. 

• They are coming from the playground. 
• The wind is coming from the south.
• He has come from his office. 

7. Along

When we move forward on a road, path, line, etc., we use "Along". Walking along means walking in a straight line and walking parallel to something.

• Rohit is walking along the street.  
• We sailed along with the cost. 

8. Across

"Across" means moving from one side to another side.

• I am walking across the street. It means I am walking from one side of the street to another side. 
• I ran across the park. 

9. Down

We use the "Down" preposition when we move from higher to a lower place or location. 

• I am walking down the stairs. 
• He climbed down the tree.
• They were climbing down the mountain. 

10. Up

We use "up" when we move from a lower to a higher position. 

• I am walking down the stairs.
• I climbed up the tree.
• They were climbing up the mountain. 

11. Past

"Past" means beyond; it means the far side of something. Past something, be it a shop, means starting with the shop in front of someone and walking past that something.  

• I am walking past the book shop. It means that I am walking in a direction that passes in front of the book shop. 
• Go past the book shop and turn right and walk for a while. 

12. Over

To go over refers to pass above something.

• The birds flew over my head.
• I jumped over the fence.

13. Around/round

"Around" means going in a circular direction. 

• Ishita is walking around/round the park. It means Ishita is walking circularly.    

14. Back To

"Back to" refers to the movement of return to a place someone has been before. 

• They went to Canada. It means that they went to Canada for the first time. 
• They went back to Canada. It may either mean that they went to Canada for the second time or Canada They are from Canada. 

15. "Under" and "below" are similar to each other. But "Under" has a sense of movement; you pass from one side of something to another. "Below" means staying underneath something. Walking below something means walking underneath something all the time. 

EXERCISE

• a.       They are riding along the street.
• b.      They are walking across the desert.
• c.       They are running around the stadium.
• d.      The spaceship is flying to space.
• e.      They are coming from the playground.
• f.        They are going down the river.
• g.       The bird is flying up to the sky.
• h.      The boat is passing under the bridge.
• i.         The dog is jumping over the fence.
• j.        He is walking past a book shop.
• k.       They are walking through the forest.
• l.         He is jumping into the water.
• m.    Lava is coming out of the volcano.

Look at Preposition & Its Various Types

           Prepositions of Time

           Prepositions of Place

           Prepositions for Transportation

           

ARUP ROY

WORKING AS A LECTURER IN ENGLISH  

LITERATURE & LINGUISTICS

AT KANCHKHURA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF IELD

FORMER LECTURER OF STAMFORD COLLEGE

& DHAKA PUBLIC COLLEGE

WORKED AS A MEMBER SECRETARY
AT STAMFORD ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLUB UTTARA