英文原文
中文翻译在最下方
The cat is in the tree.
Do you have problems working out your in from your on; your at from your from; or your upfrom your down? If so, this fun exercise can help you to figure out which is the correct preposition to use and how to remember them.
First things first: what exactly is a preposition of place? Simply put, a preposition of place is a preposition which tells us where something or someone is located. There are actually only three prepositions of place -- at, on and in -- but they can be used to describe almost any number of places. These are:
At --is used to describe a certain point or placeIn--helps us to describe an enclosed spaceOn--means we are talking about a surface
Let’s look at a few examples of how we use prepositions of place.
Janice is waiting for you at the bus stop.The no-smoking sign is on the wall.I live in New York City.
However, in conjunction with these three prepositions, we can also use prepositions of direction which help clarify exactly where something is located. There are many more of these which are used to confirm when, where and under what conditions something is located. For example, let’s take a further look at our first preposition of place: at.
Janice is waiting for you at the bus stop, by the library.
In this example, we already knew that Janice was waiting for us at the bus stop. But, by using the preposition of direction by, it tells us exactly which bus stop Janice is waiting at. So, by using the two prepositions (place and direction) we are given clearer instructions and information. Let’s move on to our next example.
The no-smoking sign is on the wall between the entrance and the foyer.
Here we are told exactly where the no-smoking sign is located, so we can expect to see it as we walk into the building.
I live in New York City, close to Times Square.
New York is a large city, but the additional information gives us a more precise location. Before we get to the fun exercise, here is a list of just some of the prepositions of direction which we can use in conjunction with prepositions of place:
Above -- The picture hangs above the fireplace.Against -- The fly flew against the window.Among -- I sat among a group of people.Behind -- The ball is behind the garage.Between -- The playing field is between the two buildings.By -- I stopped by the light house.Close to -- I wanted a table that was close to the window.In front of -- There was a man in front of me in the queue.Inside -- Let’s get inside before it starts to rain again.Near -- I live near the tube station.Next to -- The pharmacy is next to the doctors office.Onto -- The pigeon flew onto the roof of my car.Opposite -- The restaurant is opposite the car park.Towards -- The crowd is heading towards the concert stage.Under -- The bag is under the table.
Now, let’s get physical!
To help my students learn and remember these prepositions, I actually ask them to physically place objects in the places which use the prepositions they are trying to remember. So, get yourself something memorable that you can place somewhere in your house or garden:
Put a teddy bear on your bed.Plant a pumpkin in your garden by the wall.Put your mobile phone in your purse near the door.Move your neighbour’s pet tortoise into your bathtub.
This physical representation will be much more memorable than any flashcard or list of words. It will stay clearly in your mind when you put your Grandmother's teapot among the flowers in the garden, or put the cat under the piano stool next to the bookshelf, or even when the pink cushion lands behind the dog on the sofa.
So, practice, choose your object, choose your preposition of place, make it funny if possible, and then you'll remember it.
Participation and creativity is the key, even if you use really ridiculous places such as in my earor on my head and so on. You could even do this with a friend. Take some silly photos and post them on Facebook! Why not?
I can guarantee you won't forget your prepositions of place after that! For more information on prepositions, visit me on Facebook where you will find daily bites of fun English. You can also find me on italki most days either teaching or gladly helping out with any English language queries you may have.
Hero Image by CADIX (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons
中文翻译
非常奇妙的方位介词：In，On，At，and More！
你是否困惑in,on, at, from, up, down等方位介词的使用？那么接下来的练习会帮助你如何记住以及正确运用这些介词。
第一点:方位介词的准确含义是什么？简单来说，方位介词就是让我们明确某物或某人所在的位置。实际上只有三个方位介词——at，on和in。然而我们几乎可以用这三个介词表述任何一个方位。分别是：
At --用来表述某一点或某地
In--用来表述某一密闭空间
On-用来表述某物的表面
怎样恰当运用方位介词，以下有几个例句：
Janice is waiting for you at the bus stop.
The no-smoking sign is on the wall.
I live in NewYork City.
然而，为了更加明确地阐明某物的位置，我们也可以把这三个介词与方向介词结合起来。还有很多用来确定何时，何地，何种情况下某物所处位置的介词。举个例子，我们再进一步探讨第一个方位介词at的用法。
Janice is waiting for you at the bus stop, by the library.（Janice正在图书馆附近的公交站等你。）
从此例句中，我们已得知Janice在公交站等我们，但是再用方位介词by，我们更准确地知道Janice的等候处。使用两种介词（方位和方向），我们可以得到更清晰的信息。再看以下例句：
The no-smoking sign is on the wall between the entrance and the foyer.（禁止吸烟牌示在入口处和大厅间的墙上）
这样我们可以知道禁止吸烟标志的准确位置，进入大楼可以清楚看到。
I live in New York City, close to Times Square.（我在纽约生活，靠近时代广场）
纽约是大城市，附加的描述信息让我们明确更具体的位置。在做有趣的练习之前，我们先来了解可以和方向介词结合起来表述的方位介词。
Above --The picture hangs above the fireplace.图画悬挂在壁炉上方。
Against --The fly flew against the window.苍蝇飞着停在了窗户上
Among --I sat among a group of people.我坐在人群中
Behind --The ball is behind the garage.球在车库后方。
Between --The playing field is between the two buildings.操场在两幢楼之间。
By --I stopped by the light house.我在亮晃晃的房子附近驻足停下。
Close to --I wanted a table that was close to the window.我想要一张靠近窗边的桌子。
In front of --There was a man in front of me in the queue.队列中一名男子排在我前面。
Inside --Let’s get inside before it starts to rain again.下雨前我们快进入吧。
Near --I live near the tube station.我住在地铁站旁。
Next to --The pharmacy is next to the doctors office.药房在医生办公室旁边。
Onto --The pigeon flew onto the roof of my car.这只鸽子飞到了我的车顶。
Opposite --The restaurant is opposite the car park.这家餐馆在停车场对面。
Towards --The crowd is heading towards the concert stage.人群向音乐会舞台前进
Under -- The bag is under the table.那只包在桌子下面。
现在让我们来体验一下吧！
为了让我的学生更深入理解和记牢这些介词，我真的让他们根据自己记住的介词亲自摆放物体。因此，根据你所记住的介词，把一些东西正确摆放在房间和花园里吧。
把泰迪熊放在你的床上。
在你家靠墙的花园里种一个南瓜。
把你的手机放在门旁的钱包里。
把你邻居家的宠物乌龟迁移至你的浴盆。
这些实践操作让你更便于记忆，而不是闪存卡或单词列表。
当你在花园里提着祖母的茶壶浇花，让猫咪待在书架旁的钢琴凳下，甚至在沙发上粉色靠垫在狗狗身后时，这些表现都会使你记的更清晰。
所以你需要练习，选择一个物体，以及方位介词，如果可以使其更加充满乐趣，然后你会记住这些介词的含义。
即使你使用了很荒谬的方位，比如，在我的耳朵里或在我头上等等，参与和创造力才是关键，不妨和你的朋友一起完成，拍张傻傻的照片传到Facebook上，有何不可？
亲自体验这些方位介词，我保证你会记牢，想要获取更多相关信息，访问我的Facebook你会看到有趣英语每天学。大多数时候通过italki，我会在线教英语同时解决大家对英语学习上的困惑。
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