Lesson 5. Prepositions of Movement and Direction

Introduction

In this lesson, you'll learn the English prepositions for movement, direction, and travel. At the end of the lesson is a short story to help you improve your English reading and listening skills.

Prepositions

This lesson focuses on the English prepositions for movement, direction, and travel. These include:

• to
• into
• onto
• out of
• from
• toward
• across
• through

These prepositions help you describe how someone or something moves from one place to another. They answer questions like:

• Where are you going?
• Where does the movement start?
• What path does something take?

To

To indicates a destination.

I’m going to the park.	我要去公园。
She walked to her friend’s house.	她步行到她朋友家。

Into

Into is used to show an object is entering a space or area.

He went into the kitchen.	他走进厨房。
The dog ran into the garden.	那只狗跑进了花园。

Onto

Onto is used to show an object is moving onto a surface.

The cat jumped onto the counter.	猫跳到柜台上。
The glass fell onto the floor.	玻璃杯掉到了地板上。

Out of

Out of is used to show a person or object is leaving a space.

She walked out of the room.	她走出房间。
The bird flew out of the tree.	那只鸟从树上飞了出来。

From

From is used to show a starting point.

I came from school.	我从学校来。
This letter is from my sister.	这封信是我姐姐写的。

Toward

Toward is used to indicate movement to a destination.

He walked toward the station.	他朝车站走去。
The dog ran toward me.	那只狗向我跑来。

Through

Through is used to show movement from one side of an enclosed space to the other.

She drives through the tunnel.	她开车穿过隧道。
We walked through the park.	我们穿过公园。

Across

Across is used to show movement from one side of a surface or line to the other.

We walked across the bridge.	我们过桥走。
The cat ran across the street.	那只猫跑过马路。