Everything you need to describe direction and motion correctly in English, into, onto, through, across, movement vs place, common mistakes and exam practice.
📖 Reading time: ~16 minutes✅ Reviewed by a CELTA-qualified teacher🎯 Covers A1 to B2
Prepositions of movement (also called prepositions of direction) show where something or someone is going, the path or direction of motion, rather than a fixed location. They answer the question "Where to?" or "Which way?"
They're closely related to, and often confused with, prepositions of place, several words (like "in," "on," "through") can function as either, depending entirely on whether the sentence describes a static position or a movement.
2. Quick Summary
⚡ Prepositions of Movement at a Glance
FunctionShows direction or path of motion, "Where to?"
Core wordsto, into, onto, through, across, along, towards, from
Example"She walked into the room and across the floor."
Common Mistake"I went in the room" instead of "I went into the room"
Memory TipIf a verb of motion is involved, check whether you need the "movement" version of the preposition (into, not in).
3. Core Prepositions of Movement
Preposition
Meaning
Example
to
Movement towards a destination
She walked to the station.
into
Movement to the inside of somewhere
He ran into the building.
onto
Movement to the top/surface of something
The cat jumped onto the table.
out of
Movement from the inside to the outside
She walked out of the shop.
from
Starting point of movement
The train departs from platform 4.
towards
In the direction of, not necessarily arriving
He walked towards the exit.
4. More Prepositions of Movement
Preposition
Meaning
Example
through
From one side to the other, inside something
We drove through the tunnel.
across
From one side to the other, on a surface
She swam across the lake.
along
Following the length of something
They walked along the beach.
past
Moving beyond a point
We drove past the museum.
over
Movement above and across
The plane flew over the mountains.
under
Movement below something
The dog ran under the fence.
up / down
Vertical movement
She ran up the stairs / down the hill.
around
Circular or general movement in an area
We walked around the park.
5. Movement vs Place, Same Word, Different Job
Several prepositions change meaning depending on whether they describe a fixed location or a movement. Comparing them side by side removes almost all the confusion.
Place (where is it?)
Movement (where is it going?)
The keys are in the drawer.
She put the keys into the drawer.
The book is on the shelf.
He put the book onto the shelf.
They are in the park.
They walked to the park.
The cat is under the table.
The cat ran under the table.
💡
The quickest test
Ask: is there a verb of motion (walk, run, drive, jump, put, fly)? If yes, and the destination is being described, you very likely need the movement form (into, onto, to) rather than the static form (in, on, at).
6. Prepositions in Movement Phrasal Verbs
Many everyday phrasal verbs are built from prepositions of movement, which is why mastering this topic pays off well beyond single sentences.
get into a car, She got into the taxi.
get out of a car, He got out of the taxi.
get on a bus/train/plane, We got on the train.
get off a bus/train/plane, She got off at the next stop.
go through a difficult time, We went through a hard period.
run into someone, I ran into an old friend yesterday.
7. Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect
✅ Correct
Why
She walked in the room.
She walked into the room.
Movement to the inside of a space needs "into," not just "in."
He got in the taxi.
He got into the taxi.
"Get into" is the fixed phrasal verb for entering small vehicles.
She got in the bus.
She got on the bus.
Large public transport uses "on/off," not "in/out of."
The cat jumped on the table.
The cat jumped onto the table.
"Onto" emphasises the movement to the surface; "on" alone describes only the resulting position.
We walked to the tunnel.
We walked through the tunnel.
"To" only shows the destination; "through" shows movement inside and out the other side.
8. Exercises
A. Gap Fill, Complete with the correct preposition of movement (24 questions)
1. She walked ___ the room and sat down.
2. The cat jumped ___ the sofa.
3. He got ___ the car and drove away.
4. We got ___ the bus at the next stop.
5. They swam ___ the river.
6. The plane flew ___ the clouds.
7. She ran ___ the stairs quickly.
8. We walked ___ the beach for an hour.
9. He drove ___ the museum without stopping.
10. The dog ran ___ the fence.
11. The train departs ___ platform 2.
12. She walked ___ the exit but didn't leave.
13. They drove ___ the tunnel.
14. He walked ___ the park to clear his head.
15. She got ___ the taxi outside the hotel.
16. He climbed ___ the ladder to fix the roof.
17. They walked ___ the bridge to reach the other side.
18. The ball rolled ___ the hill.
19. She reached ___ the top shelf for the box.
20. We drove ___ the city, following the signs to the airport.
21. The mouse ran ___ the hole in the wall.
22. He climbed ___ the wall to get into the garden.
23. She jumped ___ the pool without hesitating.
24. The children ran ___ the playground, laughing.
Show Answers (A)
1. into 2. onto 3. into 4. off/on 5. across 6. over 7. up 8. along 9. past 10. under 11. from 12. towards 13. through 14. around 15. into 16. up 17. across/over 18. down 19. up 20. through 21. into 22. over 23. into 24. around
B. Multiple Choice (15 questions)
1. She walked ___ the room. (a) in (b) into
2. He got ___ the taxi. (a) in (b) into
3. We got ___ the bus. (a) on (b) in
4. The cat jumped ___ the table. (a) on (b) onto
5. They swam ___ the lake. (a) across (b) on
6. The plane flew ___ the mountains. (a) over (b) on
7. We drove ___ the tunnel. (a) through (b) to
8. She walked ___ the beach. (a) along (b) on
9. He ran ___ the fence. (a) under (b) below
10. We walked ___ the park. (a) around (b) at
11. He climbed ___ the ladder carefully. (a) up (b) on
12. She jumped ___ the swimming pool. (a) into (b) in
13. They ran ___ the bridge to catch the bus. (a) across (b) on
14. The train departs ___ platform 3. (a) from (b) of
15. He reached ___ the top shelf. (a) up to (b) up on
5. We walked to the tunnel and out the other side.
6. They got off the taxi.
7. He ran into the stairs to his room.
8. We drove past through the city centre.
9. She swam through the lake to the other side.
10. The dog ran below the fence.
11. He climbed on the ladder to reach the roof.
12. She jumped in the pool.
13. They ran to the bridge and kept going to the other side.
14. He reached at the top shelf.
Show Answers (C)
1. She walked into the room. 2. He got into the taxi and left. 3. She got on the bus. 4. The cat jumped onto the table from the floor. 5. We walked through the tunnel and out the other side. 6. They got out of the taxi. 7. He ran up the stairs to his room. 8. We drove through the city centre. 9. She swam across the lake to the other side. 10. The dog ran under the fence. 11. He climbed up the ladder to reach the roof. 12. She jumped into the pool. 13. They ran across the bridge to the other side. 14. He reached up to the top shelf.
D. Freer Practice, Write Your Own Sentences (5 tasks)
1. Describe your journey from your front door to the nearest shop, using at least three prepositions of movement.
2. Write a sentence describing how you get into and out of your car or onto public transport.
3. Write a sentence about an animal moving somewhere, using 'under' or 'through.'
4. Write a sentence describing crossing something (a bridge, a road, a river), using 'across.'
5. Write a sentence giving someone directions to a nearby landmark, using at least two movement prepositions.
Show Answers (D)
Model answers will vary. Examples: 1. "I walk out of my front door, along the street, and into the shop on the corner." 2. "I get into my car, drive to the station, then get on the train." 3. "The cat ran under the fence and through the gap in the hedge." 4. "We walked across the bridge to reach the old town." 5. "Go past the church, then turn left and walk towards the park."
9. Mini Quiz
10. Exam Focus, Cambridge, IELTS, SELT
Exam
How Prepositions of Movement Are Tested
Sample Question
Cambridge A2 Key / B1 Preliminary
Movement prepositions in Reading/Use of English and picture-description Speaking tasks.
"She walked ___ the room." (into)
Cambridge B2 First
Gap-fills distinguishing movement from place prepositions (in vs into, on vs onto).
"He jumped ___ the pool." (into)
IELTS Listening
Map-labelling tasks in Listening Section 2 require precise understanding of movement direction.
Following spoken directions: "Go past the library, then turn left onto the main road."
Trinity GESE/ISE (SELT)
Giving directions and describing a journey or commute in conversation.
"How do you get to work? Describe your journey."
11. Frequently Asked Questions
A word that shows the direction or path of motion, where something is going, such as to, into, onto, through, across, or towards.
'In' describes a fixed position (the keys are in the drawer); 'into' describes movement to the inside of something (she put the keys into the drawer).
'On' describes a fixed position on a surface (the book is on the shelf); 'onto' describes movement to that surface (he put the book onto the shelf).
'Get into' a car/taxi (small vehicles), but 'get on' a bus/train/plane (larger public transport).
'Through' usually means movement inside something, from one side to the other (through a tunnel); 'across' usually means movement over a surface or open area (across a road, across a lake).
Movement in the direction of something, without necessarily arriving there: 'He walked towards the exit' doesn't confirm he reached it.
'Past' means moving beyond a point without entering it (drive past the museum); 'through' means moving inside and out the other side (drive through the tunnel).
Yes, many common phrasal verbs are built on them: get into, get out of, get on, get off, run into, go through.
Check for a verb of motion (walk, drive, run, jump, put, fly). If the sentence describes a destination or path, use the movement form (into, onto, to) rather than the static form (in, on, at).
Yes, describing your commute, giving directions, or explaining how you get somewhere are common conversational topics in Trinity GESE/ISE speaking tests.
Describe your journey to work or school step by step, then book a free consultation for personalised speaking practice.
No, 'to' shows the destination in general (walk to the shop), while 'into' specifically shows entering an enclosed space (walk into the shop).
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