4.1. PREPOSITIONS
4.1.1. Prepositions of place (I)
En inglés las preposiciones de lugar más usuales son tres: at, on, in.
IN
Para referirse a alguien o algo dentro de una área limitada (ej. un pueblo, un jardín, un país...):
-- The Prime Minister is in Washington
-- She is due to appear in Edinburgh
-- There are some lovely tres in this park
Para referirse a algo a alguien dentro de un edificio, habitación o contenedor.
-- They Heard shouting in the manager's office
-- Do you keep your credit cards in this wallet?
También se utiliza con países, ciudades o calles, en este último caso en inglés británico:
-- I live in Paris / in Oxford Street
Otros casos: in the garden, in France, in my pocket, in my wallet, in the building, in the car, in a taxi, in a lift, in the newspaper, in the sky, in Oxford Street.
- Existen algunas expresiones en las que la preposición in es obligatoria:
in the sky
in the middle (of the forest)
in the front /back (of the car)
in prison /hospital
in the country
in a queue /line /row
in a picture/photo
in the mountains
IDIOMS:
Live in the lap of luxury
(Vivir una vida muy confortable porque tienes mucho dinero)
-- We live simply during the year, but enjoy living in the lap of luxury in a nice hotel for our summer holiday.
In/by leaps and bounds
(muy rápidamente)
-- Club membership has grown by leaps and bounds this year
Be in full swing
(haber pasado por mucho tiempo y aún hay mucha actividad)
--The party was in full swing by the time we arrived.
to Be in the dark
(no te dicen cosas importantes que otros saben)
ON
Para referirse a un punto en una línea fija (ej. una carretera, la costa ....)
--She's holidaying on the north coast of Africa
-- We stopped at a café on the road to Brighton
Para referirse a un punto desde 2 cosas están en contacto (se podría traducir por en, encima o sobre)
-- I want to hang this picture on the Wall
-- The pen is on the table
Con "floor" y "ceiling"
--There's a spider on the ceiling
Para transporte público (bus, tren, avión...). Todos los transportes en inglés son superficies, excepto los coches (se usa in en taxi/car)
-- They met on a plane
-- I can't read on the bus
-- I’m on the plane / train / bus
Excepción: He come home in a taxi
Otros casos: on business, a journey, on the tv/ on the radio/on telephone, on the door, on the menu, on a page, on a horse, on the beach, on the road...
on the internet
on the farm
on the farm
on the platform
on the coast
(drive) on the left/right
on the cover
on the cover
on the back (of this envelope)
on holiday
IDIOMS:
On paper
(en teoría)
It is a good team on paper, but its members play poorly together
On the ball
(rápido en comprender y en reaccionar)
Don't forget that our rival companies are on the ball.
On the spot
(inmediatamente, o en el lugar donde ha sucedido o acaba de suceder)
The police can impose on-the-spot fines on people found drunk in the street
AT
En general se utiliza para expresar la posición respecto a un punto de referencia:
-- He is waiting at the door / the bus stop / at the desk.
Cuando pensamos en un lugar en términos de su función o como lugar de encuentro
-- He will have talks at the White House (tener conversaciones)
-- I keep my tennis racket at the sports club (mantengo mi raqueta de tenis en el club de deportes)
-- I'll see you at the theatre.
Para un evento
-- He will remain at the conference (permanecerá en la conferencia=
-- There were a long of strangers at the party
-- We are meeting at the party / the match.
Otros casos:at the bus stop, at the top of the page, at the end of the road, at the entrance, at the crossroads, at the pub, at home, at college, at university, at the top, at the bottom, at the side, at reception.
at the station / airport
at home/work/school
at the seaside
at the top / bottom of a hill
at the end of the corridor
Importante:
- Con el verbo to arrive utilizamos at cuando se trata de llegar a un edifício (He arrived at the airport / at the office) e in cuando se trata de ciudades ( He arrived in London)
- En algunos contextos, se puede utilizar tanto at como in, con alguna diferencia de significado:
I was at the cinema last night. (Fuí al cine para ver una película)
I was in the cinema last night. (Estuve dentro del edifício del cine, no necesariamente para ver una película)
I was at the office yesterday. (Fuí a la oficina para trabajar)
I was in the office yesterday. (Estuve en la oficina, no necesariamente para trabajar)
IDIOMS
At a push
(probablemente posible pero será difícil)
--I could finish the report by Wednesday -- at a push, Tuesday.
At a crossroads
(en un momento decisivo)
-- The Consevative Party is at crossroads.
No confundir in con on ( y a la inversa):
Put the cake on the plate
Put the cake in the fridge
Have you put salt in this soup?
I never put sal on my steaks
EJERCICIOS
1. Completa las frases con la preposición de lugar correcta (in, on, at):
1. London is the Thames.
2. She lives the third floor an old building the end of this street.
3. He waits for me the bus stop.
4. She put the books the table, the keys the drawer and sat her desk to read the post.
5. My parents always meet me the airport.
6. When I'm holiday, I love walking the mountains. The air is always fresh the top of the montains.
7. My uncle lives the country, a small village the middle of the fields.
8. I like reading when I'm the train.
9. Don't stand the door! Come in and sit the chair the corner.
10. When we arrived London, we got the tube and went to the hotel.
Solución:
1. London is on the Thames.
2. She lives on the third floor in an old building at the end of this street.
3. He waits for me at the bus stop.
4. She put the books on the table, the keys in the drawer and sat at her desk to read the post.
5. My parents always meet me at the airport.
6. When I'm on holiday, I love walking in the mountains. The air is always fresh at the top of the montains.
7. My uncle lives in the country, in a small village in the middle of the fields.
8. I like reading when I'm on the train.
9. Don't stand at the door! Come in and sit on the chair in the corner.
10. When we arrived in London, we got on the tube and went to the hotel.
2. Escoge la opción correcta:
1. - We spent the summer holiday ..... the seaside.
a) in
b) on
c) at
2. They work hard ..... the farm.
a)in
b)on
c)at
3. I always listen to music ..... the train.
a) in
b) on
c) at
4. Wait for me ..... the main entrance!
a) in
b) on
c) at
5. We live ..... the first floor.
a) in
b) on
c) at
6. There are a lot of clouds ..... the sky today.
a) in
b) on
c) at
7)I love life ..... the country. It's so quiet and relaxed.
a) in
b) on
c) at
8) The books are ..... the shelf. Can you help me get them down?
a) in
b) on
c) at
9. The wallet is ..... my pocket.
a) in
b) on
c) at
10. The secretary is working ..... her desk.
a) in
b) on
c) at
11. I met my best friend when I was ..... school.
a) in
b) on
c) at
12. I called but there was nobody ..... home.
a) in
b) on
c) at
13. He is standing ..... the platform. The train is late.
a) in
b) on
c) at
14. There is a lot of food ..... the fridge. We don't need to go shopping.
a) in
b) on
c) at
15. There's someone ..... the door. Can you answer, please?
a) in
b) on
c) at
Soluciones: 1c, 2b, 3b, 4c, 5b, 6a, 7a, 8b, 9a, 10c, 11c, 12c, 13b, 14a, 15c
3. Salvo en casos especiales (como el sustantivo home o el verbo arrive), at se utiliza para indicar que un sitio es un punto de referencia mientras que in indica la posición en el interior de un lugar.
Completad las siguientes oraciones con at o in:
1. I am meeting Laura the cinema. We are going to see "Iron Man 3".
2. I stayed home yesterday because I was ill.
3. Let's meet the pub tonight! It's raining outside!
4. Mark is the office - he is sitting his desk.
5. Mark is the office - he is talking with some customers the corridor.
6. I saw my boss the bus stop.
7. I will wait for you the post office. I need to send a letter.
8. I will wait for you the post office. There is a bench just outside the entrance.
Soluciones:
1. I am meeting Laura at the cinema. We are going to see "Iron Man 3".
2. I stayed at home yesterday because I was ill.
3. Let's meet in the pub tonight! It's raining outside!
4. Mark is in the office - he is sitting at his desk.
5. Mark is at the office - he is talking with some customers in the corridor.
6. I saw my boss at the bus stop.
7. I will wait for you in the post office. I need to send a letter.
8. I will wait for you at the post office. There is a bench just outside the entrance.
BIBLIOGRAFIA:
- Grammar and vocabulary for first. Cambridge university press. Barbara Thomas, Louise Hashemi, Laura Matthews
- Instant English. Idiomas Pons. John Peter Sloan
- Vaughan Certified English. Book 19. Vaughan systems.
- English Idioms in Use. Cambridge. Michael McCarthy. Felicity O'Dell.
- http://www.ejerciciodeingles.com/preposiciones-lugar-ingles-in-on-at/ (Alexandra Vraciu)
