What are Prepositions of Movement?
A preposition of movement (also called a preposition of direction) links a verb of motion to the noun that describes where or how something moves. We always place them after the verb and before the noun phrase that shows the destination or path.
Compare these two sentences: "The cat sat on the roof" (preposition of place — where it is) vs "The cat jumped onto the roof" (preposition of movement — where it went). The verb tells us what happened; the preposition tells us the direction or path of that action.
English has around a dozen core movement prepositions. Each one answers a slightly different question about the path: Are you going inside something? Crossing a flat surface? Following a path? Moving to a higher level? This page covers all of them.
Key Prepositions at a Glance
The table below lists the most important prepositions of movement and their core meaning. Each is explored in depth in the sections below.
Subject + verb of movement + preposition + noun phraseOverview
| Preposition | Core meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to | movement towards a destination | She walked to school. |
| into | movement from outside to inside | He stepped into the room. |
| out of | movement from inside to outside | She came out of the building. |
| onto | movement to a surface or higher level | The cat jumped onto the table. |
| off | movement away from a surface | He got off the bus. |
| through | movement inside a space from one end to the other | They walked through the tunnel. |
| across | movement from one side to the other (open/flat surface) | We swam across the lake. |
| along | movement following the length of something | They ran along the river. |
| past | movement beyond a fixed point | Drive past the school and turn right. |
| around / round | movement in a circle or bypassing an obstacle | The dog ran around the garden. |
| up | movement to a higher position | She climbed up the stairs. |
| down | movement to a lower position | The ball rolled down the hill. |
| towards | movement in the direction of (no arrival implied) | He walked towards the exit. |
| away from | movement in the opposite direction | She ran away from the noise. |
When to Use Each
TO — reaching a destination
We use to when movement ends at a specific place. The focus is on the destination — the person or thing actually arrives there. It is the most common preposition of movement in English and pairs with almost any motion verb.
- They drove to the airport in the morning.
- Can you walk to the station from here?
- The dog ran to its owner as soon as the door opened.
INTO and OUT OF — entering and leaving enclosed spaces
Use into when something moves from the outside to the inside of an enclosed space — a room, building, container, or vehicle. Use out of for the opposite: movement from the inside to the outside. Think of them as exact opposites. With large open transport (planes, trains, buses) we usually say get on / get off. With cars, taxis, and small vehicles we say get into / get out of.
- She walked into the office and sat down.
- The children ran into the sea.
- He got into the taxi and gave the address.
- She came out of the supermarket carrying two bags.
- The cat jumped out of the window.
- He took the keys out of his pocket.
ONTO and OFF — moving to and from a surface
Use onto when something moves and lands on a surface or higher level. Use off when something moves away from a surface. They work like into / out of but for surfaces rather than enclosed spaces.
- The gymnast jumped onto the beam.
- She climbed onto the roof to fix the antenna.
- He loaded the boxes onto the truck.
- The books slid off the shelf.
- Please take your feet off the table.
- She got off her bicycle and walked the rest of the way.
THROUGH and ACROSS — crossing a space
Both describe movement from one side to the other, but they differ in the type of space. Use through when the movement passes inside something — a tunnel, a forest, a crowd, a gap. Use across when the movement goes over an open, flat, or two-dimensional surface — a road, a river, a field.
- The train went through the mountain tunnel.
- We walked through the park to reach the station.
- She pushed through the crowd to get to the front.
- They swam across the river.
- He walked across the road without looking.
- The farmer drove his tractor across the field.
ALONG — following the length of a path
Along describes movement that follows the length of something — a road, a river, a path, a coastline. The key idea is that you are travelling parallel to the thing, not crossing it.
- We strolled along the beach at sunset.
- Drive along this road for two kilometres.
- She ran along the river path every morning.
PAST — beyond a fixed point
Past describes movement that goes beyond a fixed point without stopping. You approach the point, pass it, and continue. It is very useful for giving directions.
- Walk past the post office and you'll see the café.
- The bus drove past our stop without slowing down.
- He walked past me without saying a word.
AROUND — circular movement or bypassing an obstacle
Around (also round in British English) describes movement in a circle or movement that bypasses an obstacle. The path curves or loops rather than going straight through.
- The children ran around the fountain three times.
- We had to walk around the building to find the entrance.
- The Earth travels around the Sun.
UP and DOWN — vertical movement
Use up for movement to a higher position and down for movement to a lower position. Both work with stairs, hills, ladders, rivers, and roads.
- She ran up the stairs to answer the door.
- The hikers climbed up the mountain slowly.
- The ball rolled down the hill and into the pond.
- She walked down the stairs carefully.
- They floated down the river on a raft.
TOWARDS and AWAY FROM — direction without arrival
Use towards when something moves in the direction of a place or person but we are not saying it actually arrives there. Use away from for movement in the opposite direction — leaving rather than approaching.
- The dog ran towards the gate but stopped at the last moment.
- She took a few steps towards him and smiled.
- The storm is moving towards the coast.
- He turned and walked away from the argument.
- The birds flew away from the noise of the city.
- Move away from the edge — it's dangerous.
Key Expressions
Through vs Across
This is one of the most common points of confusion. The key question is: are you inside the space, or on top of a flat surface?
Through — inside a space
We drove through the tunnel.
The tunnel surrounds you. You are inside it as you move. Use through with forests, crowds, gaps, buildings, and tunnels.
Across — over a flat surface
We drove across the bridge.
The bridge is a flat surface below you. Use across with bridges, roads, fields, lakes, and open spaces.
Through — enclosed
The fox ran through the forest.
A forest is a space you move inside — trees surround you on all sides.
Across — open surface
The fox ran across the field.
A field is a flat, open area — you travel over the surface from one side to the other.
To vs Towards
Both describe movement in a direction, but to implies arrival while towards does not.
To — arrival at destination
She walked to the door.
She reached the door. The journey was completed. Use to when the destination is clearly reached.
Towards — movement in that direction
She walked towards the door.
She was moving in the direction of the door — but we don't know if she arrived. Use towards for direction, not destination.
Quick test: Did they arrive? → Use to. Are they just moving in that direction? → Use towards. "She ran to the finish line" (she crossed it). "She ran towards the finish line" (she was running that way when something happened).
Common Mistakes
Using "to" before "home"
✗ I went to home after work.
✓ I went home after work.
Home, here, and there are adverbs of place — they already contain the direction, so no preposition is needed. This is one of the most frequent errors at A2 level.
Confusing "in" (place) with "into" (movement)
✗ She walked in the room and sat down.
✓ She walked into the room and sat down.
In describes a static location; into describes the act of entering. When you use a motion verb like walk, run, or step, you need the movement preposition into, not the place preposition in.
Using "through" instead of "across" for flat surfaces
✗ We swam through the lake.
✓ We swam across the lake.
A lake is an open, two-dimensional surface — you travel over it, from one side to the other. Use across for bridges, roads, lakes, and fields. Reserve through for spaces that surround you, like tunnels, forests, and buildings.
Saying "enter into" (double preposition)
✗ Please enter into the building.
✓ Please enter the building.
The verb enter already includes the idea of going inside — it is transitive and takes a direct object, no preposition needed. Adding into is redundant. "Go into the building" and "walk into the building" are correct because go and walk need the preposition to show direction.
Mixing up "on" (place) with "onto" (movement)
✗ The bird flew on the branch.
✓ The bird flew onto the branch.
When the bird is already resting, we say "the bird is on the branch". When it lands — when there is movement ending on a surface — we need the movement preposition onto. A motion verb (flew, jumped, climbed) signals that onto is required.
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