Lesson 3

In, into: position and direction

We use in to talk about where something is in relation to a larger area around it:
A: Where’s Jane?
B: She’s in the garden. I’ve left my keys in the car.

We use into to talk about the movement of something, usually with a verb that
expresses movement (e.g. go, come). It shows where something is or was going:

A: Where’s Jane?
B: She’s gone into the house. Helen came into the room.
 In, into: position and direction

Compare
She’s gone for a walk in the garden. She is in the garden walking.

She walked into the garden. She entered the garden.

In, into: position and direction
With some verbs (e.g. put, fall, jump, dive) we can use either in or into with no
difference in meaning:

Can you put the milk in/into the fridge?

Her keys fell in/into the canal.

See also:

● At, on and in (place)

● At, in and to (movement)
Change into, turn into
We use into after verbs describing change:

We’ve translated the course into six different languages.

She changed into her swimming costume and went for a swim.

They divided the cake into four pieces.

Not: They divided the cake in four pieces.

In: phrasal verbs
We use in to make a number of phrasal verbs:

I was feeling very tired and I couldn’t really take in what she was saying. (understand)

Please call in and see us next time you’re in the area. (visit us briefly)

INVOLVE IN!!!

A good learner’s dictionary will include the most common phrasal verbs with in.
At: numbers
In specific contexts, we use at with numbers.

Talking about prices:

At 80 pounds a night for a double room, the hotel is good value.

Talking about speeds:

According to the police, he was driving at 120 mph. (mph means ‘miles
per hour’)
At: time
We use at to talk about points in time, ages and some periods of time:

I was up at 6 am this morning. (a point in time)

At 12 noon, all the bells rang out. (a point during the day)

They all get dressed up at Halloween. (a point on the calendar)

Many children leave school at 16. (referring to a specific age)

We can use at to refer to some periods of time: at night, at that time, at the New
Year:

They leave the front-door light on at night. (period of time)

At: place
We use at to describe a position or location seen as a point:

A fisherman waited near his nets at the side of the quay. (position as a point)

There was no one at the information desk. (location as a point)

We use at to describe locations including firms, companies, workplaces and educational

institutions:

Did you once work at Intel?

Warning:

We say at school, at college but in class:

At: group activities
We use at to refer to activities which involve a group of
people:

I didn’t know anyone at the party.

There was a demonstration at the opening of the

exhibition.
Good at, bad at
We use adjective + at to talk about things that we do well or
badly:

I was never very good at sports.

She was always brilliant at drawing.

He was terrible at keeping his accounts in order.

At: direction
We use at after a verb when we are talking about directing
something towards another person or thing, often with verbs
of perception and communication (smile at, shout at, wave
at):

He threw the ball at the wall.

She was waving at the crowd.

At or at the
When we talk about buildings, we often use at the to refer to the
building itself. When we refer to the activity that happens in the
building, we don’t use the after at or in:

The taxi dropped me at the school. (referring to the building)

I hated being at school. (referring to the activity within the

school not the building)
At or at the
When we talk about buildings, we often use at the to refer to the
building itself. When we refer to the activity that happens in the
building, we don’t use the after at or in:

The taxi dropped me at the school. (referring to the building)

I hated being at school. (referring to the activity within the

school not the building)
At: typical errors
● When we talk about how well or badly we do something, we say good/bad at, not in:

I’m so bad at telling left from right!

Not: I’m so bad in telling left from right!

● We use at, not in, for points of time or place:

What are you doing at the weekend?

Not: … in the weekend

Come and sit at the table.

At: typical errors

● We use at, not in, when we talk about a person’s age:

He died at the age of 85.

Not: … in the age of …