travel prepositions exercises

Cambridge English: Preliminary

Vocabulary practice for the Cambridge PET exam

• Holidays and Travel
• Travel Prepositions

Holiday Vocabulary: Travel Prepositions

On this page you will learn how to use different prepositions in common expressions to do with travel.

Match the preposition to the correct word or expression:

Complete the gaps in the following sentences with the missing words.

Have you booked into a hotel recently? Do you choose to go on foot anywhere when it would be usual to take a bus or go by car? Do people often travel by bicycle in your country?

Make a note of any other set expressions you come across that contain a preposition. For example:

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• Jun 22, 2023

Transportation Prepositions: In, On, By (Uses, Examples, Practice, and Audio Reading Included)

Updated: Jul 27, 2023

Recommended level: Intermediate

"Is it 'ON the bus' or 'IN the bus'?"

Quick Reference

Use "on" for large vehicles which you can stand and walk around in (a bus, an airplane, a train, a metro/subway car, a cruise ship, a boat).

Use "in" for (usually) smaller vehicles or crafts that you have to enter and sit in (a car, a taxi, a truck, a helicopter, a canoe, a kayak, a small boat, a carriage, a rickshaw).

Use "on" for smaller vehicles which require you to sit on a seat with one leg on each side, and which typically have handlebars (a motorcyle, a scooter, a bicycle, an ATV, a snowmobile, a unicycle).

Use "on" for vehicles which require you to stand to use them (a Segway, a skateboard, a hoverboard, etc.)

Use "by" for almost all forms of transportation to mention how you traveled somewhere (Example: "Is it cheaper to travel there by car or by train?")

In English, choosing between on and in is important, and knowing which one to use when talking about transportation can be tricky--but it doesn't have to be. Today, we'll learn how to use each one, and I'll make it easier for you to express yourself accurately when discussing different ways of getting around. So, let's begin and let's make things clearer.

(By the way, "getting around" means traveling or moving between different places. You can "get around" by bus, by car, by train, etc. Oh, and there will be more on this topic later.)

Okay, so the basic difference between on and in for transportation is this:

On is typically used for larger forms of transportation, such as buses, planes, trains, subways or metros, cruise ships, and big boats . If you can stand up and walk around a form of transportation in order to find a place to sit, you are on that form of transportation. Here are some examples:

"We were on the bus for over 45 minutes."

"You can eat all you want on a cruise ship."

"Have you ever been on a plane before?"

"I've never been on a train."

"Sorry about the connection. I'm on the subway."

In is typically used with smaller vehicles or crafts that you have to enter and sit in, such as cars, taxis, trucks, carriages, rickshaws, canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, or smaller boats in general . If you don't have a lot of room to move and you can't really stand up and comfortably walk around to find a place to sit, you are in that form of transportation. Note these examples:

"I'm in a taxi right now. I'll see you in 15 or 20 minutes."

"How many people can fit in your car?"

"I've never been in a rickshaw."

"Don't stand in the canoe! It's going to tip over!"

"I saw Tom and Dina in a carriage around Central Park."

Basically, for most modes of transportation, on equals more freedom of movement, and in equals less freedom of movement .

But wait! What about motorcycles, skidoos, skateboards, ATVs, and snowmobiles? That's a great question, and this one is easier to understand because it's also more logical than saying "I'm on the bus."

In short, if you can stand on or sit on a (usually) single-person or two-person vehicle or piece of sports equipment, use on . This includes vehicles which require you to place your legs on either side of the seat--and which have handlebars--such as bikes, motorcycles, ATVs, Vespas, and snowmobiles, and vehicles which you stand on and partially control with your body weight, such as skateboards, Segways, hoverboards, and scooters. Once again, you don't have a lot of freedom of movement with these vehicles.

Now is a good time to practice what we have learned so far. Answer these questions:

When was the last time you were on a bus?

Have you ever been on a cruise ship?

What's the longest amount of time that you have ever spent in a car? How about in a taxi?

Have you ever been on a motorcycle?

Just a few more things about "on" and "in"

You can be on an elevator or in an elevator, but you can only be on an escalator. To practice talking about elevators, answer this question:

Have you ever gotten stuck on/in an elevator?

Also, if you say "I'm in the subway" or "I'm in the metro," you mean you are walking underground, but not necessarily that you are traveling on a subway or metro train. However, you can refer to one individual section of a subway train by saying you are "in a subway car."

In addition, people will sometimes say "I'm in the bus" or "I'm in the plane" to emphasize that they are inside the bus, the plane, etc. However, on is still considered the most standard and common form in these cases. So, just to try to stick to using on .

Next, let's talk about entering and exiting modes of transportation.

"Get in," "Get on," "Get off," "Get out of"

The verb get is often used to talk about entering or climbing on to, and exiting or climbing off of these modes of transportation . Depending on the situation, "get on" and "get in" are used for entering something or for sitting on something. For example:

"Get in the car."

"Get on your skateboard and let's go."

"I got on the bus at 7 a.m."

"I'm getting in a taxi right now."

In a similar way, "get off" and "get out of" are used for exiting or climbing off of something. Note the examples:

"We need to get off the subway at the next station."

"Can I get out of the car, please?"

"Why are you getting out of the boat?"

"I would never try to get off a moving train."

With all of that in mind, if someone is encouraging you to enter a bus or train, they might say "Get in!" or "Get on!" with equal confidence. I'm sorry. I didn't make these rules. I'm just doing my best to explain what people actually say in these situations.

To finish, let's answer two more practice questions :

How much does it cost to get on a bus in your area?

Have you ever taken a bus, train, or subway and accidentally gotten off at the wrong stop?

The final stop: A quick word on "by"

The word by is used with almost all forms of transportation. It is used for mentioning how you travel, traveled, will travel, or are traveling somewhere . Here are some examples to help you see it in action:

"Did you travel by bus or metro?"

"Should we go by bike or scooter?"

"We got here by car."

"Can we get there by train?"

"It will take us forever to get there by skateboard."

"Do you want to go to the park by bike or on foot?" ("On foot" is an irregularity when we are talking about transportation. If you travel somewhere on foot, it means you walk there.)

Well, now that's it! Whether you prefer to travel by bus, bike, or rickshaw, I hope you found this page useful.

If you did, and you would like to continue improving your English--while supporting my work at the same time--consider purchasing my book 100 Practical English Phrasal Verbs . It is available in PDF, e-Book, and paperback formats. Thank you, and good luck with your studies!

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1 commentaire

Understanding transportation prepositions is crucial for effective communication, especially when describing modes of travel. This article provides valuable insights into the nuanced uses of 'in,' 'on,' and 'by.' Speaking of transportation, if you're in the market for a vehicle, I highly recommend checking out https://www.autobidmaster.com/en/search/salvage-cars/mini/ . They offer a wide selection of salvage cars, including models like Mini, which can be a fantastic option for those looking for quality vehicles at affordable prices. Happy travels!

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Prepositions of Travel and Movement

Times viewed: 7735, tagged with: prepositions , intermediate grammar.

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• Intermediate Grammar

I. From - To

We travel   from   our place   to   our destination.

• They drove/flew/walked from New York to Philadelphia.
• When are you coming back to Moscow?
• We also sent letters etc. to people.

We can use a   verb of motion   etc. +   home   without a prepositon.

• It took us an hour to   get   home.
• We   went   home by bus.

But if   home   is immediately preceded by   a word or phrase ,   preposition   is neccessary.

• She returned   to   her parents'   home.

We can   live / stay / work / be   etc.   at home ,   at   + ... +   home ,   in   + ... +   home .

But   in   cannot be followed directly by   home .

• You can do this sort of work at home. (or at your home/in your home).

III. Arrive at/in

We   arrive   in   a   country   or   town.

We   arrive in   or   at   a   village .

We   arrive at   a   small destination .

• We arrived in England/London.
• We arrived at the airport/at the hotel/at the station.

IV. Transport: by, on, get in/into/on/onto/off/out of

We   travel   by car   (but   in   Mike's car),   by   bus, train, plain, helicopter, etc. and   by   sea / air .

We can also   go   by   a   certain route   or by a   certain place :

• We went by I-95.

We can   walk   or   go   on foot .

We can   cycle   or   go   on a   bicycle   or   by bicycle .

We can   ride   or   go on horseback .

We   get into   a private or public vehicle, or   get in   (adverb).

We   get on   a public vehicle, get on (adverb).

But we   go on   board   a boat (=embark).

We   get on / onto a horse , camel, bicycle.

We   get out of   a private or public vehicle, or   get out   (adverb).

We   get off   a public vehicle, a horse, bicycle, etc., or   get off   (adverb).

V. Get in/into/out/out of

Get in / into / out / out of   can also be used of   buildings ,   institutions , and   countries , instead of   go ,   come ,   return   etc. when there is some difficulty in entering or leaving ( in   and   out   are used here as adverbs).

• I lost my keys! How are we going to get into the house?
• The house is on fire! We'd better get out! (adverb)

VI. Giving directions

at ,   into ,   to , etc. are prepositions;   along ,   on   are prepositions and adverbs;   till   is a conjunction.

• Go along the Ferret Street till you see the library on your right.
• Get off the bus and walk back till you come to some traffic lights.

VII. Get to/Reach

Get to / reach   can be used with any destination:

• He got to the station just in time for his train.
• They reached the top of the mountain before dark.

Get in   ( in   = adverb) can mean "arrive at a destination", is used mainly of trains:

• What time does the train get in?

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Prepositions of place, direction and time – Exercise

Task no. 3029.

Choose the correct prepositions.

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• Prepositions
• I'm Peter and I live of at in Germany. In During At summer I like to travel after to towards Italy, because by from of the weather and the people there. Last summer I took a plane from over against Munich to Rome. From On After the airport we went to our hotel by with on bus. We stopped between up at a small restaurant for a quick meal. The driver parked the bus behind over below the restaurant. Nobody could find the bus and the driver, so we waited outside down on the restaurant for in through one hour. The driver was walking across through off the small park near over round the restaurant which we did not know. So we were very angry along with over him. But my holidays were great. We sat over at round campfires and went dancing for against till the early mornings.
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508 – Prepositions To Talk About Travel

MichaelAD June 27, 2019 Grammar Leave a Comment

Here’s a cool idea. Let’s take a look at some prepositions and phrases that we use to talk about traveling. I know that propositions are really a pain in the neck for a lot of English learners, but hopefully, after checking out this podcast, things will be a lot more clearer for you. Alright…let’s check it out!

Here are the example sentences. To get the details of this English lesson, you need to listen to the podcast or check the transcript for the details.

• Fred was going to come to my house by bike, but since he got a flat tire, he is coming on foot .
• I went to the park on foot .
• New York you can go to Boston by car, by train, or by plane .
• It was a nice day so I walked to the park.
• I usually drive to the train station in the morning.
• I’ m going to fly to Chicago tomorrow.
• Before traveling, we get on the bus, get on the train, and get on the plane.
• After traveling, we get off the bus, get off the train, and get off the plane.
• You also get on or get off your bicycle, get on or get off your bike, and get on or get off your motorcycle.
• You can get in the car, get in the taxi, and get in the Uber. At the end of the trip you can get out of the car, get out of the taxi, and get out of the Uber.
• I’m on the train. (I want you to know how I am traveling and I am traveling by train)
• I’m in the train (I want you to know my location and I am inside the train)
• I am in the car. If you say, I am on the car, it means you are on top of the car!

If you know anyone who might be interested in this English language point, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them. Thanks for studying today!

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Transportation Prepositions in English – By In and On

Transport prepositions in english – by in and on.

In this complete tutorial for beginners about Transportation preposition in English , learners would be able to learn a grammar lesson when to use Transport Prepositions – By , In and On correctly. Transportation preposition s can be tricky and can be confusing but it is important to learn. As you read through this you’ll be able to master the meaning and correct grammar of transport preposition through examples and video tutorial.

So, in this lesson we are going to specifically look at Transportation Prepositions: By, In and On related to transportation that would help make your speech easy.

Watch the transport preposition video tutorial before you proceed.

Now, the first preposition that were going to look at is:

Meaning of transport preposition – By

– is used when we are talking about general ways of travel or transport .

For example:

“ By “ – is also used for transportation environment or the surface like; sea , road , air – these are transportation. So even when you’re not talking a particular vehicle in particular, you can also use the preposition “by” to talk about transportation surface.

Transport Preposition Examples:

I went by sea.

We are traveling to Bangkok by road.

They are going to go by air.

So, we are using the preposition “by” when talking about general ways of travel. You can also use another transportation surface that’s “rail”.

Now let’s have a look at with preposition “in” related to transportation. After several rules in or on are used to talk about a specific vehicle like nothing in general but something in specific.

Let’s think about the vehicles that we can sit in, we cannot stand in that vehicle but a vehicle that we can only sit inside such as:

In a Car, in a truck, in a helicopter, in a taxi, in a rowboat etc. You can not stand in this vehicle especially when they are in motion, so the vehicles that you can sit inside, you will end up using the preposition in.

Preposition On

What is the difference between preposition in and on ?

Well, you can use preposition on when talking about a specific vehicle where in you can stand or walk while the vehicle is in motion.

• We use on when you travel on an animal from one place to another
• You can also use another preposition onto only for animals.

By – is used when we are talking about general ways of travel      

        Or transport

In – is used for vehicles where you can sit, and can not

On – is used when talking about a specific vehicle where in you

        can stand or walk while the vehicle is in motion.

–  We use on when you travel on an animal from one place to another

– You can also use another preposition onto only for animals.

Downloadable Materials

Download the Presentation used in this tutorial  here .

Related Article

• Prepositions of Time IN, ON and AT- English Grammar
• Prepositions of Place: AT, IN, ON English Grammar Tutorial

If you have any questions or suggestions about this Transportation preposition in English, please feel free to leave a comment below.

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Prepositions with the means of transport

TRANSPORT - PREPOSITIONS

Nadia Zurita

Ejercicio de practica y uso de las preposiciones de transporte.

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Upper-intermediate grammar exercise (B2 level): prepositions

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English grammar practice exercise, upper-intermediate (B1) level.

In this exercise you will practise various prepositions.

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Preposition Exercises

Perfect english grammar.

All the preposition exercises so far

Prepositions of time:.

• Time prepositions exercise 1 (quite easy)
• Time prepositions exercise 2 (quite easy)

Prepositions of place:

• Place prepositions exercise 1 (quite easy)
• Place prepositions exercise 2 (quite easy)

Prepositions after verbs:

• Verbs + prepositions exercise 1 (quite easy)
• Verbs + prepositions exercise 2 (quite easy)

Prepositions after adjectives:

• Adjectives + prepositions exercise 1 (quite easy)

Prepositions in collocations / phrases:

• Preposition collocations exercise 1 (medium)

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Prepositions – Free Exercise

Look at the picture above, and type the correct prepositions into the spaces.

• Ian lives   a small house. a building → in
• He has been living here   2005. how long (beginning of the time period is known) → since
•   his house, there is a hotel. next to, beside, by
• It was built three years     Ian’s uncle, who is an architect. 1st space: how many years ago (when) → … ago |2nd space: creator (by whom) → by
•   the hotel there is a bus stop. physically before something → in front of
• The people staying   the hotel can get on the bus here to go   the city centre. 1st space: a building, but also a place that people use for a particular reason → in/at (both are correct)|2nd space: destination → to
• When they come back, they can get off the bus   the other side   the street. 1st space: on a certain side → on |2nd space: belonging to (genitive) → of
•   winter, Ian also goes   bus quite often. 1st space: when/season of year → in |2nd space: to travel in a vehicle → by
• He only uses his car   the weekends or when he goes shopping   Thursdays. 1st space: when/weekend → at |2nd space: when/weekday → on
•   his workplace, where has been working   four years, he usually goes   foot. 1st space: destination → to|2nd space: how long (amount of time is known) → for |3rd space: walking → on foot
• It’s only about 10 minutes   his home. starting point → from

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