Lesson 3 of 8Free

பொருள்கள் எங்கே — இடச்சொற்கள்

Where Things Are — Prepositions

Learn to describe where things are using in, on, at, under, between, next to, and behind.

13 minutes

By the end of this lesson you will be able to— இந்த பாடத்தின் இறுதியில்

  • Use 'in', 'on', 'at' correctly for location: 'The book is on the table'
  • Use 'under', 'between', 'next to', 'behind' for positions
  • Describe where things are in a room or a picture using prepositions

Let's Learn

What you will learn today

Learn to describe where things are using in, on, at, under, between, next to, and behind.

Location matters in English

You can now talk about actions in the past, present, and future. But WHERE did it happen? English uses small words called prepositions to show location.

எங்கே நடந்தது என்று சொல்ல ஆங்கிலம் சிறிய வார்த்தைகளை பயன்படுத்துகிறது — இவையே இடச்சொற்கள்.

The big three: in, on, at

These three prepositions are the most common in English. Each has a specific meaning:

  • 'In' = inside something: in the box, in the room, in the bag, in Chennai
  • 'On' = touching the surface: on the table, on the wall, on the floor, on Monday
  • 'At' = a specific point: at school, at home, at the bus stop, at 3 o'clock

இந்த மூன்று இடச்சொற்கள் மிக முக்கியமானவை:

Position words

Beyond in/on/at, these words describe exact positions:

  • 'Under' = below: The cat is under the table. (கீழே)
  • 'Between' = in the middle of two: The shop is between the bank and the school. (இடையில்)
  • 'Next to' = beside: My house is next to the temple. (பக்கத்தில்)
  • 'Behind' = at the back: The garden is behind the house. (பின்னால்)
  • 'In front of' = at the front: The car is in front of the house. (முன்னால்)

in/on/at தவிர, இந்த வார்த்தைகள் சரியான இடத்தை விவரிக்கின்றன:

⚠️

Tamil puts it AFTER — English puts it BEFORE

This is the most important difference. In Tamil, the location word comes after the noun. In English, it comes before. This is where most Tamil speakers make mistakes.

📐 Describe your room

Use prepositions to describe where things are in your room:

  1. 1My books are on the shelf.
  2. 2My bag is under the desk.
  3. 3The clock is on the wall.
  4. 4My shoes are next to the door.
  5. 5The lamp is between the bed and the table.

உங்கள் அறையில் உள்ள பொருள்கள் எங்கே இருக்கின்றன என்று விவரியுங்கள்:

✏️

Your turn — look around and describe

Look around the room you are in right now. Can you describe where 3 objects are using prepositions?

You can now say WHERE

In, on, at for general location. Under, between, next to, behind for exact position. Remember: preposition comes BEFORE the noun in English, not after it like Tamil.

இடச்சொல் ஆங்கிலத்தில் பெயர்ச்சொல்லுக்கு முன்னால் வரும் — தமிழ் போல பின்னால் அல்ல!

🌟

Prepositions tell us WHERE. English puts them before the noun. Tamil puts them after. This one difference, once mastered, will dramatically improve your English clarity.

Next: saying no — don't, doesn't, didn't, and won't. Learning to say what you DON'T do is just as important as saying what you do.

Key Points

முக்கிய குறிப்புகள்

  • 'In' = inside something: in the box, in the room, in the bag
  • 'On' = touching the surface: on the table, on the wall, on the floor
  • 'At' = a specific point or place: at school, at home, at the bus stop
  • 'Under' = below, 'between' = in the middle of two, 'next to' = beside, 'behind' = at the back
  • Tamil comparison: Tamil uses '-இல்' or '-மேல்' at the end; English puts the preposition BEFORE the noun
G

Glossary

சொல் அகராதி

Preposition

இடச்சொல்

In

உள்ளே

On

மேல்

Under

கீழே

Between

இடையில்

Practice Activities

Quizவினாடி வினா

Answer each question to check your understanding.

Question 1 of 3

Where is the cat? 'The cat is _____ the table.' (the cat is below the table)

Match the Termsபொருத்துக

Click a term on the left, then click its matching definition on the right.

MMatch terms to their definitions

Click a term, then click its matching definition.

Terms

Definitions

Fill in the Blanksஇடைவெளி நிரப்புக

Type the missing word and press Check or Enter.

Fill in the blanks

Type the missing word and click Check or press Enter.

The cat is __ the chair. (below it)
My school bag is __ the table. (on top)
The shop is __ the bank and the hospital. (in the middle)
Ask