Movement & Position
Words for getting around, directions, and where things are
Overview
25 essential words for describing movement, directions, and spatial positions — key vocabulary for navigating everyday life.
Words
above /əˈbʌv/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: at a higher level or position than something
Examples:
- The painting hangs above the fireplace.
- The temperature was above 30 degrees.
Collocations: above all, above average, above the line
across /əˈkrɒs/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: from one side to the other side of something
Examples:
- She walked across the street.
- The bridge goes across the river.
Collocations: across the road, come across, across the country
after /ˈɑːftər/
preposition, conjunction — A1
Meaning: later than something; following in time
Examples:
- I’ll call you after lunch.
- After the movie, we went for dinner.
Collocations: after all, after that, day after day, look after
again /əˈɡen/
adverb — A1
Meaning: one more time; once more
Examples:
- Can you say that again, please?
- I’d love to visit Paris again.
Collocations: again and again, once again, never again
ago /əˈɡəʊ/
adverb — A1
Meaning: in the past; before now
Examples:
- I moved here two years ago.
- Long ago, people lived very differently.
Collocations: long ago, a while ago, years ago, not long ago
around /əˈraʊnd/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: on all sides of; approximately
Examples:
- We sat around the table.
- There are around fifty students in the class.
Collocations: around here, all around, look around, turn around
arrive /əˈraɪv/
verb — A1
Meaning: to reach a place, especially at the end of a journey
Examples:
- We arrived at the airport two hours early.
- What time does the train arrive?
Collocations: arrive at, arrive in, arrive on time, arrive home
Word Family: arrive (v.) → arrival (n.)
at /æt/
preposition — A1
Meaning: used to show where or when something happens
Examples:
- I’ll meet you at the station.
- The class starts at 9 o’clock.
Collocations: at home, at work, at school, at night, at least
away /əˈweɪ/
adverb — A1
Meaning: to or at a distance from someone or something
Examples:
- The beach is only five minutes away.
- She looked away when he spoke.
Collocations: go away, far away, right away, take away, run away
back /bæk/
adverb, noun — A1
Meaning: (adv.) to the place or state that someone was in before; (n.) the part of the body behind you
Examples:
- I’ll be back in ten minutes.
- She sat with her back against the wall.
Collocations: come back, go back, at the back, back home, get back
before /bɪˈfɔːr/
preposition, conjunction — A1
Meaning: earlier than something
Examples:
- Please arrive before 8 a.m.
- I’d never been to Japan before.
Collocations: before long, the day before, before and after
behind /bɪˈhaɪnd/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: at the back of someone or something
Examples:
- The car park is behind the building.
- She left her phone behind at the restaurant.
Collocations: behind the scenes, fall behind, leave behind
below /bɪˈləʊ/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: at a lower level or position than something
Examples:
- The temperature dropped below zero.
- From the hill, we could see the village below.
Collocations: below average, below zero, see below
between /bɪˈtwiːn/
preposition — A1
Meaning: in or into the space separating two things
Examples:
- The shop is between the bank and the post office.
- The meeting is between 2 and 4 p.m.
Collocations: between … and, in between, difference between
down /daʊn/
adverb, preposition — A1
Meaning: to or at a lower place or position
Examples:
- She walked down the stairs.
- Please sit down.
Collocations: sit down, calm down, break down, go down, write down
from /frɒm/
preposition — A1
Meaning: used to show where someone or something starts
Examples:
- I’m from Vietnam.
- The shop is open from 9 to 5.
Collocations: from now on, from time to time, far from, from … to
in /ɪn/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: enclosed or surrounded by something; inside
Examples:
- The keys are in my bag.
- She lives in London.
Collocations: in fact, in general, in front of, in time, come in
into /ˈɪntə/
preposition — A1
Meaning: to the inside of something; moving to a position within
Examples:
- She walked into the room.
- He put his hands into his pockets.
Collocations: turn into, get into, look into, run into
near /nɪər/
preposition, adverb, adjective — A1
Meaning: not far away in distance or time
Examples:
- Is there a bank near here?
- Christmas is getting near.
Collocations: near the end, nearby, in the near future
Word Family: near (adj./prep.) → nearby (adj./adv.) → nearly (adv.)
off /ɒf/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: away from a place or position
Examples:
- He took his jacket off.
- The bus stop is just off the main road.
Collocations: take off, turn off, get off, day off, far off
on /ɒn/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: touching and supported by a surface
Examples:
- The book is on the table.
- I’ll see you on Monday.
Collocations: on time, on the way, go on, on foot, depend on
out /aʊt/
adverb — A1
Meaning: away from the inside of a place
Examples:
- Let’s go out for dinner tonight.
- She took the book out of her bag.
Collocations: find out, go out, come out, work out, out of
over /ˈəʊvər/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: above or higher than something; across
Examples:
- The plane flew over the city.
- The meeting is over — you can go now.
Collocations: all over, over there, game over, over and over
through /θruː/
preposition, adverb — A1
Meaning: from one side to the other; by means of
Examples:
- We walked through the park.
- I heard about it through a friend.
Collocations: go through, through the door, all through, break through
up /ʌp/
adverb, preposition — A1
Meaning: towards a higher place or position
Examples:
- She looked up at the sky.
- I wake up at 7 every morning.
Collocations: wake up, get up, give up, stand up, pick up, up to
Quick Review
| Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| above | prep./adv. | at a higher position |
| across | prep./adv. | from one side to another |
| after | prep./conj. | later than |
| again | adv. | one more time |
| ago | adv. | in the past |
| around | prep./adv. | on all sides; approximately |
| arrive | v. | to reach a place |
| at | prep. | shows where/when |
| away | adv. | to a distance |
| back | adv./n. | to previous place; body part |
| before | prep./conj. | earlier than |
| behind | prep./adv. | at the back of |
| below | prep./adv. | at a lower position |
| between | prep. | in the space separating two |
| down | adv./prep. | to a lower position |
| from | prep. | starting point |
| in | prep./adv. | inside; surrounded by |
| into | prep. | to the inside of |
| near | prep./adj. | not far away |
| off | prep./adv. | away from |
| on | prep./adv. | touching a surface |
| out | adv. | away from inside |
| over | prep./adv. | above; across |
| through | prep./adv. | from one side to another |
| up | adv./prep. | towards higher position |