Prepositions of Movement: Across, Through, Into (A2 Grammar)

Use across when you go from one side to the other, and through when you go in one side and out the other.

across, through

• Walk across the street at the crosswalk.
• The light comes through the window.
• Try it: Lani: Can she swim well? Farid: Yes. Look, she's swimming ___ the pool. Look at the picture. Choose what Farid says. (into / across / up) Answer: across — She swims from one side of the pool to the other side, so she swims across it.

into, out of

Use into when you go in, and out of when you go out.

• The children run into the classroom.
• The dog comes out of the water.
• Try it: Farid: Where's the man with the bread? Lani: There. He's coming ___ the bakery now. Look at the picture. Choose what Lani says. (out of / into / up) Answer: out of — He steps out through the bakery door, so he is coming out of it.

up, down

Use up when you go to a higher place, and down when you go to a lower one.

• He walks up the stairs.
• She walks down the stairs.
• Try it: Farid: Why is she walking with her bike? Lani: It's hard to ride ___ that hill. Look at the picture. Choose what Lani says. (up / down / across) Answer: up — She pushes her bike to the top of the hill, so it is hard to ride up it.

Which one?

Look where you go. To the other side: across. In, then out: through. In: into. Out: out of. Higher: up. Lower: down.

• across the street, through the window
• into the house, out of the house
• up the stairs, down the stairs
• Try it: Lani: Where's the dog going? Farid: Outside. It's running ___ the door. Look at the picture. Choose what Farid says. (up / across / through) Answer: through — The dog goes in one side of the door and out the other side, so it runs through the door.