Prepositions of Place: at, in, on

Prepositions can be used to show where something is located.

The prepositions at, on, and in

We use at to show a specific place or position.

For example:

Someone is at the door.

They are waiting at the bus stop.

I used to live at 51 Portland Street.

We use on to show position on a horizontal or vertical surface.

For example:

The cat sat on the mat.

The satellite dish is on the roof.

We also use on to show position on streets, roads, etc.

For example:

I used to live on Portland Street.

We use in to show that something is enclosed or surrounded.

For example:

The dog is in the garden.

She is in a taxi.

Put it in the box.

We also use in to show position within land-areas (towns, counties, states, countries, and continents).

For example:

I used to live in Nottingham.

In general, we use:

at for a POINT

in for an ENCLOSED SPACE

on for a SURFACE

   at                                                 in                                   on

POINT                                       ENCLOSED SPACE              SURFACE

 at the corner                           in the garden                     on the wall

 at the bus stop                        in London                          on the ceiling

 at the door                              in France                           on the door

 at the top of the page             in a box                             on the cover

 at the end of the road             in my pocket                     on the floor

 at the entrance                       in my wallet                       on the carpet

 at the crossroads                   in a building                        on the menu

 at the front desk                    in a car                              on a page

Look at these examples:
Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.
The shop is at the end of the street.
My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late.
When will you arrive at the office?
Do you work in an office?
I have a meeting in New York.
Do you live in Japan?
Jupiter is in the Solar System.
The author’s name is on the cover of the book.
There are no prices on this menu.
You are standing on my foot.
There was a “no smoking” sign on the wall.
I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.

Notice the use of the prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions:
             at                   in                               on

1. at home          in a car                      on a bus
2. at work          in a taxi                      on a train
3. at school        in a helicopter         on a plane
4. at university    in a boat                 on a ship
5. at college        in a lift (elevator)   on a bicycle, on a motorbike
6. at the top        in the newspaper    on a horse, on an elephant
7. at the bottom  in the sky               on the radio, on television
8. at the side      in a row                     on the left, on the right
9. at reception    in Oxford Street    on the way