in, on, under — where things are
The words that put a thing somewhere. Three to start with, and a toy box is the only material you need.
From age 4Building sentences →
✏️ The pattern
- Saying it
- The cat is on the box
- Saying no
- It isn't in the box
- Asking
- Where is the cat?
- Short answer
- Under the table.
🗣️ Sentences a child can say
Tap any sentence to hear it. Every one uses words from a topic pack you already have.
🩹 What you will actually hear
The three mistakes that come up in every class, and what is behind each one.
The bird is on the tree.The bird is in the tree.
English puts things in a tree, among its branches — not on its surface. This one is worth learning as a picture.
in the lefton the left
Sides take on. Left, right and top all sit on, not in.
The cat is in the box on the table under the chair.The cat is in the box.
Not a grammar error but the commonest classroom failure: one preposition per sentence until all three are solid.
🎯 How to teach it
- 1
One box and one toy. Move the toy, say the word, move it again — a whole first lesson needs nothing else.
- 2
Let them give the orders. A child telling you where to put the toy learns faster than a child being told.
- 3
Hide-and-find beats point-and-repeat. The answer is the sentence, and the reason to say it is real.
- 4
Add next to and behind only when in, on and under come out without a pause.
🗂️ Topic packs that pair with this
Same structure, words your class already knows — no new vocabulary needed.
💬 Questions teachers ask
How many prepositions in one lesson?
Two, at most three, and always with the same object so only the position changes. Six at once produces a child who knows the words and can use none of them.
Does it matter that my language uses cases instead?
It matters for what you drill. A Russian-speaking child has to learn that the position word carries the meaning on its own, with no ending to help it. Expect the preposition to be dropped rather than confused.