For NouvelleThalia.
Prepositions are tough (anyone ever tried to learn German? The prepositions are a nightmare). Sometimes, two different prepositions can have the same connotation and mean the same thing to the reader. At other times, it is important to choose a precise preposition. At and in get mixed up sometimes. Here is a quick guide on how to use each one:
At, when it is used to refer to a place, usually refers to something small, like a building or a street corner.
· I'm at the mall.
· I'm at the corner of Fifth and Pike.
Sometimes, you can use in instead of at. For example, there is nothing wrong with the sentence I'm in the mall. This would be an appropriate thing to say if you are inside the mall but your friend is outside. Even when it isn't used in that context, however, it still makes sense to say you're in the mall. However, it would never make sense to say I'm in the corner of Fifth and Pike because there is nothing to be inside of there.
In, when you're using it to refer to a place, usually refers to large places, such as cities, counties, and countries.
· I'm in New York City.
· I'm in Bangladesh.
We also need to address on. Pretty much everyone knows that this preposition is used to speak about one item between atop the surface of another item. However, it sometimes gets confused with at in other contexts. For example, I have seen some people write Call us on 000-000-0000 when it should be Call us at 000-000-0000.
I think most writers have a fairly strong grasp of these basic prepositions, but it never hurts to take in a quick review. Are there any prepositions that confuse you?
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