in / at / on — Position 3
Institutions · Events · Buildings · Towns as Journey Points · Transport
in / at / on — Position 3
Institutions · Événements · Bâtiments · Villes comme Étapes · Transport
Master in bed/hospital/prison, at work/school/home, at a party/concert, in vs at for buildings, and on a bus / in a car.
Maîtrisez in bed/hospital/prison, at work/school/home, at a party/concert, in vs at pour les bâtiments, et on a bus / in a car.
Unit 125 covers the most idiomatic uses of position prepositions — where English has fixed expressions that French learners often get wrong. Key areas: institutions (in bed, at school), events (at a party), buildings (in vs at), towns as journey points (at Oxford), and transport (on a bus, in a car).
L’unité 125 couvre les usages les plus idiomatiques des prépositions de position. Domaines clés : institutions (in bed, at school), événements (at a party), bâtiments (in vs at), villes comme étapes (at Oxford), et transport (on a bus, in a car).
in bed / in hospital / in prison
in bed / in hospital / in prison
Use in for these fixed institutional expressions (no article needed):
Utilisez in pour ces expressions institutionnelles fixes (sans article) :
Anna’s mother is in hospital. (= she is a patient)
The criminal is in prison.
He’s been in bed all day with a temperature. James isn’t up yet. He’s still in bed.
Anna’s mother is in hospital. (= elle est patiente)
The criminal is in prison.
He’s been in bed all day with a temperature.
at work / at school / at university / at home
at work / at school / at university / at home
at — regular places
at — lieux habituels
Examples
BUT always at home for activities: Shall we eat at home or go out? On dit be at home OU be home (les deux corrects).
MAIS toujours at home pour les activités : Shall we eat at home or go out ?
at a party / at a concert / at an event
at a party / at a concert / at an event
I saw Steve at a conference / at a concert on Saturday.
We went to a concert at the National Concert Hall.
I was at Helen’s last night. (= at her house)
I was at the doctor’s / at the hairdresser’s. Were there many people at the party / at the meeting / at the wedding ?
I saw Steve at a conference / at a concert.
We went to a concert at the National Concert Hall.
I was at Helen’s last night. (= chez elle)
I was at the doctor’s / at the hairdresser’s.
in and at for Buildings — and Towns as Journey Points
in et at pour les Bâtiments — et les Villes comme Étapes
at — location / event / function
at — lieu / événement
in — interior / physical space
in — intérieur
Use at for a stop on a journey: Does this train stop at Oxford? Villes : normalement in : The Louvre is in Paris.
Utilisez at pour une étape : Does this train stop at Oxford ?
on a bus / on a train / on a plane — but in a car / in a taxi
on a bus / on a train / on a plane — mais in a car / in a taxi
on — large / public transport
on — grands transports publics
in — small / private vehicles
in — petits véhicules privés
Laura arrived in a taxi. Jane passed me on her bike. The bus was full. There were too many people on it.
Laura arrived in a taxi. Jane passed me on her bike.
Complete with in, at or on.
Complétez avec in, at ou on.
Complete with in, at or on + the given phrase.
Complétez avec in, at ou on + l’expression donnée.
in the cinema or at the cinema? Complete with in, at or on.
in the cinema ou at the cinema ? Complétez avec in, at ou on.
Mixed: complete with in, at or on.
Mixte : complétez avec in, at ou on.
Frequently Asked Questions — in/at/on (position) 3
Questions Fréquentes — in/at/on (position) 3
In hospital, in bed, in prison describe physical containment → in. At work, at school, at university, at home describe regular places/activities → at. These are fixed expressions to memorise.
In hospital, in bed, in prison décrivent un confinement physique → in. At work, at school, at university, at home décrivent des lieux/activités réguliers → at. Ce sont des expressions fixes à mémoriser.
Large public transport (bus, train, plane, ship) → on. Small private vehicles (car, taxi) → in. Bikes and horses use on because you ride on top of them.
Grands transports publics (bus, train, avion, bateau) → on. Petits véhicules privés (voiture, taxi) → in. Vélos et chevaux → on car on monte dessus.
At the hotel = treating the hotel as a venue/location for an event or activity. In the hotel = thinking about the interior: All the rooms in the hotel have AC.
At the hotel = l’hôtel comme lieu d’événement/activité. In the hotel = l’intérieur du bâtiment : All the rooms in the hotel have AC.
City as a place to live/be located → in. City as a stop on a journey → at: Does the train stop at Oxford? (= at Oxford station).
Ville comme lieu de vie → in. Ville comme étape → at : Does the train stop at Oxford ? (= à la gare d’Oxford).
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