Prepositions of movement

Level and focus

Level: A2
Category: Prepositions

Use to, into, out of, across, through, along and past to describe movement and routes.

By the end of this lesson, learners should be able to: Select movement prepositions in simple route and action descriptions.

Core idea

This lesson focuses on one clear grammar job. Learners should first recognise the pattern in short examples, then use it in controlled sentences, and only later combine it with other grammar.

Form

• to for destination
• into/out of for entering/leaving
• across for crossing a surface
• through for moving inside a space
• past for passing something

Meaning and use

Use this grammar when the sentence needs the meaning described in the lesson goal. At this level, accuracy is more important than stylistic variety. Keep examples short, concrete and close to everyday communication before moving to longer texts.

Examples

• She went to the station.
• The cat jumped into the box.
• We walked across the bridge.
• They drove through the tunnel.

Common mistakes

• Using in instead of into for movement: not She went in the room.; use She went into the room..
• Confusing across and through: not walk through the street; use walk across the street.
• Using to after arrive: not arrive to school; use arrive at school.

Teaching sequence

1. Show the pattern with two or three very short examples.
2. Contrast the correct form with one common error.
3. Let learners complete controlled examples.
4. Ask learners to produce their own short sentence.
5. Finish with a mixed review item so they distinguish this point from neighbouring grammar.

Boundary: what not to cover here

Place at A2 after learners know basic place and time prepositions.

Suggested practice

Start with recognition, then controlled completion, then sentence rewriting or ordering where appropriate. Keep distractors close enough to test the grammar point, but avoid trick options that require vocabulary beyond the level.

Quick check

Before you move on, can you explain the rule in one sentence and make one example of your own?