Grammar-Quizzes › Adverbials › Prepositional Phrases › At vs. In
At vs. In
Express location, enrollment and other concepts 
Basic Use
Jane: Hi, where have you been?
Jack: I was at IKEA looking for some bookshelves. I saw some good ones in the office section.
Jane: I always get lost in IKEA.
Jack: I know what you mean. It helps to take a map at the entrance. You can pick up a shopping bag and a map as you go in¹.
Jack: Later, I tried you to call you, but my phone wouldn't work in the garage.
Jane: It's a good thing that I saw you at the store exit.
Jack: Yes. Otherwise I would have had to spend the night in there! Let's go home.
Jane: OK, but first, I need to stop at the pharmacy. I need to go in and get a few things.
Jack: Could you drop me off at home first? I have a headache.
Jane: Sure.
¹ in (adv / prep) — as you go in (toward direction) / as you go in (the entrance)
but first — before that
| AT A POINT— TWO DIMENSIONS |
|---|
When the preposition at is used with a place, it indicates a relatively exact (e.g., GPS ) location such as a building, structure, or enclosed area. (cross-point) |
He's at IKEA |
He's at the entrance. |
~He's at the parking lot / at the garage. |
He's at the bus stop. |
*He's at there. (store) He's there. |
| WITHIN A SPACE— THREE DIMENSIONS |
|---|
When the preposition in is used with a location, it indicates an area or space within a defined place. |
He's in IKEA. |
He's in the office section. |
He's in the parking lot / in the garage. |
*He's in the bus stop. |
He's in there. (inside) |
~ rarely used, requires a special situation / *rarely or not used
At / In
Being Located vs. Being Enrolled
Read the Context
Jack: Where's Roberta?
Dana: She's at school.
Jack: Is she in school already?
Dana: Yes, she started kindergarten this year.
Jack: It's hard to believe she's already in kindergarten. Do you miss her?
Dana: Not really. It's just three hours a day. It's nice to have a few free hours to myself each day.
Jack: I get that. You're probably glad to be back at work. I would feel as if I were in jail if I had to stay at home doing childcare 24-7.
Dana: Well, it's not that bad, but it did make me feel confined. Kindergarten is good for both Roberta and me.
24–7 — twenty four hours a day; seven days a week
confined — kept or forced to remain in a small space
enrollment — being registered or admitted to a place [alternate spelling: enrolment, enroled]
i get that — I understand
| LOCATED AT |
|---|
Normally, at refers to a two-dimensional location, for example, a building, an institution or a campus, something that can be located with cross-hairs. |
| LOCATION |
She's at school / at college (visiting, teaching, doing administrative work) |
She's at home. (location) She's home. |
She's at work. (location and in the process of doing his job) |
She's at the jail. (visiting, providing healthcare, doing administrative work) |
| AT + DETERMINER |
He's at the hospital. (visiting, providing healthcare, doing administrative work) |
He's at the University of Arizona (visiting, teaching, doing administrative work) |
*He's at the military. (not a location) *He's at the Academy. (West Point Military Academy, an institution) |
| IN PROCESS WITHIN AN INSTITUTION |
|---|
In addition to being used to indicate an area, the preposition in expresses the meaning of process: being admitted, participating or registered in an institution (e.g., completing work, serving time or getting well). |
| INSTITUTIONAL PROCESS |
She is in school / in college. (working toward completion or graduation) |
*She's in home. She's in her home/house watching television (inside). |
*She's in work. She's in her office. (inside). |
She's in jail / prison. (serving time for a crime) He's in the jail. (inside) |
| IN + DETERMINER |
He's in the hospital. (resting, healing, getting well) He's in hospital. Br-Eng "in hospital" |
He is in the University of Arizona. (working toward completion or graduation) |
He's in the military. [group] (doing military service) He's in the Naval Academy. [institution] (learning, training, serving) |
At / In
Expressions
Read the Context
Jane: I'm at wit's end with my son.
Jack: Are you two at odds again.
Jane: No, not at all. I just worry about Jim. He's at loose ends. Ever since he did poorly in his biology class, he has been down on himself.
Jack: He'll get over it. He'll be upset with himself for a while and then later have another go at it.
Jane: If he doesn't get in gear he'll be left behind.
Jack: What's his excuse?
Jane: He thinks his teacher had it in for him. You see, he blew up part of the science lab by accident.
Jack: I see. In other words, he's in hot water?
Jane: I guess you could say that. Perhaps, he should take the course in a different college.
Jack: Indeed.
be down on something / someone — be critical, find fault, be negative to
indeed — true (emphasis)
wit (N) — mental ability,
At—Expressions
| EXPRESSION | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|
AT A CROSSROADS (at a time for making decisions) |
My son is at a crossroads. He is deciding which direction he will go in his life. |
AT A LOSS (deficit, less than the original price) |
He sold his Hummer (big, military-like auto) at a loss. |
AT A LOSS FOR WORDS (unable to explain) |
When I asked her where she was, she was at a loss for words. |
AT ANY RATE (anyhow, whatever the situation, nevertheless) |
He doesn't have much savings or pension income. At any rate, he'll manage. |
AT LOOSE ENDS (without guidance or direction) |
He is at loose ends. He doesn't know what to do with his life. |
AT ODDS WITH [in conflict with] |
He is at odds with his wife. They are separating. |
AT THE PEAK (at the highest point) |
He is at the peak of his career. (most productive time) |
AT RISK |
He at risk of having a heart attack. |
AT WIT'S END (at the limits of one's mental resources) |
He is at wit's end. / He is at his wit's end. He has tried every way possible to help his son. |
GET AT (imply) |
What are you getting at? What are you really trying to say? |
GO AT (attack) |
The two politicians went at each other viciously. |
HAVE A GO AT (attempt) |
Let me have a go at it. I can usually fix a leaky faucet. |
HAVE AT (attack, attempt) |
He said what? Let me have at him. |
LOOK AT (view) |
Look at him! He's doing a triple turn. |
NOT AT ALL (definitely not) |
Are you tired? Not at all. |
| VARIANT MEANING | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|
GO IN WITH (collaborate, work together) |
They went in with them on a business deal. |
HAVE IT IN FOR (want to harm) |
He had it in for me after I took his girlfriend out on a date. |
IN A FIX /A PICKLE (in a difficult situation) |
We ran out of gas and had no money. We were in a fix. |
(IN) BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE |
If she asks, "Do I look fat?", don't answer. If you answer truthfully, she'll be upset. If you lie, she won't trust you. You will be in between a rock and a hard place. |
IN DEMAND (highly desirable, wanted)
|
His knowledge and skills are in demand. |
IN FOR (about to experience)
|
If you haven't seen this show before, you are in for an amazing experience. |
IN GEAR (get motivated, get started)
|
Let's get in gear and get it done. |
IN HOT WATER / IN THE DOG HOUSE (in trouble) |
He came home at 4 a.m. His wife was upset. He was in hot water. |
IN JEOPARDY (in danger) |
After he did poorly on the college entrance exam, his college plan was in jeopardy. |
IN LINE FOR (be likely to get something good, waiting, expecting)
|
He is in line for a promotion because of all the creative projects he has done this year. |
IN LOVE (enamored) |
They are in love. |
IN ON (aware of, involved in ) |
His friend was in on the joke / secret. / The robber's girlfriend was in on the job. |
IN THE KNOW (aware of) |
The Mayor proposed a new plan. The reporters were already in the know. |
IN TRANSITION / IN FLUX (in a state of change or movement) |
He quit his job and is in transition. |
IN WITH (special introduction) |
Jason's uncle is an engineer so he had an in with the company. |
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
Error and Solution
| ERROR |
|---|
*He's at house right now.
|
He used an in house lawyer to handle the law suit. (expression) |
| SOLUTION |
|---|
He's at home. ~He's at his house. (understood, but not commonly used) |
He used an in-house lawyer to handle the law suit. (add a hyphen to this modifier) An in-house service is one that is hired from within the company (not out-sourced to another company or individual.) |
Practice 1
Where's Vera?
Read the Context
When was the last time you saw Vera?
I saw her __ Las Vegas. She was performing __ the Paradise Hotel __ the Palm Room. She was __ a show called "Dancing Shoes". She was living nearby __ the desert. She bought a home __ Quail Street and Snake Road.
Did you visit her at her house?
I tried to but she wasn't __ home. She was having some work done __ her house. So I went __ the garage and asked a workman where she was. The painter told me that she probably was __ class. She has been attending classes __ a local community college.
Complete the sentence with "at" or "in".
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check 1-10" button at the bottom.
Practice 2
Recovery from Hardship
Read the Context
The economic depression was hard on my family. We were [in a difficult situation]. My father lost his job as a manager. He was laid off. And my mother's job was also [in danger]. Money problems caused marriage problems. My parents were [in conflict] with each other. With little money left, my father was [extremely frustrated], and so was my mother. Because of the poor economy, we were going to have to sell our house [below the original price]. Our family was [in danger] of falling apart.
My father was [at a point that required a decision]. He could stay the course and wait for his old job, or he could go a different direction and retrain in a new field. He decided to get [moving] and take a new road—update his skills.
A college counselor, who was [knowledgeable], recommended a class on coding skills, which were [highly desired] by employers. So, my father decided to [attempt] it. He chose an app coding course with the goal of being able to write a new app. He knew he was in for a lot of studying.
Within twelve weeks, he had developed an app that was so clever that it caught the interest of his instructor. The two of them [collaborated on] the project and sold it to a company. This success gave him an [special introduction] the company, and they offered him a job with a very good salary. As a result, my father was able to pay off our debts. And, best of all, my parents are back together and still [enamored] with each other.
app (N) — an application that runs on a mobile phone or tablet
coding (N) — the language used to write an application for a computer or mobile device
collaborate on(V) — work together on (something)
retrain (V) — study new skills
salary (N) — payment for work
skill (N) — a special, learned ability to do something well
stay the course — continue on as usual
Complete the sentence with an "at" or "in" expression.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check 11-24" button at the bottom.