📍 Grammar · Prepositions
Prepositions of Movement
Small words that say where someone goes: into, across, through, up, down. Learn them with the film Happy Feet.
Grammar › Prepositions › Prepositions of Movement
The rule in one sentenceA place word like in says where something is. A movement word like into says where something goes.
About the film
Happy Feet is a film from 2006. Mumble is a penguin, and he lives in Antarctica. He cannot sing, but he can dance! The penguins slide across the ice and jump into the sea to catch fish.
What do movement words do?
Some small words say where something is. We call them place words: in, on, at, under. Mumble is on the ice. He does not move.
Other small words say where something goes. We call them movement words: into, onto, across, through, up, down. Mumble jumps into the sea. He moves!
Look at Mumble. He goes somewhere in every sentence:
Many movement words have a place word that looks the same. Learn them in pairs:
Gloria is in the water. (place) Gloria jumps into the water. (movement)
“In” says where she is. “Into” says where she goes. The verb tells you which one you need.
Movement words go with movement verbs: go, walk, run, swim, slide, dance.
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
How to make it
Verb + movement word + place
Mumble slides down the hill.
Mumble doesn’t go into the water.
doesn’t / don’t + verb + movement wordDoes Mumble jump into the sea?
Do / Does + person + verb + movement word + …Pairs that look alike
in → into
He is in the sea. → He jumps into the sea.on → onto
He is on the rock. → He climbs onto the rock.at → to
He is at the beach. → He goes to the beach.off ↔ onto
He jumps onto the rock. Then he jumps off the rock.When to use each one
Movement words — someone goes somewhere
Place words — nobody moves
Words that help: goes or is?
The verb tells you which word you need.
Movement → into, onto, across, up, down
Place → in, on, at, under
Common mistakes
❌ Mumble jumps in the sea.
✅ Mumble jumps into the sea.
“Jump” is a movement verb. He goes from the ice to the sea → into.
❌ Ramón climbs on the rock.
✅ Ramón climbs onto the rock.
He moves from the ice to the top of the rock → onto.
❌ Gloria is into the water.
✅ Gloria is in the water.
“Is” is not a movement verb. Nobody moves → in.
❌ The penguins go at the sea.
✅ The penguins go to the sea.
“Go” needs “to”. “At” only says where they are.
One more thing
This part is a little harder. You can come back to it later.
Get in, get on. With a car, we say get into or get in. With a bus, a train, a boat or a plane, we say get on and get off.
✅ “I get into the car. I get on the bus.”
Practice: choose the right word
Eight questions. Choose one word. You get the answer, and why.
1. Mumble jumps ___ the sea.
“Jumps” is movement. He goes from the ice to the sea → into.
2. Lovelace is ___ a big rock.
“Is” is not movement. Nobody moves → on.
3. The penguins walk ___ the ice.
“Walk” is movement. They go from one side to the other → across.
4. Mumble swims ___ the water. Now he is on the ice.
He moves from the water to the ice → out of.
5. Gloria waits ___ home.
“Wait” is not movement. She stays in one place → at.
6. Ramón runs ___ the hill.
“Runs” is movement. He goes from the bottom to the top → up.
7. The penguins go ___ the sea to catch fish.
“Go” needs “to”. It says where they go.
8. The fish are ___ the ice.
“Are” is not movement. Under says where the fish are.
Your turn
Choose where the penguins go. Then listen to your sentence.
Every word here is correct. Pick one and say it out loud too!
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