Movement prepositions let you give and follow directions. Go along this street, across the square, through the park, and into the station. Without these words, you can only point. With them, you can guide a taxi driver, explain a route on the phone, or tell a friend how to reach your home.

They also stop dangerous confusion. Walk to the road means go as far as the road and stop. Walk across the road means enter the road and cross it. If you mix these up, your listener may stop in the wrong place or step into traffic. Direction words carry real meaning, so it pays to learn each one with its own picture.

Movement prepositions answer the question where to, not where. They usually follow a verb of motion: go, walk, run, drive, fly, move. The most basic one is to, which points at the goal of the trip: We drove to the airport. From gives the starting point: The bus goes from the hotel to the beach. Toward is softer than to; it means in the direction of, without saying you arrive: She walked toward the sea.

Two prepositions add the idea of entering or landing. Into means movement that ends inside something: He walked into the shop, I poured the milk into the glass. Onto means movement that ends on a surface: The cat jumped onto the table. Compare the place words you already know: in and on describe where something is; into and onto describe the movement that gets it there. The dog is in the garden, but the dog ran into the garden.

Next come the path words, which describe the shape of the journey. Across means from one side to the other over a surface or open space: across the road, across the river, across the square. Through means passing inside something with sides around you: through the tunnel, through the forest, through the crowd. Along means following the line of something: along the river, along the corridor, along the beach. Picture them: across is a line over a flat space, through is a line inside a space, along is a line beside or on a long thing.

You can chain these words to tell a whole route in one sentence: Go out of the station, walk along the main street, turn left, go across the bridge, and the cafe is on your right. Each preposition adds one clear step, so the listener can see the map in their head.

One warning about to: do not use it after arrive with a place preposition pattern that needs at or in. We say arrive at the station and arrive in Paris, not arrive to. Also, home takes no preposition after motion verbs: go home, come home, drive home.

1. 1. We flew from Lisbon to Madrid last night.

   From marks the start of the trip; to marks the goal.

2. 2. She ran into the kitchen when the phone rang.

   Into shows movement that ends inside the room.

3. 3. The cat jumped onto the warm car roof.

   Onto shows movement that ends on a surface.

4. 4. Be careful when you walk across the street.

   Across means from one side to the other side.

5. 5. The train goes through a long tunnel here.

   Through means passing inside something with walls around.

6. 6. We strolled along the beach after dinner.

   Along means following the line of the beach.

7. 7. A man was walking toward us, smiling.

   Toward gives direction only; it does not promise arrival.

8. 8. How do I get to the nearest pharmacy?

   A question with to, pointing at the goal.

9. 9. Do not step onto the wet floor, please.

   A negative warning; onto again for landing on a surface.

10. 10. The kids swam across the small lake.

    Across also works for water and open spaces.

11. 11. Push the cart through the narrow door slowly.

    Through fits doors and gaps you pass inside.

12. 12. Drive along this road until the second light.

    Along plus until builds a simple driving direction.

13. 13. He took the letter from the mailbox.

    From also shows where something is taken away from.

14. 14. She climbed onto the ladder and painted the wall.

    Onto works with climbing when you end up on something.

15. 15. We arrived at the hotel just before midnight.

    Arrive takes at, never to, for buildings and points.

16. 16. I am walking toward the market; join me there.

    Toward in the present continuous describes direction right now.

The first mistake is using to when the sentence needs a path word. Learners say She walked to the road and crossed into it, which sounds strange because roads are crossed, not entered like rooms. Right: She walked across the road. Use to for the goal of the whole trip, and use across, through, or along to describe the path itself.

The second mistake is choosing in and on instead of into and onto after motion verbs. He jumped in the pool is common in speech, but the clear beginner rule is: movement that ends inside takes into (He jumped into the pool), and movement that ends on a surface takes onto (She stepped onto the bus platform). In and on describe position; into and onto describe the move.

A third mistake is adding to where English uses nothing or a different word. Learners say arrive to the airport and go to home. English says arrive at the airport, arrive in Rome, and simply go home. Keep a small list of these exceptions and practice them out loud.

• To = the goal; from = the start; toward = the direction only.
• Into ends inside; onto ends on a surface.
• Across a flat space, through an enclosed space, along a line.
• Say go home and arrive at, never go to home or arrive to.
• Chain prepositions to give routes: along the street, across the bridge, into the station.
• Draw the path in your head first, then pick the word that matches the picture.