Prepositions of Place - ESL worksheet by Victoria-Ladybug - Free Printable

Here are the correct sentences for each picture, using the prepositions in, on, near, under, behind, in front of, or between.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Row 1:
1. cat/box: The cat is sitting next to the box. → *The cat is near the box.*
2. kitten/basket: The kitten is inside the basket. → *The kitten is in the basket.*
3. pen/book: The pen is lying on top of the open book. → *The pen is on the book.*
4. chair/cat: The cat is standing on top of the chair. → *The cat is on the chair.*

Row 2:
5. dog/box: The dog is inside the box. → *The dog is in the box.*
6. ball/cat: The ball is next to the cat. → *The ball is near the cat.* (Or: The cat is near the ball.)
7. apple/books: The apple is on top of the stack of books. → *The apple is on the books.*
8. dog/ball: The dog is standing next to the ball. → *The dog is near the ball.*

Row 3:
9. notebook/pencil: The pencil is lying on top of the notebook. → *The pencil is on the notebook.*
10. teacher/table: The teacher is standing behind the table. → *The teacher is behind the table.*
11. ball/cat: The cat is holding the ball, but looking at the position, the ball is in front of the cat's body. However, usually, if an animal is holding something, we might say "with". But looking at the options, the cat is sitting and the ball is directly before it. Let's look closer. Actually, the cat is hugging the ball. A better fit for standard preposition exercises: The ball is in front of the cat? Or perhaps the cat is behind the ball? Let's re-evaluate based on common usage. Often, if one object obscures another, it's "in front of". The ball is closer to us than the cat. So, *The ball is in front of the cat.* Alternatively, simple proximity: *The cat is near the ball.* Let's stick with the most distinct spatial relationship shown in other examples. In picture 6, "near" was used for side-by-side. Here, they are touching. Let's look at picture 12.
12. dog/box: The dog is looking into the box, but its body is outside. Wait, looking at picture 12 again (Row 3, last image), the dog is sniffing a gift box. The dog is near the box. Let's re-read Row 3 labels.
- Image 9: Notebook/Pencil -> Pencil is on the notebook.
- Image 10: Teacher/Table -> Teacher is behind the table.
- Image 11: Ball/Cat -> The cat is sitting with the ball. The ball is in front of the cat.
- Image 12: Dog/Box -> The dog is next to the box. *The dog is near the box.*

Row 4:
13. boy/door: The boy is peeking from behind the door. → *The boy is behind the door.*
14. chair/boy: The boy is sitting on the chair. → *The boy is on the chair.*
15. pen/book: The pen is next to the closed book. → *The pen is near the book.* (Or "beside", but "near" is in the list).
16. mouse/cheese: The mouse is on top of the cheese. → *The mouse is on the cheese.*

Row 5:
17. book/apple/pen: The apple is between the book and the pen. → *The apple is between the book and the pen.*
18. table/mouse: The mouse is underneath the table. → *The mouse is under the table.*
19. puppy/basket: The puppy is inside the basket. → *The puppy is in the basket.*

Row 6:
20. boy/computer: The boy is sitting in front of the computer. → *The boy is in front of the computer.*
21. pencil/eraser: The eraser is next to the pencil. → *The eraser is near the pencil.*
22. bed/boy: The boy is standing next to the bed. → *The boy is near the bed.*

Let's double-check a few tricky ones.
- Picture 11 (Ball/Cat): The cat is hugging the ball. Is there a better preposition? "In front of" works well because the ball blocks part of the cat.
- Picture 15 (Pen/Book): The pen is clearly separate but close. "Near" is appropriate.
- Picture 21 (Pencil/Eraser): They are touching. "Near" is acceptable. Sometimes "next to" is used, but it's not in the list. "On" is incorrect. "In" is incorrect. So "near" is the best choice from the given list.

Final check of the list of prepositions provided: in, on, near, under, behind, in front of, between.

1. Cat/Box: near
2. Kitten/Basket: in
3. Pen/Book: on
4. Chair/Cat: on (Wait, the label is "chair/cat". The sentence should probably be "The cat is on the chair" or "The chair is under the cat". Usually, we describe the smaller/active object relative to the larger/static one. So "The cat is on the chair" is best. If forced to use "chair" as subject: "The chair is under the cat". Let's provide the most natural sentence structure which usually puts the animal/object first unless specified. The example says "The cat is near the box" for "cat/box". So I will follow that pattern: Subject = first word.)

Let's refine the sentences based on the order `Subject / Object` in the labels:

1. cat/box: The cat is near the box.
2. kitten/basket: The kitten is in the basket.
3. pen/book: The pen is on the book.
4. chair/cat: This label is reversed compared to others? Or does it mean "Describe the relationship between chair and cat"? The example `cat/box` resulted in `The cat is...`. So for `chair/cat`, should it be `The chair is...`? Let's look at the image. The cat is on the chair. If the subject is "chair", then "The chair is under the cat." This makes sense. Let's look at #6 `ball/cat`. Image: Ball is near cat. If subject is ball: "The ball is near the cat." This fits.
Let's re-evaluate #4 `chair/cat`. If I say "The chair is under the cat", it uses "under". Is "under" available? Yes. Is it accurate? Yes.
Let's re-evaluate #14 `chair/boy`. Label: `chair/boy`. Image: Boy on chair. Sentence: "The chair is under the boy."
Let's re-evaluate #10 `teacher/table`. Label: `teacher/table`. Image: Teacher behind table. Sentence: "The teacher is behind the table." (Here the first word is the person, so subject is teacher).

It seems the first word is the intended subject.

Let's re-do the list strictly with First Word as Subject:

1. cat/box: The cat is near the box.
2. kitten/basket: The kitten is in the basket.
3. pen/book: The pen is on the book.
4. chair/cat: The chair is under the cat. (Since the cat is on it).
5. dog/box: The dog is in the box.
6. ball/cat: The ball is near the cat.
7. apple/books: The apple is on the books.
8. dog/ball: The dog is near the ball.
9. notebook/pencil: The notebook is under the pencil? Or is the pencil on the notebook? The label is `notebook/pencil`. So Subject = Notebook. The notebook is under the pencil.
10. teacher/table: The teacher is behind the table.
11. ball/cat: The ball is in front of the cat. (The ball is closer to viewer).
12. dog/box: The dog is near the box.
13. boy/door: The boy is behind the door.
14. chair/boy: The chair is under the boy.
15. pen/book: The pen is near the book.
16. mouse/cheese: The mouse is on the cheese.
17. book/apple/pen: The apple is between the book and the pen. (Note: The label lists three items. Usually "between" takes the middle item as subject if listed A/B/C? Or is it "The apple is between..."? The label is `book/apple/pen`. The apple is physically in the middle. So "The apple is between the book and the pen" is the logical sentence. Even though 'book' is first, 'apple' is the one in the middle positionally. If I must make 'book' the subject: "The book is near the apple"? No, "between" is the key preposition for 3 items. I will assume the task allows identifying the central object for the "between" structure, or simply describing the scene. Given the prompt "Write sentences about the pictures", constructing the most accurate prepositional phrase is key. "The apple is between the book and the pen" is the standard answer for this visual cluster.)
18. table/mouse: The table is over the mouse? "Over" is not in the list. The list has "under". So we can't say "The table is under the mouse". We must say "The mouse is under the table". But the label is `table/mouse`. This suggests the subject might be flexible or I should use a preposition that works with Table as subject? There isn't one in the list (above/over are missing). Therefore, for `table/mouse`, the intended sentence is likely "The mouse is under the table" despite the label order, OR the label implies the relationship generally. However, looking at #17, the order was `book/apple/pen` and the apple is in the middle. It's highly probable that for these multi-item or specific spatial cases, you choose the subject that makes the preposition work from the list.

*Alternative interpretation*: Maybe I should just write the sentence that best fits the image using the words provided, regardless of strict label order if the label order forces an unavailable preposition (like "above").

Let's look at #18 again. Label: `table/mouse`. Prepositions available: in, on, near, under, behind, in front of, between.
If Subject=Table: "The table is ... the mouse." None fit perfectly except maybe "near". But "under" is the obvious visual lesson.
If Subject=Mouse: "The mouse is under the table." This fits perfectly.

Let's look at #4 `chair/cat`. Label: `chair/cat`.
If Subject=Chair: "The chair is under the cat." Fits perfectly.

Let's look at #14 `chair/boy`. Label: `chair/boy`.
If Subject=Chair: "The chair is under the boy." Fits perfectly.

Let's look at #9 `notebook/pencil`. Label: `notebook/pencil`.
If Subject=Notebook: "The notebook is under the pencil." Fits perfectly.

So, the rule seems to be: Use the first word as the subject, and find the correct preposition from the list.

Let's re-verify #17 `book/apple/pen`.
If Subject=Book: "The book is near the apple and the pen"? Or "The book is next to..." (not in list).
However, "between" is a specific target vocabulary here. The only way to use "between" is "The [middle item] is between [item 1] and [item 2]".
If I must use "Book" as subject: "The book is near the apple." (Ignoring the pen?). That seems weak.
Most likely, for the 3-item picture, the student is expected to identify the "between" relationship. I will provide the sentence "The apple is between the book and the pen" as it is the only one that teaches the concept of "between" shown in the image. If strict adherence to label order is required, it would be "The book is near the apple," but that misses the point of the 3-object setup. I'll stick with the most educational answer: The apple is between the book and the pen.

Let's re-verify #11 `ball/cat`.
Subject=Ball. Image: Cat holding ball. Ball is in front of cat's torso.
Sentence: "The ball is in front of the cat."

Let's re-verify #21 `pencil/eraser`.
Subject=Pencil. Image: Eraser next to pencil tip.
Sentence: "The pencil is near the eraser."

Let's re-verify #22 `bed/boy`.
Subject=Bed. Image: Boy standing next to bed.
Sentence: "The bed is near the boy."

Let's re-verify #20 `boy/computer`.
Subject=Boy. Image: Boy facing computer.
Sentence: "The boy is in front of the computer."

Let's re-verify #13 `boy/door`.
Subject=Boy. Image: Boy behind door.
Sentence: "The boy is behind the door."

Let's re-verify #16 `mouse/cheese`.
Subject=Mouse. Image: Mouse on cheese.
Sentence: "The mouse is on the cheese."

Let's re-verify #15 `pen/book`.
Subject=Pen. Image: Pen next to book.
Sentence: "The pen is near the book."

Let's re-verify #12 `dog/box`.
Subject=Dog. Image: Dog next to box.
Sentence: "The dog is near the box."

Let's re-verify #8 `dog/ball`.
Subject=Dog. Image: Dog next to ball.
Sentence: "The dog is near the ball."

Let's re-verify #6 `ball/cat`.
Subject=Ball. Image: Ball next to cat.
Sentence: "The ball is near the cat."

Let's re-verify #1 `cat/box`.
Subject=Cat. Image: Cat next to box.
Sentence: "The cat is near the box."

Everything looks consistent.

Final Answer:
1. The cat is near the box.
2. The kitten is in the basket.
3. The pen is on the book.
4. The chair is under the cat.
5. The dog is in the box.
6. The ball is near the cat.
7. The apple is on the books.
8. The dog is near the ball.
9. The notebook is under the pencil.
10. The teacher is behind the table.
11. The ball is in front of the cat.
12. The dog is near the box.
13. The boy is behind the door.
14. The chair is under the boy.
15. The pen is near the book.
16. The mouse is on the cheese.
17. The apple is between the book and the pen.
18. The mouse is under the table. *(Note: Although the label is "table/mouse", "The table is under the mouse" is false. "The table is near the mouse" is weak. The intended lesson is "under". I will provide "The mouse is under the table" as it is the correct factual statement using the target preposition, assuming the label indicates the objects involved rather than strict subject order for this specific case where the reverse preposition 'above' is missing.)*
*Self-Correction on 18*: If I must follow the pattern "First word is subject", and "above/over" is not in the list, is there another option? "The table is near the mouse"? No, the mouse is clearly *under*. In worksheet contexts, if the required preposition for the subject isn't available, you often flip the sentence. I will write "The mouse is under the table" because it is the only correct use of the taught prepositions for that image.

19. The puppy is in the basket.
20. The boy is in front of the computer.
21. The pencil is near the eraser.
22. The bed is near the boy.