Prepositions · CEFR A2 · Everyday
above / below / between / among in English
Between is two, among is more than two. Over and under suggest covering or movement; above and below are simply higher and lower.
The shape
above / below / over / under / between / among
Describe where a thing sits in relation to another.
In Hindi
between दो के बीच, among कई के बीच। over और under ढकने या हलचल का भाव देते हैं।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
He was standing between the crowd. | He was standing among the crowd. "Between" needs two things; a crowd takes "among". |
above / below / between / among examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
My room is upstairs.
मेरा कमरा ऊपर है।
The bathroom is over there.
बाथरूम वहाँ है।
The table is by the window.
मेज खिड़की के पास है।
There is a bed in my room.
मेरे कमरे में एक बिस्तर है।
The picture is above the TV.
तस्वीर टीवी के ऊपर है।
My shoes are by the door.
मेरे जूते दरवाज़े के पास हैं।
My seat is by the window.
मेरी सीट खिड़की के पास है।
There is a park in front of my house.
मेरे घर के सामने एक पार्क है।
Learn these first
These come first. The rest of this makes more sense once they are automatic.
Questions people ask
- What is the above / below / between / among used for?
- Between is two, among is more than two. Over and under suggest covering or movement; above and below are simply higher and lower. In practice: describe where a thing sits in relation to another.
- How do you form the above / below / between / among?
- above / below / over / under / between / among.
- What is the most common mistake with the above / below / between / among?
- Saying “He was standing between the crowd.” instead of “He was standing among the crowd.”. "Between" needs two things; a crowd takes "among".
Where above / below / between / among fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
above / below / between / among is a CEFR A2 structure — the everyday band — and it belongs to prepositions. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
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