This lesson builds on basic movement words and adds the prepositions you need to describe a path in detail: across, around, through, towards (toward), inside, and outside. Mastering these prepositions of movement makes your storytelling and process descriptions far clearer — a real advantage in IELTS Speaking and Writing.

Across vs through: the key difference

This pair confuses many learners. The rule is about dimension:

• across — movement over a flat surface, from one side to the other: We drove across the desert.
• through — movement inside something three-dimensional that surrounds you: The train goes through a tunnel.

You walk across a field (open) but through a forest (surrounded by trees).

Path prepositions in detail

Towards or toward?

Both are correct and mean the same thing. Towards is more common in British English; toward is more common in American English: It’s the first step toward(s) peace.

Common mistakes to avoid

• ❌ We swam through the lake. → ✅ We swam across the lake. (a surface)
• ❌ He walked to the door. (when you mean direction, not arrival) → ✅ He walked towards the door.
• ❌ The children ran around of the garden. → ✅ …ran around the garden. (no of)

💡 IELTS tip

For IELTS Writing Task 1 process diagrams, path prepositions describe each stage clearly: “The liquid passes through a filter, moves around a cooling coil and flows towards the storage tank.” Accurate movement language improves Coherence and Cohesion.

FAQ

When do I use across and when do I use through?

Use across for a flat, open surface (across the road, across a field) and through when you are surrounded by something (through a tunnel, through a crowd, through a forest).

Is towards or toward correct?

Both are correct. Choose towards for British English and toward for American English; the meaning is identical.

Related on Simply IELTS

• ➡️ Continue: Lesson 7: Time & Duration
• 📚 Part of the Prepositions in English course.
• 🔗 Related: IELTS Writing Task 1: map description & vocabulary.