Prepositions of movement show direction — where something is going or coming from. They are essential for telling stories in IELTS Speaking Part 2 and for describing processes in IELTS Writing Task 1. This lesson covers nine key prepositions of movement: to, from, into, up, down, off, out of, across, and through.

Direction: to and from

• to — movement toward a destination: The museum is open from Monday to Friday.
• from — the starting point: Where do you come from?

In, out, up, down

across vs through

Use across for movement over a flat surface (a road, a field), and through for movement inside or surrounded by something (a tunnel, a forest, a crowd):

• We drove across the desert. (open, flat)
• We walked through the forest. (surrounded by trees)

Common mistakes to avoid

• ❌ He went in the shop (when entering) → ✅ He went into the shop.
• ❌ She got out the car. → ✅ She got out of the car.
• ❌ I’m going to home. → ✅ I’m going home. (no to before home)

💡 IELTS tip

For IELTS Writing Task 1 process diagrams, movement prepositions describe each stage: “The water flows through a filter, into a tank, and then out of the system.” Precise prepositions make your description clear and cohesive.

Related on Simply IELTS

• ➡️ Continue: Lesson 3: Prepositions of Time
• 📚 Part of the Prepositions in English course.
• 🔗 Related: IELTS Writing Task 1: map description & vocabulary.