Preposition BETWEEN — When and How to Use It

ByKhamis Maiouf
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Quick Answer

Use between when one thing is in the middle of two other things — the bank is between the shop and the cafe, you sit between two friends.

Example: The school is between the park and the library.

BETWEEN in Action — See the Pattern

Read these three sentences. Look at how between works:

  • The cafe is between the bank and the shop. (There is a bank on one side and a shop on the other side.)
  • She sat between her two friends. (One friend on her left, one friend on her right.)
  • The keys are between the books on the shelf. (Books on both sides of the keys.)

When to Use BETWEEN

Use between when one thing is in the middle of two other things. There must be something on each side. Two sides, one thing in the middle.

  • One building on each side: “The post office is between the school and the park.”
  • Two people: “The baby is between her parents.”
  • Two objects: “The phone is between the laptop and the lamp.”

A useful pattern: between X and Y, such as between the shop and the café. Other patterns are possible too: between two trees or between us.

The Rule in One Line: Use between when something is in the middle of two other things.

Real-Life Examples With BETWEEN

Here are examples you might say or hear in everyday life:

  • My house is between the school and the supermarket. (School on one side, supermarket on the other.)
  • She walked between two tall buildings. (Buildings on both sides of her path.)
  • The map is between the door and the window. (Door on one side, window on the other.)
  • There is a small park between the two cafes. (A cafe on each side of the park.)
  • The little boy was sitting between his parents. (One parent on his left, one on his right.)

Now compare the examples below. Check the location described before you choose a preposition.

Three Mistakes to Avoid With BETWEEN

In the pattern between X and Y, name both sides. If you name only the shop, the listener does not know what is on the other side of the bank.

Using between with only one thing

✗ The bank is between the shop.
✓ The bank is between the shop and the cafe.

Forgetting the word and

✗ She sat between her friend , her sister.
✓ She sat between her friend and her sister.

BETWEEN and AMONG describe different relationships

✗ The book is among the laptop and the lamp.
✓ The book is between the laptop and the lamp.

Remember: these examples use between for something with an object on each side. In other uses, between can connect more than two distinct things. Among describes being in or surrounded by a group, as in among the trees.

Common “between” sentences: between A and B, between the trees, between us, between two cars, between the houses.

Test Yourself: BETWEEN

Choose an answer to see your feedback immediately. Your first answer counts towards your score.

Question 1 of 5

1. There is a park on one side of the school and a library on the other. The school is _______ the park and the library.

2. The laptop is on one side of the phone and the lamp is on the other. The phone is _______ the laptop and the lamp.

3. One friend is on her left and the other on her right. She sat _______ her two best friends.

4. There is a house on each side of the garden. There is a small garden _______ the two houses.

5. The cat has one cushion on each side. The cat is sleeping _______ the cushions.

Keep Going — You Are Building Something

You just learned between. With this word, you can describe almost any place where one thing sits in the middle of two others.

Now compare between with behind. A garden can be behind a house even when you can see it. The next lesson explains that position.

Next lesson: Preposition BEHIND — When and How to Use It

Further reference: Merriam-Webster: between and among.

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