Prepositions of movement describe the path or direction of motion. They appear after verbs like go, walk, run, drive, fly, swim and show where that movement leads.
The most important preposition of movement is to — it simply points at a destination. The rest describe different paths: entering, leaving, crossing, passing by, and so on.
To, from, towards
To marks the destination — the place you want to reach.
From marks the starting point.
Towards (also toward in American English) means in the direction of — but without necessarily arriving.
The difference matters. He walked to the door means he reached it. He walked towards the door means he moved in that direction — maybe he stopped halfway.
Into and out of
Into describes entering an enclosed or defined space. Out of describes leaving one.
To vs into
Both to and into can follow movement verbs, but they focus on different things. To points at the destination. Into emphasizes the moment of entering.
In everyday speech, the difference is often small. But with actions that clearly involve entering — putting something inside a container, stepping through a doorway, diving into water — into is the natural choice.
Note the related contrast with in: into shows movement, in shows position.
Through, across, along
These three describe different kinds of paths.
Through means passing from one side to the other inside something — a space, a tunnel, a crowd, a forest.
Across means moving from one side to the other on top of a surface — a road, a bridge, a field, a body of water.
A useful way to remember the difference: through goes inside something (a forest, a tunnel), across goes over a surface (a field, a bridge).
Along means following a line — a road, a river, a coast.
Past and around
Past means going by something without stopping. The object stays to one side as you pass it.
Around has two related meanings. It can describe circling something, or it can mean travelling to many places within an area.
Up, down, over, under
These four describe vertical or arching paths.
Up = from a lower point to a higher one. Down = from a higher point to a lower one.
Over = moving above something and to the other side. Under = moving below something.
Over often implies clearing an obstacle. Under implies passing beneath one. Both suggest the movement continues on the other side.
Common mistakes
To vs into
Into vs in (movement vs position)
Through vs across
To vs towards
Missing preposition