In today’s podcast, you’ll learn how to use the prepositions in, into, inside and within. They sound similar and they are sometimes interchangeable, but not always! We’ll help you understand the difference.

Voice ,message from Walter from Belgium
addicted TO
in, inside, into, within
XCan you explain meX (explain IT to me)

In
Indicates location or position in something or within something larger.
Examples:
She is in the garden.
The biscuits are in the cupboard.
I’m in Valencia.
We spent a few days in a hotel

If you are dressed in a piece of clothing, you are wearing it.
Lady in red
Men in black
She’s dressed in leather.

‘In’ can also be an adverb
When someone comes in, they enter a room or building.
Examples:
She looked up anxiously as he came in.
They shook hands and went in.

It can also refer to a time period: I’ll phone you in 10 minutes. I’ll be there in an hour.

‘In’ can also be used to talk about a state of being: You’re in trouble. My room’s in a mess.

Into
Expresses movement toward the inside of a place, or movement from outside to inside
Examples:
He walked into the room.
I’ve no idea why the US and its allies went into Iraq.
She got into bed and touched me with her freezing cold feet.
Name the song: “You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht”

If you put one thing into another, you put the first thing inside the second.
Examples:
Combine the remaining ingredients and put them into a dish.
Until the 1980s almost all olives were packed into jars by hand.

‘Into’ can mean to divide or split something into a number of pieces or sections
Examples:
The book is divided into 12 chapters.
Roll out the pastry and cut into narrow strips.

“Into” can also be used figuratively to express interest or transformation.
Examples:
I’m into rock climbing. (Interest)
The caterpillar turned into a butterfly. (Transformation)

Inside
Refers to the inner part or space of something.
Examples:
They are waiting inside the car.
Inside the passport was a folded slip of paper.

Inside is also an adverb.
It’s really cold out here. Let’s go inside.
He ripped open the envelope and read what was inside.

Inside is also a countable noun
The doors were locked from the inside.
I painted the inside of the house.
Kiwi fruit can be eaten by cutting off the tops and scooping out the insides with a teaspoon.

Inside is also an adjective
I keep my money in my inside pocket
Inside information is obtained from someone who is involved in a situation and therefore knows a lot about it.

Within
This refers to being limited by something, often non-physical boundaries like time, distance, or a concept.

Examples:
We should finish the project within a week. You should receive a reply within 24 hours. (Time)
The park is located within 2 kilometres of the hotel. (Distance)
The answer lies within the text. (Concept)
She felt a growing sense of passion within her. (Emotion/State)

Within is also an adverb.
A small voice called from within. ‘Yes, just coming.’

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In next week’s episode: Insurance

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The music in this podcast is by Pitx. The track is called ‘See You Later’