Welcome to Episode 2 of English AF. In this episode, we’re exploring prepositions — specifically prepositions of place — and using Brighton as our guide. If you haven’t listened to Episode 1 yet, we kicked things off by looking at personal and possessive pronouns. Now we’re moving into another aspect of grammar that can be quite tricky to grasp for learners of any language, let alone English.
Prepositions are words like on, in, behind, under and beside. They define where something or someone is located in relation to something or someone else. Probably one of the simplest and most relatable examples for queer people is ‘in’ or ‘out of’ in relation to closets!
Learners find prepositions especially pesky because they rarely translate directly from their native tongue. On top of that, prepositions are wildly inconsistent — they don’t follow strict rules and often have to be learned as phrases to be used correctly and naturally. Why do we say ‘in the car’ but ‘on the train’? Well, fear not. Although using prepositions can be hard to get right each time, there are tricks to remembering which ones to use and when.
This episode launches my ‘Out and About’ series, which will pop up in future seasons. To get the ball rolling, I’m inviting you on a tour of Brighton. As mentioned in Episode 1, Brighton is one of — if not the — queer capital of the United Kingdom. It’s a city I’m lucky to now call home, and I’d love to show you around.
I moved to Brighton from London in 2015. I loved my life in London, but when my landlady announced she was selling the house I was renting, I felt it was time for a change. Being a gay man, queer capital Brighton was calling. Now, over a decade later, it hasn’t disappointed.
If you’re not familiar with it, Brighton is a city on the south coast of England. It sits between the South Downs — a vast national park — and the English Channel. It’s only about an hour on the train from London, which is why it’s always been a popular destination to escape from the city. There’s even a ferry terminal 20 minutes away where you can catch a boat over to France.
If you are familiar with Brighton, think of its famous piers off the coast, its winding lanes south of the city centre, and its pebble beach running along the shoreline. Brighton has a rich and fascinating queer history of its own, but we’ll cover that in its own episode.
I live a 10-minute walk from the seafront at the top of a hill. I’m on the second floor of a block of flats. When I’m on my balcony, I can glimpse the sea through the gap between the trees. To get to the beach, I walk down the hill and through the village. The village is within the Kemptown area of Brighton, and Brighton’s queer nightlife is nestled within Kemptown on the edge of the city centre.
The gay village, as it’s called, has dozens of businesses run by and catering to the LGBTQ+ community. Queer shops, bars, cafes, restaurants and clubs are dotted along the streets. At any time of day you might find a lesbian couple holding hands walking their dog, a group of trans teenagers hanging out on a corner, or an elderly drag queen staggering to or from a gig.
Brighton Pride is the biggest Pride event in the UK. Every year in August, the parade — featuring community floats, marching groups and performers — runs from the seafront, snakes through the streets and continues up toward Preston Park. Crowds of revellers, queer folk and allies, families and young people, tourists and locals alike, gather along the route. They stand in front of buildings, on top of bus shelters and under trees to cheer and celebrate the wonderfully diverse people in the Pride procession.
Brighton is one of my favourite places. Any time of year — even outside of Pride Month — there’s always something to do. You can go strolling along the promenade, ride the attractions at the end of the pier, or watch cabaret acts in the queer venues all around Kemptown. You can slide down the zipline, go down into the depths of the Sea Life Centre — one of the world’s oldest aquariums — or dine at one of the city’s hundreds of restaurants.
It’s a compact, walkable city. Everything is within easy reach of everything else, and I love it.
Prepositions and prepositions of place in particular are extremely common in English. Getting them right will go a long way to helping you sound fluent. They are used to define where a person or object is in relation to another, and they go before nouns.
The most common prepositions are ‘in’, ‘on’ and ‘at’. Unfortunately it’s not always clear-cut knowing which one to use, but here are some basic pointers.
In — for enclosed general spaces: vehicles, containers, rooms, cities, countries
Examples: in the car, in the café, in Brighton
On — in relation to surfaces, whether horizontal or vertical
Examples: on the table, on the wall, on the floor. Also used for most public transport: on the train, on the plane
At — used for specific points
Examples: at the supermarket, at the bus stop, at the Pride parade
When to use ‘in’ vs ‘at’: ‘In’ and ‘at’ can be confusing, but as a general rule, ‘in’ is used for large enclosed spaces (in the park) while ‘at’ is used for specific places with specific activities (Aisha and Jamie met at the park).
Under and Below: Both are used when something is lower than something else. ‘Under’ is used when that thing has direct physical coverage (Harry watched the waves crash under the pier). ‘Below’ is used when a lower level is implied, but it’s not necessarily direct (the queer venue below my flat closes at midnight).
Next to and Beside: Both mean that something is beside or next to something else, touching or very close. They’re interchangeable in most contexts, though ‘beside’ is slightly more formal (The most famous drag bar in Brighton is right next to the chip shop).
Behind: Means at the back of something or further back than something else (Behind the seafront hotels, the Lanes is home to some of the best independent shops in Brighton).
In front of: Means facing something or further forward than something else (Bonnie stood in front of the mirror and practised coming out to her parents).
Between: Means in the space separating two people or things (Brighton sits between the South Downs and the English Channel). Note that we use ‘between’ for two things and ‘among’ for three or more.
Above: Used for higher than something, but not necessarily directly on top (The seagulls circling above the pier are the unofficial mascots of Brighton).
1. Learn them in phrases, not in isolation. When learning nouns, learn the preposition that goes with them: at the bus stop, at the cinema, at school.
2. Context is crucial. For transport: use ‘in’ for an enclosed space (in the car, in the taxi) but ‘on’ when you board a form of transport (on the train, on the bus, on the ferry).
3. Watch out for corners. Use ‘on’ for the corner of a street (on the corner) when the corner is outside. But use ‘in’ for inside (in the corner of a room).
4. Ask yourself the right question. For places, ask: are you describing being generally inside a place or being there for a specific purpose? ‘I was in the café when something happened’ (you were inside it). ‘I’ll meet you at the café’ (the café is a specific meeting point). Both are correct, but their meaning shifts slightly.
5. Listen to native speakers. Native speakers use prepositions instinctively. Podcasts, TV shows and songs are brilliant for absorbing which prepositions go with which phrases naturally.
Here are some key words and phrases from this episode:
Kick off (phrasal verb, informal)
To start something, often with energy and enthusiasm. The term originates from football. Used for events, conversations, series and meetings.
Example: We kicked off the first episode with pronouns, a fittingly inclusive place to start.
Pesky (adjective, informal)
Annoying or irritating, but in a mild, almost affectionate way. Used for things that are a nuisance rather than truly troubling. It’s a slightly old-fashioned word that survived because it’s more charming than ‘annoying’.
Example: Prepositions are pesky little words — small but important.
Let alone (phrase)
Used to emphasise that something is even less likely or more difficult than something already mentioned. The second thing is always harder or more extreme than the first.
Examples: ‘Prepositions are tricky for learners of any language, let alone English.’ | ‘Rumi hadn’t come out to their flatmates, let alone their parents.’
In/out of the closet (phrase)
A closet is a small room or cupboard used for storage. The phrase ‘to be in the closet’ means to keep one’s sexuality or gender identity secret. ‘To come out of the closet’ (usually shortened to ‘come out’) means to disclose this identity. Borrowed from American queer culture, the closet is a powerful metaphor implying hiding, concealment and a small, uncomfortable space. Coming out implies release, openness and stepping into the world.
Example: Finn had been in the closet at work for years before he finally came out to his team. The reaction was so positive he wished he’d done it sooner.
Native language (noun phrase)
The language a person grew up speaking from childhood — learned naturally at home before any formal education. ‘Mother tongue’ is a more poetic but also gendered alternative, assuming women as primary caregivers. ‘Native language’ is more neutral and widely used in language learning contexts.
Brighton is more than a city to me — it’s really my home. For many queer people, it represents the first place they felt truly visible, truly at home, truly themselves. And there’s something fitting about exploring it through prepositions.
Prepositions are small, precise words that tell you exactly where you are in relation to the world around you. Because that’s what it feels like to find your community, your tribe. It places you, it grounds you, it tells you that you are in a safe space. You are among people who get you. You are at the beginning of something good. You are not outside looking in. You are inside, right where you belong.
And that is something we all deserve, right?
So there you have it. English AF — a podcast for all folk. A way to make English learning less heteronormative, and to help you absorb the language through topics, exercises and contexts you can actually relate to.
Please let me know what subjects you’d like to hear about and how I can make this podcast even more inclusive and useful for you. And please subscribe to receive the free materials accompanying this episode — including a full transcript, key vocabulary definitions, and exercises to practise what you’ve learned.
Until next time — stay queer, stay curious, and keep learning. 
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