Across, Over, and Through: Understanding the Differences

In English, the prepositions across, over, and through can sometimes be confusing because they share similar meanings but are used in different contexts. Knowing when to use each one will help you speak and write more clearly. Let’s take a look at the nuances of these three prepositions and how they differ.

Across

We use across both as a preposition and an adverb. It indicates movement or position from one side to the other of something that has limits or boundaries, such as a road, river, room, or city.

• Preposition (prep): When referring to movement or position from one side to the other:

  • "We took a boat across the river."

  • "She walked across the room to join her friends."

• Adverb (adv): When talking about movement towards or across a place:

  • "My neighbour came across to see me this morning."

  • "The road was so busy, we found it hard to get across."

Across is also used when something touches or stretches from one side to another:

• "The Ponte Vecchio is a beautiful old bridge across the river Arno in Florence."

• "She divided the page by drawing a red line across it."

In American English, you might also hear across from to refer to things being opposite one another or on the other side:

• "The pharmacy is across from the Town Hall."

• "Helen’s office is just across from mine."

We also use across when describing something happening simultaneously in many places, such as throughout a city or country:

• "She’s opened coffee shops across the city."

• "Across the country, people are coming out to vote for a new president."

Additionally, across can refer to a diagonal or width measurement:

• "The size of a television screen is measured across from one corner to the opposite corner."

• "The building is 157 meters long, 92 meters across, and 68 meters wide."

Over

Over can also function as a preposition and an adverb, typically indicating that something is at a higher position than something else, often involving movement.

• Preposition (prep): To describe movement or position above or across something:

  • "From the castle tower, you can see over the whole city."

  • "We toasted marshmallows over the fire."

• Adverb (adv): To describe movement from one side to another:

  • "Suddenly, a plane flew over and dropped hundreds of leaflets."

  • "You must come over and have dinner with us sometime."

In some cases, over can be used similarly to across to describe movement between two places:

• "We walked over to the shop." (This is equivalent to saying "We walked across to the shop.")

Through

Through is used when referring to movement within something or across a space that has substance, such as grass, a forest, or a building. It emphasizes being inside or moving within something.

• "I love walking through the forest." (The emphasis is on moving within the forest.)

• "When my dog runs through long grass, it’s hard to find him."

Through is also used when discussing time, especially in American English, when referring to the start and finish of a period:

• "The office is open Monday through Friday, 9 am–5 pm." (In British English, this would typically be "from Monday to Friday.")

However, we use over, not through, when referring to a time period where a specific number of days or weeks is mentioned:

• "Over the last few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about quitting my job."

Common Errors with Across, Over, and Through

Here are a few common mistakes learners make with across, over, and through:

1. Moving within something:

   • Correct: "We cycled through a number of small villages."

   • Incorrect: "We cycled across a number of small villages."

2. Something extending from one side to another:

   • Correct: "The papers were spread across the table."

   • Incorrect: "The papers were spread on the table."

3. Time periods with a specific number:

   • Correct: "We haven’t seen each other much over the last four years."

   • Incorrect: "We haven’t seen each other much through the last four years."

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Choose the correct preposition (across, over, or through) to fill in the blanks.

1. We walked ______ the bridge to get to the park.

2. The children played ______ the field for hours.

3. The plane flew ______ the city at a high altitude.

4. She drove ______ the mountains on a narrow road.

5. The dog ran ______ the long grass in the garden.

6. The teacher looked ______ the papers on the desk before the exam.

7. They’ve opened several new stores ______ the city.

8. The library is located just ______ the street from the coffee shop.

9. We’ll drive ______ the countryside this weekend.

10. I had to walk ______ the forest to reach my destination.

Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Sentence

Choose the sentence that uses the correct preposition (across, over, or through).

1. A) She walked ______ the park to get to the library.
   B) She walked ______ the park to get to the library.

2. A) The river flows ______ the town.
   B) The river flows ______ the town.

3. A) We traveled ______ the tunnel to reach the other side.
   B) We traveled ______ the tunnel to reach the other side.

4. A) He looked ______ the room to find his keys.
   B) He looked ______ the room to find his keys.

5. A) They went ______ the field and arrived at the barn.
   B) They went ______ the field and arrived at the barn.

Exercise 3: Correct the Mistakes

Identify and correct the mistake in the following sentences. Replace the incorrect preposition with the correct one (across, over, or through).

1. We cycled through the park to get to the museum.

2. He looked across the street and saw the new store.

3. The car drove over the tunnel into the next city.

4. I walked across the forest to reach the cabin.

5. She ran over the grass to get to the finish line.