Between and Beside
Between and beside help us describe where a person, animal or thing is in relation to other things.
Between means in the space separating two things. Beside means next to something or someone.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the meaning of between.
- Understand the meaning of beside.
- Tell the difference between between and beside.
- Use both words in simple sentences.
Using Between
We use between when something is in the space separating two other things.
The ball is between the cat and the dog.
The tree is between the two houses.
Using Beside
We use beside when something is next to another person or thing.
The girl is beside the chair.
The pencil is beside the book.
Between and Beside
Beside → Next to something
Examples Around Us
- The ball is between the two boxes.
- The teacher is standing between two students.
- The chair is beside the table.
- My bag is beside my desk.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse between with beside.
- Between usually describes something separating two things.
- Beside means next to something or someone.
- Look at the objects around the thing before choosing the word.
Practice
1. The ball is ___ the two boxes. (between / beside)
2. The chair is ___ the table. (between / beside)
3. What does between mean?
4. What does beside mean?
5. Complete: The tree is ___ the two houses.
Try It Yourself
Place one object between two other objects. Then place another object beside something. Make one sentence for each position.
Quick Revision
- Between means in the space separating two things.
- Beside means next to something or someone.
- Between often involves two things on either side.
- Beside describes a position next to something.
Next Step
In the next lesson, you will use the position words you have learned in complete simple sentences.