In, Inside, Into, Within - Difference + Examples (2024)

In, Inside, Into, Within - Difference + Examples (1)


In, Inside, Into, Within - Difference + Examples (2)This is a free sample from the e-book 600+ Confusing English Words Explained.It will help clear up your doubts about how to use English words correctly, so that you can speak and write more confidently. Click here for more information!

In and Inside

In and inside are the same in many cases. You can say:

  • We are in the house.
    = We are inside the house.
  • The clothes are in the closet.
    = The clothes are inside the closet.

The word inside implies that the thing is physically enclosed – it is in a container (a box, a vehicle, a building with walls, etc.)

This means that when talking about location, time, being included, or other situations where you are not physically surrounded, you should use in, not inside:

  • I live in Australia.
  • My birthday is in July.
  • He plays guitar in a band.

Into

The word into implies movement or transformation:

  • She jumped into the swimming pool.
  • We went into the house.
  • The car crashed into a telephone pole.
  • The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.

With the verbs put, throw, drop, and fall, you can use either into or in:

  • He put the card into/in his pocket.
  • I threw the paper cup into/in the trash.
  • She lost her balance and fell into/in the river.

Within

The word within means “inside the limits” – and in this case the limits are non-physical. They can be limits of time or distance, or an area of understanding:

  • The results will be delivered within fourteen days.
  • Most car accidents occur within five miles of home.

We also have some expressions using within:

  • within earshot = at a distance where you are able to hear something (such as a conversation)
  • within reason = to the degree that good judgment would allow
  • within reach / within one’s grasp = able to be taken with your hand, or able to be accomplished

You can also use within to describe a person’s inner feelings (in this case, you can also use “inside”):

  • He tried to hide the anger burning within/inside him.

Learn more prepositions of place in English

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In, Inside, Into, Within - Difference + Examples (3)

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About The Author

In, Inside, Into, Within - Difference + Examples (4)

Shayna Oliveira

Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.

In, Inside, Into, Within - Difference + Examples (2024)

FAQs

In, Inside, Into, Within - Difference + Examples? ›

Into: Preposition: moving toward a point within [something]. Example: “Let's go into the building.” Inside: Preposition/Adverb: located within the bounds of [something]. Example: “Let's play inside the building.”

What is the difference between into and inside with examples? ›

Into: Preposition: moving toward a point within [something]. Example: “Let's go into the building.” Inside: Preposition/Adverb: located within the bounds of [something]. Example: “Let's play inside the building.”

When to use inside and within? ›

Within (adverb only): used before a certain time or period for example: We should have the test results back within 24 hours. Inside (adverb/adjective/preposition): means in/into as if it part of it like for example: It's raining. We'll have to go inside. OR She could feel the baby kicking inside her.

When to use inside or into? ›

Into - expressing movement or action with the result that someone or something becomes enclosed or surrounded by something else. He walked into the village. I covered the bowl and put it into the fridge. For quick reference, you can think of inside as referring to a location or space.

What is an example of in and into? ›

She is in the garden walking. She walked into the garden. She entered the garden.

What is an example of a into? ›

She came into the room. a medicine injected into the bloodstream Please put the bowl into the sink. They were heading into town.

How do you use inside in a sentence example? ›

Several people were trapped inside the burning building. She kept her hands inside her pockets. His feelings were building up inside him. He lives inside the city limits.

What is an example of within? ›

within preposition (TIME)

The ambulance arrived within 10 minutes. Consume within two days of purchase. He repaid the loan within two years. Failure to pay within 14 days will result in prosecution.

Where to use within and in? ›

Their difference is that 'in' is used when there is a specific time or a definite location while 'within' is used when there are boundaries and parameters.

Where to use into in a sentence? ›

The single word into is a preposition that's used in a variety of ways, including to mean “toward the inside of” (He poured milk into the glass) or “against” (I accidentally walked into the wall) or to express a change or transformation (The caterpillar morphed into a butterfly).

What are the 10 examples of into? ›

into
  • Come into the house.
  • She dived into the water.
  • He threw the letter into the fire.
  • (figurative) She turned and walked off into the night.

What is the main difference between in or into? ›

The main difference between 'in' and 'into' is in the meaning they convert. 'In' is used to talk about location and motion and 'into' is used only to talk about motion and direction.

Where do we use inside? ›

Since 'inside' is a preposition, it mainly comes before nouns and noun phrases to modify them. However, we can have 'inside' at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the sentence. Check out the following examples: Inside the womb, the baby grows for nine months.

What is the difference between into and within? ›

Most of the time, you can use the two words interchangeably; however, “within” and “in” do have a few subtle differences that make one choice better than another. Use “in” to show something definite, to substitute into and for inclusion. Use “within” for an estimate or to show something inside boundaries.

Is it inside the car or in the car? ›

Generally 'in' means inside the car and 'on' means outside the car. A passenger is IN the car. Seats, steering wheel and dashboard are IN the car.

What are some examples of in? ›

Preposition: IN
  • “I always brush my teeth in the morning.”
  • “My birthday is in June.”
  • “It's always cold in winter.”
  • “My brother was born in 1999.”

What is inside with example? ›

Something or someone that is inside a place, container, or object is in it or is surrounded by it. Inside the passport was a folded slip of paper. There is a phone inside the entrance hall. Inside is also an adverb.

Where should we use in and inside? ›

In is used in general in the context, to be at a place or participate in something. It does not always mean that you are confined to walls. Inside is used when you say something is physically enclosed or confined to a barrier. Example The mobile is inside the pocket.

What are examples of into something? ›

If you're into something, it means you really like it. 'I'm into listening to music. What are you into?' 'I'm into singing!'

When to use into in a sentence? ›

The single word into is a preposition that's used in a variety of ways, including to mean “toward the inside of” (He poured milk into the glass) or “against” (I accidentally walked into the wall) or to express a change or transformation (The caterpillar morphed into a butterfly).

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