at/ in

[peter123]

Hi there,
Could you help with the following options?

There are some cardboard boxes on the table ______ the back of the mailroom. They should have been delivedred to the fifth floor but were sent up to our office by mistake.

a. in
b. on

tks
pete

[2006]

Hi there,
Could you help with the following options?

There are some cardboard boxes on the table _(in)(at)_____ the back of the mailroom. They should have been delivedred to the fifth floor but were sent up to our office by mistake.

a. in
b. on

tks
pete

2006

[peter123]

Hi there,

I don't know the difference in the meanings between 'in the back of' and 'at the back of' in the example.

tks
pete

[peter123]

Hi there,

Sorry, then how about this:

Students are standing in/ at the back of the classroom.

tks
pete

[peter123]

hi there,

any ideas?


tks
pete

[ratóncolorao]

hi there,

any ideas?


tks
pete

Perhaps it may be of help to say:

'at' is a reference point. 'In' is a three-dimensional reference.
Often, either will do-- the listener will interpret the situation appropriately.

Neither a teacher nor a native speaker.

[bhaisahab]

Hi there,

Sorry, then how about this:

Students are standing in/ at the back of the classroom.

tks
pete

"at the back"

[Allen165]

"at the back"

So would you say that "He's in the back of the bus" is incorrect? I often hear this and it's probably an Americanism. I wouldn't say it's wrong.

[peter123]

Hi there,

So are both of them? 'In' is American English while 'at' is British English?

tks
pete

[yuriya]

Boys, can't you get them any more complicated, you Brits and Americans!

I guess I'm partial to Americans, though. In back of vs in front of and at/in the back of vs at/in the front of are much simpler and make more sense to me.