ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in the centre of sth

prep. phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

prep. phr.. In the middle part of a place or thing. You use this to say where something is located.

prep. phr.. A prepositional phrase indicating the central point or area within a defined space. It functions as an adverbial of place.


SIMPLE

The statue is in the centre of the square.

CONTEXTUAL

We found a lovely café right in the centre of the old town.

COMPLEX

A profound silence reigned in the centre of the ancient forest, broken only by the whisper of the wind.

Usage

Note that 'centre' is the British English spelling; American English uses 'center'.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'in the middle of', which can also refer to an activity ('in the middle of cooking'), whereas 'in the centre of' is almost exclusively spatial.

Pitfall

The fountain is in centre of the park.The fountain is in the centre of the park.The definite article 'the' is required before 'centre' in this fixed phrase.

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