ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in the middle

prep. phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

prep. phr.. In the center of a space, or between two points, people, or things.

prep. phr.. An adverbial phrase indicating a central position, either spatially between two or more entities or within a single entity.


SIMPLE

The bed goes in the middle.

CONTEXTUAL

I don't want an aisle seat or a window seat; I'd prefer to sit in the middle.

COMPLEX

The proposed legislation was neither radically progressive nor deeply conservative, falling somewhere in the middle of the established political consensus.

Usage

This phrase can stand alone to answer 'where?', often at the end of a clause.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'in the middle of something', where the object is specified; 'in the middle' functions as a complete adverbial of place on its own.

Pitfall

The ball is on middle.The ball is in the middle.The correct preposition is 'in', not 'on', to describe a central position within an area.

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