Traveling is one of the world’s most popular hobbies, and beaches are a top travel destination! After visiting a tropical, beachy destination, there are many ways to refer to where you’ve been. A common one is to say you were “at the beach.” But is this grammatically correct?
It is correct to say “at the beach” when referring to a general location. If someone asks, “Where were you last weekend?” you can say, “I was at the beach.” The preposition “at” determines location. When speaking about a general trip to the beach, “at the beach” is the way to go.
Read on to learn more about the meaning of “at the beach,” how to use it, and handling prepositional phrases.
What Does “At the Beach” Mean?
While most of us probably have a picture in our heads when we think of a beach, it can be helpful to have an official definition. According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a beach is “an area of sand or small stones, next to the sea or a lake” (source).
Since the beach is a place, we can use it with the preposition “at” to indicate someone’s location (source). We use “at” in various ways when talking about location, and its versatility can make it more general.
To specify our location, we add it after “at,” such as with “at the beach.” The beach is our destination, and we use “at” to explain that someone is there.
The only preposition that comes close to the meaning of “at the beach” is “on the beach.” We will say something is “on the beach” when we are in the water, referring to the nearby beach.
- I left my phone on the beach.
In some instances, you can use either “at the beach” or “on the beach” – though we prefer to use “at” when we are currently nowhere near the beach and “on” when we are nearby.
- She was soaking up the sun on the beach.
- She was soaking up the sun at the beach.
When someone is “at the beach,” we recognize that they are near a large body of water. Usually, we think of an ocean, but as we saw above, it can be another body of water. For most people, the small phrase “at the beach” conjures many images of bright sun, palm trees, bathing suits, and crashing waves.
The images that can come from a few small words are amazing! This is why we must use our terms properly to ensure we’re crafting the right visual for our readers or listeners. Now let’s talk about how to use “at the beach.”
How Do You Use “At the Beach”?
As we said earlier, “at the beach” is a prepositional phrase. This means it is only part of a complete sentence. Your sentence must still include a subject and a verb.
“At the beach” describes a general location or area beside the water. It should flow naturally in your sentence. Make sure you’re talking about the correct destination before you use it, though!
- The kids had a picnic with their uncle at the beach.
When Can You Use “At the Beach”?
You can use “at the beach” when discussing a beach destination. If you want to make sure that “beach” is the correct way to describe your location, refer to the definition from Oxford Learner’s Dictionary above.
It can be pretty wide-ranging, but you wouldn’t want to use “at the beach” if you were trying to convey that someone was in the mountains!
“At” is a general preposition, so its usage is pretty wide-ranging. We’ll talk a little later about ways to be more specific when speaking about location.
Since “at” is so common, you can bet that “at the beach” is grammatically accurate in most instances. However, it’s not grammatically accurate on its own; you must place it in a full sentence or answer a direct question to make grammatical sense.
- We were at the beach this weekend.
- “Where were you this weekend?” “At the beach.”
Using “At the Beach” in a Full Sentence
You can use “at the beach” at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence because it is a prepositional phrase that adds detail.
When placing a prepositional phrase at the beginning of a sentence, follow it with a comma to set it apart.
The verb in a full sentence using “at the beach” is often a form of “to be,” such as “am,” “is,” or “are.” It can also be an action verb describing an activity done while at the beach. Below are a few examples of some different complete sentences using “at the beach.”
- Mary and her boyfriend are at the beach.
- When I was at the beach, I saw a jellyfish!
- We woke up early to go surfing at the beach.
- Is Shelly’s that Mexican restaurant at the beach?
- At the beach, we collected lots of seashells.
When Not to Use “At the Beach”
As we discussed above, “at the beach” is correct in most instances. The most common instance when you don’t want to use “at the beach” is when you’re discussing active traveling.
The preposition “at” describes being at a certain location. If you’re talking about moving from Point A to Point B, the correct preposition is “to.”
Thinking about this in full-sentence examples can help ensure you’re using the right preposition. “She was traveling at the beach” is likely interpreted as the subject already being at the beach and deciding to walk around.
“She was traveling to the beach,” tells us that the subject was somewhere else and then got to the beach via some mode of transportation.
What Can You Use Instead of “At the Beach”?
As we can see in our full-sentence examples above, you can use “at the beach” in any context near a large body of water. However, if you want to get more specific about your location, you can use prepositions other than “at.”
For example, if you want to clarify that your subject is moving right next to the water, you might say, “They walked along the beach.” “At” would still be correct, but “along” helps to paint a picture of people walking the length of the beach beside the water.
If you wanted to explain that a place was in the area of the beach but not directly by it, you might use “near.” An example is, “The parking lot is near the beach.” Again, “at the beach” is not incorrect in this instance, but using “near” clarifies that the parking lot isn’t directly beside the water.
While you can use prepositions besides “at” for this prepositional phrase, there are some you should never use. This chart provides examples of some suitable prepositions for the beach.
| Preposition | Example Sentence |
| at | They are walking at the beach. |
| on | They are walking on the beach. |
| along | They are walking along the beach. |
| beside | They are walking beside the beach. |
| by | They are walking by the beach. |
| near | They are walking near the beach. |
| toward | They are walking toward the beach. |
| to | They are walking to the beach. |
You should never use “in,” “out,” or “through” with “the beach” because they don’t make sense. Please be aware that this list is not comprehensive. While writing, you may find other prepositions that work or don’t work with “the beach.” These are just a few of the most common!
Prepositional Phrases
“At the beach” is a prepositional phrase. While only the word “at” is a preposition, the whole phrase modifies the subject and determines location. Prepositions commonly indicate location or time, but they can also show direction or serve to introduce an object (source).
Some of the most commonly used prepositions are “at,” “on,” “in,” “to,” “towards,” “by,” “for,” “from,” and “with.” As we see with “at the beach,” it is easy to get tripped up with prepositions because some are correct and some aren’t, even though it may seem like they mean the same thing.
A prepositional phrase helps specify your writing, explaining to the reader exactly when or where something happened. They’re important to use for clarity, but one small word change can make it mean something totally different or even become grammatically inaccurate.
If you want to learn more about a prepositional phrase that we use all the time in the Internet Age, check out In the Website or On the Website: Using the Right Preposition. Digital location is location too!
Another excellent resource about prepositional phrases is In Home or At Home: Which Is the Correct Form? Although these are just two-letter words, they make a big difference in meaning and accuracy.
This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
Remember, a prepositional phrase is composed of multiple words, only one of which may actually be a preposition. A prepositional phrase alone will never be a complete sentence; but within a complete sentence, it paints a clearer picture for a reader or listener.
Final Thoughts
Using “at the beach” is a grammatically accurate way to describe a general location. This prepositional phrase, combined with at least a subject and verb, tells a reader where something happened.
While other prepositions can also be correct, “at the beach” is an excellent way to paint a picture in someone’s head of a popular destination. Hopefully, this article will help you add clarity and imagery to your writing, and I only wish I had written it at the beach!