ABOVE/OVER & BELOW/UNDER

 

ONE: ABOVE/OVER

 

1. 'higher than': above or over

 

Above and over both mean 'higher than'. Above is, however, more common with this meaning.

 

Can you see the helicopter above (or over) the castle?

 

2. 'not directly over': above

 

We use above when one thing is not directly over another.

 

She lives in a little house above the lake. (NOT over!)

 

3. 'covering': over

 

We use over when one thing covers or touches another.

 

There is cloud over Paris today.

She put on a coat over her pyjamas.

 

4. 'crossing': over and across

 

We can use both over and across when one thing crosses another.

 

The airplane was flying over/across Denmark.

Electricity cables stretch over/across the fields.

 

5. 'measurements': above

 

In all cases where we think of a vertical scale (temperature, height) we use above.

 

The temperature is thirty degrees above zero.

The city is situated only about 5 meters above sea level.

 

6. Ages, speeds, ‚more than‘: over

 

We use over, not above, to talk about ages, speeds, and to mean ‚more than‘:

 

You have to be over 15 to see this film.

He was caught driving at over 100 mph.

There were over 5‘000 demonstrants

 

7. ‚Written above‘

 

In a book or paper, above means ‚written before‘.

 

Questions are written above.

 

 

TWO: BELOW/UNDER

 

 1. ‚lower than‘: below or under

 

Below and under both mean 'lower than'.

 

You can sometimes hear the subway going below/under my house.

 

2. covered: under

 

When something is covered or hidden, or when things are touching, we prefer under.

 

There is a spider under my bed.

What are you wearing under your sweater?

The whole village is under water today.

 

3. ‚measurements‘: below

 

In all cases where we think of a vertical scale (temperature, height) we use below.

 

The temperature is thirty degrees below zero!

Parts of Holland are below sea level.

She’s below average in intelligence.

 

4. Ages, speeds, ‚less than‘ or ‚younger than‘: under

 

We use under, not below, to talk about ages, speeds, and to mean ‚less than‘.

 

You can’t see this film if you’re under 15.

You have to keep the speed under 30 mph everywhere in my town.

 

5. ‚Underneath‘ and ‚Beneath‘

 

Both these words are rather formal. Underneath is used like under, but only for physical position.

 

I have found many presents underneath the Christmas tree!

 

Beneath can be found before abstract nouns in some fixed expressions.

 

I don’t care what she thinks about me. It’s beneath my notice. (=not worth considering)