B above, over, under, below, beneath etc.

A aboveand over

above (preposition and adverb) and over (preposition) can both mean 'higher than' and sometimes either can be used:

The helicopter hovered above/over us. Flags waved above/over our heads.

But over can also mean 'covering', 'on the other side of, 'across' and 'from one side to the other':

We put a rug over him.

He lives over the mountains.

There is a bridge over the river. all over + noun/pronoun can mean 'in every part of:

He has friends all over the world. above can have none of these meanings.

over can mean 'more than' or 'higher than'.

above can mean 'higher than' only.

Both can mean 'higher in rank'. But He is over me would normally mean 'He is my immediate superior', 'He supervises my work', above would not necessarily have this meaning.

If we have a bridge over a river, above the bridge means 'upstream'.

over can be used with meals/food/drink:

They had a chat over a cup of tea. (while drinking tea) In the combination take + a time expression + over + noun/pronoun, over can mean 'to do/finish' etc.:

He doesn't take long over lunch/to eat his lunch.

He took ages over the job. (He took ages to finish it.)

above can also be an adjective or adverb meaning 'earlier' (in a book, article etc.):

the above address (the previously mentioned address) see B above (the previously mentioned section B)

B belowand under

below (preposition and adverb) and under (preposition) can both mean 'lower than' and sometimes either can be used. But under can indicate contact:

She put the letter under her pillow.

The ice crackled under his feet. With below there is usually a space between the two surfaces:

They live below us. (We live on the fourth floor and they live on the third.)

Similarly: We live above them. (See A above.)

below and under can mean 'junior in rank'. But He is under me implies that I am his immediate superior, below does not necessarily have this meaning. (Both over and under can be used as adverbs, but with a change of meaning.) C beneath can sometimes be used instead of under, but it is safer to

keep it for abstract meanings:

He would think it beneath him to tell a lie. (unworthy of him) She married beneath her. (into a lower social class)

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