place
place — verb
- placepresent simple I / you / we / they
- places3rd person singular
- placing-ing form
- placedpast simple
1. to set someone or something carefully in a chosen spot, often with attention to
to set someone or something carefully in a chosen spot, often with attention to where exactly it goes.
Mei placed the warm cake on the kitchen counter to cool.
place + object + on/in + location
The nurse placed a small pillow under Mr. Lin's left knee.
place + object + under + location
Diego placed his hand gently on his daughter's shoulder.
Please place your phones in the basket before the meeting begins.
The waiter placed two glasses of water in front of Sara and her mother.
文法句型
place + object + prepositional phrase of location
用法筆記
More careful and deliberate than 'put'. Subject is usually a person; object is almost always followed by a prepositional phrase saying where.
常見錯誤
2. to end a race, contest, or election at a particular ranking, such as second, fif
to end a race, contest, or election at a particular ranking, such as second, fifth, last, or among the top ten.
Anya placed second in the citywide swimming finals last weekend.
place + ordinal + in + event
The Brazilian team placed third at the youth swimming championship in Tokyo.
place + ordinal + in + named event
Felix placed first in the science fair and won a small trophy.
Carlos placed last in his first marathon but felt proud of finishing.
The mayor placed fourth in the election and lost her seat on the council.
- withdraw
to drop out before finishing
文法句型
place + ordinal (first / second / third / last)
place + in + competition or 'in the top X'
用法筆記
Intransitive: no direct object. The ordinal (first, second, third, fourth, last) goes directly after 'placed', not after 'in'. Also pairs with 'in the top X'. Without an ordinal or rank phrase, the meaning is unclear in everyday English — bare 'She placed in the contest' belongs only to the horse-racing senses (7 and 8).
常見錯誤
3. to formally request or set up a transaction such as an order, a bet, or an adver
to formally request or set up a transaction such as an order, a bet, or an advertisement, usually by contacting the right person or company.
The bakery placed a large order for flour with a local farm.
place an order with + supplier
Hiroshi placed a small bet on the grey horse to win.
place a bet on + something
The shop placed an advertisement in the Sunday newspaper.
Customers can place an order online or call the store directly.
Marta placed a bid of two hundred dollars on the old painting.
文法句型
place + an order/bet/advertisement (+ with/on/in)
用法筆記
Very limited set of objects: order, bet, bid, advertisement, call. Frequently followed by 'with' (a supplier), 'on' (an event), or 'in' (a publication).
常見錯誤
4. to arrange a job, home, or position for someone, usually through an agency, scho
to arrange a job, home, or position for someone, usually through an agency, school, or official body.
The agency placed Sofia in a kindergarten near her new flat.
place + person + in + workplace
Social workers placed the two children with a foster family.
place + person + with + family
The university placed half of last year's graduates in major hospitals.
Mr. Patel was placed as head of the design team last month.
The charity helps place older workers in part-time jobs.
文法句型
place + person + in/with + organisation or family
用法筆記
Subject is usually an organisation (agency, school, charity), not the person being placed. Often used in the passive: 'be placed in/with'.
常見錯誤
5. to treat something as having a certain level of value, trust, blame, or attentio
to treat something as having a certain level of value, trust, blame, or attention, by giving it that quality through your actions or words.
Director Saito places great importance on punctuality, locking the rehearsal room doors at 9 AM sharp.
place + importance/emphasis + on + topic
The new manager places a lot of trust in his junior staff.
place trust in + people
The judge placed the blame for the accident on the driver.
Critics have placed too much emphasis on the singer's age.
The school places a high value on reading aloud at home.
- withdraw
to take back trust or support given earlier
文法句型
place + abstract noun + on + thing
用法筆記
The object is always an abstract noun (importance, emphasis, trust, blame, value, faith), and 'on/in' + the topic almost always follows. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about treating something as important, not about physical placement.
常見錯誤
6. to work out who a person is or where you have met them before, by linking their
to work out who a person is or where you have met them before, by linking their face or voice to a memory.
I know that woman from somewhere, but I just can't place her.
common pattern: can't place + person
Tom recognised the song instantly but couldn't place the singer.
couldn't place + person
Marisa's face looked familiar, yet Dr. Yu struggled to place her.
It took me a moment to place him as the boy from my old class.
I finally placed the accent — she was from the same village as my grandmother.
- forget
to lose the memory of who someone is
文法句型
often used in negative or 'can't' forms
用法筆記
Almost always used with 'can/could' in the negative ('can't place', 'couldn't place'), or with effort verbs ('struggle to place', 'try to place'). Subject is the person trying to remember.
常見錯誤
7. in horse racing, to come second in a race, with first being called 'win' and thi
in horse racing, to come second in a race, with first being called 'win' and third being called 'show'.
Silver Arrow placed at Churchill Downs, beaten only by the favorite from Kentucky.
intransitive: subject is the horse, no object
My uncle bet on Lucky Penny to place, so he won money when she came second.
betting collocation: bet to place
The grey mare placed in three races last season but never crossed the line first.
If your horse places, the bookmaker pays a smaller amount than for a win.
- finish second
plain everyday equivalent
- come second
British everyday equivalent
- win
to finish first
文法句型
place + (in race)
用法筆記
Almost exclusively American horse racing terminology. Distinguish from sense 8: in this narrow American sense, 'place' specifically means second, while in British usage and sense 8 it can mean any of the top three.
常見錯誤
8. in British horse and dog racing, to cross the line in one of the top spots that
in British horse and dog racing, to cross the line in one of the top spots that pay out for a place bet — usually the first three.
Northern Star placed at Ascot, finishing third behind two Irish runners.
intransitive in racing context
Granddad backed three greyhounds to place, and two of them did.
betting collocation: back to place
The trainer was happy that his young colt placed in such a strong field.
If a horse places in a six-runner race, you usually get half your odds back.
- be placed
British: the passive form is also common — 'the horse was placed'
- finish in the frame
British racing slang for the same idea
- be unplaced
to finish outside the paying positions
文法句型
place + (in race)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 7: this British racing use covers any of the top three (the exact range depends on the field size and the bookmaker), whereas the American sense 7 means second specifically. Distinguish from sense 2 in that sense 2 needs an ordinal after the verb ('placed third'), while this racing sense stands alone.
常見錯誤
place — noun
- placesingular
- placesplural
1. a city, town, building, or area that you can visit, live in, or point to on a ma
a city, town, building, or area that you can visit, live in, or point to on a map.
Kyoto is a beautiful place to visit in autumn.
a place to + verb (infinitive of purpose)
The old library on Maple Street is my favourite place in town.
Marcus marked three places on the map where the concerts would be held.
The beach near Lina's grandmother's house is a quiet place for reading.
Tokyo is one of the most exciting places on Earth.
文法句型
a place to + verb
a place for + noun/-ing
用法筆記
Most general sense: any spot you can name or point to. Often takes a defining to-infinitive ('a place to eat') or 'for' phrase ('a place for kids').
常見錯誤
2. the house or apartment where someone lives — usually said in a casual way to mea
the house or apartment where someone lives — usually said in a casual way to mean 'my home' or 'your home'.
Do you want to come over to my place after dinner?
informal: my place = my home
Sarah's place is just two stops away on the metro.
We had the meeting at Daniel's place because his living room is bigger.
The Watanabe family is looking for a new place near the park.
I left my keys at your place last weekend.
文法句型
my/your/his/her/their place
用法筆記
Distinct from sense 1 because it always refers to a residence and is mostly informal. Almost always used with a possessive (my, your, Sarah's) — bare 'a place' here would shift the meaning back to sense 1.
常見錯誤
3. in the phrase 'take place', when an event such as a meeting, ceremony, or exam a
in the phrase 'take place', when an event such as a meeting, ceremony, or exam actually occurs at a chosen time, usually as scheduled.
The wedding will take place next Saturday at the old church in Tainan.
take place + time/location
Final exams take place every June at the university.
take place + time
The meeting between the two presidents took place behind closed doors.
Carnival takes place in February and lasts for five noisy days.
Sarah was nervous about the interview that would take place the following morning.
文法句型
[event] + take place
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'take place'. The subject is typically a planned event (meeting, ceremony, exam, performance) rather than an accident or a feeling.
常見錯誤
4. used in 'in place of' to introduce a substitute — the person or thing that is ch
used in 'in place of' to introduce a substitute — the person or thing that is chosen as a replacement for another in a particular situation.
Lina drank green tea in place of coffee during her pregnancy.
in place of + noun (substitution)
The chef used olive oil in place of butter to make the cake lighter.
In place of the usual Friday lecture, Professor Tanaka showed a short film.
The school sent Mr. Chen to the meeting in place of the principal.
Carlos signed the form in place of his elderly father.
- instead of
more common in everyday speech; same meaning
- in lieu of
formal; common in legal and business writing
文法句型
in place of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Functions as a two-part preposition: must be followed by a noun phrase (the substitute), with the original it replaces appearing as the prepositional object. Use 'instead of' in casual speech; 'in place of' sounds slightly more formal and is common in writing. Distinguish from sense 5 ('take the place of'): sense 4 is a preposition; sense 5 is a verb phrase whose subject is the substitute.
常見錯誤
5. used in 'take the place of' as a verb phrase: the substitute is the subject and
used in 'take the place of' as a verb phrase: the substitute is the subject and steps into the role the original held, often because that original is gone, broken, or no longer suitable.
Email has largely taken the place of handwritten letters in business.
X has taken the place of Y (replacement over time)
A young teacher from Tainan took the place of Mrs. Wong after she retired.
Nothing can take the place of a parent's love, the social worker told the volunteers.
Solar panels are slowly taking the place of coal plants on the island.
Marcus offered to take the place of his sister at the wedding rehearsal.
- replace
shorter and more common; same core meaning
- substitute for
neutral; often used in technical contexts
文法句型
[substitute] + take the place of + [original]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 ('in place of'): sense 5 is a verb phrase ('X takes the place of Y') with the substitute as the active subject, while sense 4 is a preposition ('A in place of B') that simply marks A as the substitute. Often used in 'nothing/no one can take the place of …' to express that something is irreplaceable.
常見錯誤
6. a setting or moment that is suitable, sensible, or proper for a particular activ
a setting or moment that is suitable, sensible, or proper for a particular activity, person, or topic.
A school playground is no place for adults to argue loudly.
no place for + noun/-ing (unsuitable setting)
Daniel said the dinner table was not the place to discuss money.
the place to + verb
Sara's boss reminded everyone that work was not the place for personal jokes.
A small fishing village is the perfect place to relax after a long week.
This is neither the time nor the place to start that conversation.
文法句型
the place to + verb
this is no place for + noun
用法筆記
Often appears in negative or evaluative frames: 'no place for…', 'not the place to…', 'the right place to…'. Subject is usually a setting (room, table, meeting, village) or an occasion.
常見錯誤
7. a small spot or point on a surface, on the body, or within a larger area, often
a small spot or point on a surface, on the body, or within a larger area, often the exact part where something happens or appears.
Lina noticed a sore place on her elbow after the volleyball game.
a place on + body part
There was a dark place on the carpet where the coffee had spilled.
Marcus found the place in the book where he had stopped reading.
The mechanic pointed to the exact place on the engine that was leaking oil.
Rosa rubbed the sore place above her ankle gently.
文法句型
a place on/in/under + noun
用法筆記
Distinct from sense 1: this refers to a small spot within a larger area, not a whole town or building. Frequently followed by a where-clause that pinpoints the spot ('the place where the wire broke').
常見錯誤
8. a seat that you have booked, are using, or normally sit in — for example in a th
a seat that you have booked, are using, or normally sit in — for example in a theatre, classroom, train, or plane.
Please take your places; the play is about to start.
take your place(s) (theatre / classroom)
Lina saved a place for me near the window on the school bus.
save a place for + person
Marcus moved to a quieter place at the back of the train.
The teacher asked the children to return to their places after lunch.
There were no places left in the front row of the cinema.
文法句型
take a/your place
save a place for + person
用法筆記
Common in classrooms, theatres, and on public transport. Often plural in announcements ('take your places'). Distinguish from sense 14, which refers to a setting at a dinner table rather than a chair in rows.
常見錯誤
9. a chance to join a school, course, sports team, or workplace, often after being
a chance to join a school, course, sports team, or workplace, often after being chosen from many others.
Maya finally won a place at the medical school in Taipei.
a place at + [school]
Only twenty places are open on the summer art course this year.
places on + [course]
Marcus lost his place on the school football team after the injury.
His uncle offered Yusuf a place in the bakery once he finished school.
More than five hundred students applied for fifty places in the program.
文法句型
a place at/in/on [school, team, course, company]
用法筆記
Common in education and recruitment contexts. Distinguish from sense 7 (general spot on a surface) — this sense always implies selection or competition for a limited slot.
常見錯誤
10. used after 'any', 'some', 'no', or 'every' to mean an unspecified location, much
used after 'any', 'some', 'no', or 'every' to mean an unspecified location, much like 'anywhere' or 'somewhere'.
Carlos could not find his keys any place in the apartment.
any place = anywhere
Let's go some place quiet to talk about the wedding plans.
some place = somewhere
There was no place to sit on the crowded bus to Kaohsiung.
Every place we visited in Kyoto had cherry blossoms in bloom.
文法句型
any/some/no/every + place
用法筆記
Mainly American and informal. British English usually prefers 'anywhere', 'somewhere', etc. as single words. Do not use in formal writing.
常見錯誤
11. in the phrase 'in place', when a plan, rule, system, or arrangement has been set
in the phrase 'in place', when a plan, rule, system, or arrangement has been set up and is ready to be used or to take effect.
The new safety rules are now in place at every factory in the country.
be in place at + [location]
By Monday morning, the team had a backup plan in place for the launch.
have a plan in place for + [event]
Strict checks are in place to stop dangerous goods entering the port.
The mayor wants better support systems in place before the typhoon season starts.
Once the funding was in place, building work began the following week.
- established
more formal; stresses that it has been set up after a process
- set up
informal; describes the action that puts something in place
- operational
technical; for systems that are actively running
- lacking
describes the absence of a needed system
文法句型
[plan/system/rule] + be in place
用法筆記
Subject is usually an abstract noun (plan, system, rule, policy, measure, funding). Distinguish from sense 16: a screw is 'in place' physically; a policy is 'in place' organizationally.
常見錯誤
12. used in 'in place' or 'on the spot' to describe running, jumping, or marching wh
used in 'in place' or 'on the spot' to describe running, jumping, or marching where the feet move but the body stays at the same point on the ground.
Coach Lin made the soccer team jog in place for two minutes before practice.
fixed phrase: jog/run in place
When the lift broke, Marcus jumped in place to keep his feet warm.
The dance teacher told the children to march in place until the music started.
Soldiers were ordered to run in place beside their packs.
On rainy mornings, Aunt Rosa skips in place by the kitchen window for exercise.
- on the spot
British English equivalent for the same physical action
- stationary
more formal; describes the state rather than the action
文法句型
run/jump in place
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed pattern 'verb + in place' (run, jog, jump, march, skip in place). American English also uses 'on the spot' for the same idea; British English prefers 'on the spot' in this physical sense.
常見錯誤
13. used in figurative phrases like 'running in place' or 'spinning in place' to des
used in figurative phrases like 'running in place' or 'spinning in place' to describe working hard at a task or project but achieving no real advance.
After three months of meetings, the design team felt they were running in place.
figurative: running in place = no progress
Without new investors, the small bakery has been spinning in place all year.
Maya complained that her thesis research was just running in place.
The peace talks have been stuck in place since the spring elections.
- treading water
informal; same metaphor of effort without advance
- stagnating
more formal; emphasises a stalled state
- progressing
moving forward toward a goal
文法句型
run/spin in place (figurative)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 12: this sense is figurative (a project, career, or negotiation makes no progress) while sense 12 is literal physical movement. Common subjects are abstract: talks, research, careers, projects.
常見錯誤
14. the spot at a dining table set for one diner, with their own plate, cutlery, and
the spot at a dining table set for one diner, with their own plate, cutlery, and glass laid out ready to use.
Rosa set an extra place for her cousin at the Sunday lunch.
set a place for + person
Each place at the wedding table had a small card with a guest's name.
Daniel forgot to lay a place for the new neighbour and ran back to the kitchen.
Grandma's place at the head of the table was always set with her favourite blue plate.
The waiter cleared two empty places before bringing dessert.
- place setting
the full name; emphasises the plate, knives, forks, and glasses together
- cover
restaurant industry term for one diner's full setting
文法句型
set a place for + person
lay a place
用法筆記
Almost always used in cooking, hosting, or restaurant contexts. Often appears with verbs 'set' or 'lay'. Distinguish from sense 8 (a chair in a row of seats); a 'place' here includes the plate and cutlery, not just the chair.
常見錯誤
15. in the phrase 'out of place', describing something that is sitting in the wrong
in the phrase 'out of place', describing something that is sitting in the wrong location, or someone or something that does not match the surroundings or situation.
Marcus felt out of place at the formal dinner in his old jeans.
feel out of place at + [event]
The bright pink sofa looked completely out of place in the dark study.
look out of place in + [room]
Aunt Rita's loud joke seemed out of place during the quiet memorial service.
A single book lay out of place on the carefully arranged shelf.
Lina felt out of place among the experienced lawyers at her first court hearing.
- misplaced
physical only; for objects in the wrong location
- awkward
social discomfort; describes the person, not the setting
- inappropriate
more formal; for behaviour or comments that do not fit
文法句型
look/feel/seem + out of place
用法筆記
Almost always used as 'out of place'. Two senses overlap: physical (sofa is in the wrong spot) and social/emotional (a person does not fit in). Context decides which.
常見錯誤
16. in the phrase 'in place', sitting where it should sit, or held firmly so that it
in the phrase 'in place', sitting where it should sit, or held firmly so that it does not move.
Make sure every screw is in place before you switch the machine on.
be in place before + [action]
Maya pinned her hair in place with a small silver clip.
pin in place with + [tool]
Strong tape held the broken window in place during the storm.
The librarian checked that each book was back in place on the shelf.
Two heavy stones kept the tent in place through the windy night.
- secured
stronger; suggests fastened so it cannot move
- in position
near-equivalent; slightly more formal
- out of place
physical opposite (see sense 15)
- loose
for things that should be held but are not
文法句型
be/stay/hold/keep + in place
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 11 (in place = arranged/ready, abstract). Sense 16 is concrete physical position. If you can point to the object and say 'right there', it's sense 16.
常見錯誤
17. the proper role, right, or duty that society or a situation gives a person — wha
the proper role, right, or duty that society or a situation gives a person — what they should do, or what they have the standing to do.
As a junior teacher, Hannah felt it was not her place to question how the headmaster ran the school.
it is (not) one's place + to-infinitive
Sarah felt it was her place as the eldest daughter to care for her mother.
The young intern knew his place and waited quietly for the senior lawyers to speak.
Old custom kept women in their place at the back of the temple courtyard.
The new manager put the rude clerk firmly in his place at the staff meeting.
文法句型
it is (not) one's place + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense. Most common in fixed phrases: 'it is (not) one's place to do something', 'know one's place', 'keep/put someone in their place'. The last two often carry a negative tone, suggesting social hierarchy or rebuke.