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I'm always confused with prepositions as to which one to use. Here, can I say "over" instead of "at"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

This is actually because "at the table" is an expression itself, which is used to refer to the kitchin/dining table and the action of dining there. "Over" is usually used to talk about something that is laying or covering the top of something else, which is not the case here. The speaker is referring to the setting of the dining table here, and not the action of something laying on top of something else. Thus, "at" is most appropriate in this context. Ex: Do you want to have a coffee at that cafe over there? Ex: There is a towel hanging over the railing.

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