Below

We usebelowmost commonly as a preposition meaning ‘lower than’. It has a similar meaning tounder. The opposite ofbelowisabove. We use it when there is no contact between people or things:

[a teacher talking to a class]

Open your exercise book on page 27. Justbelowthe picture there are some questions. Look at the picture and answer the questions.

There was a big clockbelowthe painting.

When the adverbbelowis used to modify a noun, it follows the noun:

The apartmentbelowis owned by a French couple.

We lived up in the mountains and the nearest townbelowwas half an hour’s drive.

We use the adverbbelowwhen referring to the lower level or deck of a boat or ship:

[talking about a boat]

It was a wonderful little boat. We spent most of our time fishing and watching the sea. We’d gobelowto sleep and to eat.

In formal writing, we usebelowto refer to something that we will mention or show later:

In the figurebelow, the results show that 54% of the rats tested were carrying the antibody …

There has been much discussion and debate about global warming (seebelow).

• We don’t usebelowwhen one thing touches or covers or hides something else; we usually useunderinstead:

Undera white coat, she wore an amazing red dress.

Not:Below a white coat…