I love to teach prepositions for two reasons.
-Number one is they are small words that are very easy to confuse.
-The second reason is that I always make preposition mistakes in my second language! Japanese. If I can help other language learners with this tricky grammar I’m very happy.
In the Shade or Under the Shade?
The shade is a dark and cool area that is protected from the sun. We want to be inside that cool area to stay away from the heat of the sun so we say IN the shade. If we get shade from a tree we can be UNDER the tree, but we are IN the shade.
You will find more examples of this phrase used with some common verbs, AND I’ll teach you how to pronounce this word correctly so you can start using it in your own conversations right away.
Where do you live?
Readers of my blog come from all over the world, some places are cooler than others and some places are warmer. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere it’s summer from July to September! Do you remember the meaning of hemisphere?
hemisphere – one half of the earth, especially the half above or below the equator
hemisphere – pronunciation
In the Shade
When it’s hot outside it’s good to be “out of the sun.” The sun can make us feel hot and also burn our skin if we’re not careful. On a hot sunny day, we want to be in the shade. This is today’s expression.
shade – noun – an area that is cool and dark under or behind something, under a tree, or behind a building, for example, protected from the sun’s light.
Definition from: Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com – shade
Shade is a cool area and we want to be inside of it, so we use the preposition in. Be in the shade.
50 of the Most Common English Prepositions (Examples + PDF)
Common verbs to use with “in the shade.”
- Get
- Set up (something)
- Put (something)
- Sit
- Wait
- Relax
Here are some more natural example sentences of verbs with the phrase in the shade.
- “It’s so hot today, let’s get in the shade.”
- “Tanya came to the park early. She already got a spot in the shade.”
- “We like to set up our picnic under a tree in the shade. It’s more comfortable.”
- “Kevin is setting up over there in the shade.”
- “Put the blanket on the grass below the cherry tree in the shade.”
- “We should put the cooler in the shade. I don’t want the ice to melt.”
- “It’s so hot today! Let’s sit in the shade for a few minutes to rest.”
- “I saw Keith sitting in the shade this morning.”
- “My friend will meet us here in 15 minutes. We should wait over there in the shade.”
- A: Sorry I’m late.
B: It’s okay, I waited in the shade so I wasn’t too hot.
- “I like relaxing in the shade under an umbrella on a cafe patio and drinking ice coffee. That’s a perfect summer’s day for me.”
- “Is it hot yet where you live? Where is a good place to relax in the shade?”
In VS Under
The preposition IN means at a point within an area or a space
Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com – IN
The preposition UNDER means in, to or through a position that is below something
Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com – UNDER
We learned that shade is an area that is cool and dark, it’s not something that we can be under but it is something that we can be inside of [IN]. This is why the correct preposition to use here is: in the shade.
How to Use the prepositions IN AT ON (Graphics, Story, Videos)
Idiom – Made In The Shade
Made in the shade” is an informal idiom that means to be successful, comfortable, or secure, this is often used to mean financially successful. It suggests that someone has achieved a good position and is now enjoying the benefits without much effort or worry.
This idiom is most often used with the verbs “HAVE IT made in the shade” and “GOT IT made in the shade.”
A: “Did you hear Brenda won the lottery?”
B: “Wow, she’s got it made in the shade now! Good for her.”
Made In the Shade – In the NEWS
“ENGINEERED CROPS COULD HAVE IT MADE IN THE SHADE“
The news example is using this expression to talk about plants that can grow well in low light. They’re using the idiom to mean successful (the plants grow well) with the second meaning of shade, which is out of the sunlight (in low light.)
Just because plants photosynthesize doesn’t mean they can’t get a form of sunburn—damage caused by overexposure to light…
Engineered crops could have it made in the shade
The story above is good practice for advanced learners, it’s a scientific article and uses lots of advanced English words.
I also learned something from my students here in Japan. (This is one of the advantages of being an active English teacher, live student feedback!) The word shade can be easy to mispronounce if you have never heard it. If you only read the word, the sound is not so clear.
Shade – Pronunciation
Here is the sound shade makes:
SH is like “Shhh….! This is a library, please be quiet.”
ADE is like AID “I cut my finger and now I need a band-aid.”
“It’s hot and sunny today so let’s put our picnic blanket in the shade under that big tree.”
Adjectives + Prepositions (95 Combinations + Video)
Under the shade
Under the shade of something is possible but it is not as common (for me.)
- “His dog was sleeping under the shade of the apple tree in his backyard.”
In The Shade – Music Video
I found a song on YouTube called In The Shade. (I think there are a few songs called “In the Shade.”) The pronunciation of shade is long in this song because the word is sung not spoken. << Sha~de >>
I hope it’s helpful!
