1. In indicates location inside or within something else.

Pattern 1: verb + in + noun
We live in that house.
The pencils are in the box.

Nouns commonly used after in:

Geographical areas:
city, continent, country, state, town
He lives in Seattle, Washington, in the U.S.A.

Comfortable, protected places:
alcove, large chair, cocoon, nest
He sat down in the chair and read his novel.

Inside areas:
attic, balcony, basement, building, corner, hall, kitchen, office, room She is in her office, in that building, in room 302, in the corner.

Vehicles where the passengers cannot walk around: car, canoe, helicopter, small airplane, small boat We went in the car, but they went in a helicopter.

Publications and speeches
article, book, dictionary, encyclopedia, lecture, magazine, newspaper, speech
He didn't say that in his speech, but I read it in the newspaper.

Pattern 2: be + in + 0 noun
He can't come to the phone because he's in bed.

Nouns commonly used after in:
bed, church, class, jail, place, school, town

Pattern 3: verb + noun + in + noun
Put the pencils in the box.

Typical verbs:
drop, get, insert, lay, place, push, put

Typical nouns:
bag, box, drawer, file, folder, notebook, sack, suitcase, trunk, wallet

2. In indicates membership of a group or category.

Pattern: be + noun + in + noun
There are seven people in our family.
Your brother is the expert in that office.

Nouns commonly used after in:
association, category, choir, chorus, club, family, fraternity, group, office, society, sorority

3. In can indicate a period of time.

Pattern: be + in + time period
century in + the She was born in the 1800s.

Play Cricket

Batsman out of his ground

The batsmen can be run out or stumped if they are out of their ground. A batsman is in his ground if any part of him or his bat is on the ground behind the popping crease. If both batsman are in the middle of the pitch when a wicket is put down, the batsman closer to that end is out.