IN vs. INSIDE vs. INTO vs. WITHIN

IN/ INSIDE/ INTO/ WITHIN [Some of the differences]

##In And Inside

-In and inside are the same in many cases. You can say:

e.g. We are in the house. = We are inside the house.
e.g. The clothes are in the closet. = The clothes are inside the closet.
e.g. The word inside implies that the thing is physically enclosed – it is in a container (a box, a vehicle, a building with walls, etc.)

-This means that when talking about location, time, being included, or other situations where you are not physically surrounded, you should use in, not inside:

e.g. I live in Australia.
e.g. My birthday is in July.
e.g. He plays guitar in a band.

##Into

-The word into implies movement or transformation:

e.g. She jumped into the swimming pool.
e.g. We went into the house.
e.g. The car crashed into a telephone pole.
e.g. The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.

-With the verbs put, throw, drop, and fall, you can use either into or in:

e.g. He put the card into/in his pocket.
e.g. I threw the paper cup into/in the trash.
e.g. She lost her balance and fell into/in the river.

##Within

-The word within means “inside the limits” – and in this case the limits are non-physical. They can be limits of time or distance, or an area of understanding:

e.g. The results will be delivered within fourteen days.
e.g. Most car accidents occur within five miles of home.

-We also have some expressions using within:

within earshot = at a distance where you are able to hear something (such as a conversation)
within reason = to the degree that good judgment would allow
within reach / within one’s grasp = able to be taken with your hand, or able to be accomplished

-You can also use within to describe a person’s inner feelings (in this case, you can also use “inside”):

e.g. He tried to hide the anger burning within/inside him.

Thank you