Learn English – Difference between “in” and “of”

prepositionsword-difference

Can anyone please tell me what's the difference between in and of in the following sentences? Are they both correct?

  • Lionel Messi is the greatest player of/in the Argentina football team.

  • John is the best student in/of the class.

  • The roads in/of the USA are wider than those of Russia.

Best Answer

X of Y has a lot of meanings. Some of them are:

  • Expresses a "belonging" or "ownership" relationship - Y belongs to X

  • Expresses the "component" part of a "component-whole" relationship - X is a part of Y.

X in Y has several meanings, but it mostly means.

  • X is completely or substantially surrounded by all sides/borders/edges of Y. This can be "3D" (containers or covers; I'm in a box) or "2D" (places or areas; I'm in a square I drew on the ground with chalk).

If Y is a large container-like entity, like a country, building, etc. the things that "belong to" it or the things that are a "part of" it may lie within it.

So I can say 1st Street is both a road of (because it constitutes part of) and a road in (because it's surrounded on all sides by the borders of) my neighboorhood, city, etc.