Year 1: Left, right, next to and between
Part of the Year 1 position and direction chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Left, right, next to and between
Let’s look at a row of shapes. Read the row from the left, like a book. The shape at the left end is the first one. The shape at the right end is the last one.
A shape is next to another shape when it is the very next one, with nothing in between. A shape is between two shapes when it sits in the middle of them.
Key ideas
- Left is the side where the row starts. Right is the side where it finishes.
- Next to means the very next shape, with nothing in between.
- Between means in the middle of two shapes.
Method. Next to means the very next shape, with nothing in between.
- Find the cube. Look for the cube in the row.cube is shape number 1 from the left
- Look just on its right. Only the shape touching it on that side counts.right of cube: star
- Write the answer. star
Check. The star and the cube are next to each other in the row. ✓
Watch out. Only look at the shape right next to it. Shapes further away are not next to it.
Method. Between means in the middle of the two shapes.
- Find the heart and the cube. Look at the row.heart: shape 1, cube: shape 3
- Look at the shape in the middle of them. It sits between the two.shape 2: ball
- Write the answer. ball
Check. The ball has the heart on one side and the cube on the other. ✓
Watch out. The shape between is not one of the two you were given.
Method. Count the shapes on the right of the apple, one at a time.
- Find the apple. Look for it in the row.apple is shape number 2
- Count the shapes to the right. Count each shape once.heart, cube
- Write the answer. 2
Check. Count the shapes on the other side too. Together with the apple they make 4. ✓
Watch out. Count only the shapes on the right side of the apple.
Watch out
Watch out: left and right are from the picture. Start at the left end and read to the right, like a book. Do not count the shape you start on.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Put five toys or coins in a line on the table. Ask: “What is on the left? What is next to the cup? What is between the car and the ball?” Then swap two things and ask again.
Exercise 11B Left, right, next to and between
Non-calculatorMethod. Look at the left end of the row.
- Look at the row from the left. Read the shapes from left to right, like a book.1: apple, 2: ball, 3: star, 4: cube, 5: heart
- Find the left end. The left end is shape number 1.shape 1: apple
- Write the answer. apple
Check. There are 5 shapes, so the left end is shape 1. ✓
Watch out. The left end is the start of the row. The right end is the finish.
Method. Look at the right end of the row.
- Look at the row from the left. Read the shapes from left to right, like a book.1: ball, 2: heart, 3: cube, 4: apple, 5: star
- Find the right end. The right end is shape number 5.shape 5: star
- Write the answer. star
Check. There are 5 shapes, so the right end is shape 5. ✓
Watch out. The left end is the start of the row. The right end is the finish.
Method. Next to means the very next shape, with nothing in between.
- Find the star. Look for the star in the row.star is shape number 2 from the left
- Look just on its left. Only the shape touching it on that side counts.left of star: heart
- Write the answer. heart
Check. The heart and the star are next to each other in the row. ✓
Watch out. Only look at the shape right next to it. Shapes further away are not next to it.
Method. Next to means the very next shape, with nothing in between.
- Find the apple. Look for the apple in the row.apple is shape number 2 from the left
- Look just on its right. Only the shape touching it on that side counts.right of apple: heart
- Write the answer. heart
Check. The heart and the apple are next to each other in the row. ✓
Watch out. Only look at the shape right next to it. Shapes further away are not next to it.
Method. Between means in the middle of the two shapes.
- Find the star and the ball. Look at the row.star: shape 1, ball: shape 3
- Look at the shape in the middle of them. It sits between the two.shape 2: cube
- Write the answer. cube
Check. The cube has the star on one side and the ball on the other. ✓
Watch out. The shape between is not one of the two you were given.
Method. Between means in the middle of the two shapes.
- Find the apple and the star. Look at the row.apple: shape 1, star: shape 3
- Look at the shape in the middle of them. It sits between the two.shape 2: ball
- Write the answer. ball
Check. The ball has the apple on one side and the star on the other. ✓
Watch out. The shape between is not one of the two you were given.
Method. Count the shapes on the right of the heart, one at a time.
- Find the heart. Look for it in the row.heart is shape number 2
- Count the shapes to the right. Count each shape once.cube, apple, star
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Count the shapes on the other side too. Together with the heart they make 5. ✓
Watch out. Count only the shapes on the right side of the heart.
Method. Next to means the very next shape, with nothing in between.
- Find the apple. Look for the apple in the row.apple is shape number 3 from the left
- Look just on its left. Only the shape touching it on that side counts.left of apple: star
- Write the answer. star
Check. The star and the apple are next to each other in the row. ✓
Watch out. Only look at the shape right next to it. Shapes further away are not next to it.
Method. Next to means the very next shape, with nothing in between.
- Find the apple. Look for the apple in the row.apple is shape number 3 from the left
- Look just on its right. Only the shape touching it on that side counts.right of apple: ball
- Write the answer. ball
Check. The ball and the apple are next to each other in the row. ✓
Watch out. Only look at the shape right next to it. Shapes further away are not next to it.
Method. Look at the right end of the row.
- Look at the row from the left. Read the shapes from left to right, like a book.1: heart, 2: star, 3: apple, 4: ball, 5: cube
- Find the right end. The right end is shape number 5.shape 5: cube
- Write the answer. cube
Check. There are 5 shapes, so the right end is shape 5. ✓
Watch out. The left end is the start of the row. The right end is the finish.
Method. The shapes next to the heart are on its left and its right.
- Find the heart. Look for it in the row.heart is shape number 4
- Look on its left and right. Name the one on the left first.left: ball, right: apple
- Write both shapes. ball and apple
Check. Count the shapes: 3 on the left of the heart, 1 on the right. ✓
Watch out. Two shapes are next to the middle shapes. An end shape has only one neighbour.
Method. Find the ball, the star and the heart. Then check where the ball is.
- Find the ball, the star and the heart. Read the row from the left.ball: shape 2, star: shape 3, heart: shape 5
- Check the ball. For the ball to be between them, it must be after the star.The ball is before the star
- Decide who is right. The ball is on the left of the star, so it is not between them.Mia is wrong. The ball is not between them.
Check. Between means in the middle. Here the star is in the middle of the ball and the heart. ✓
Watch out. Between means one thing on each side. Check both sides before you decide.
Method. The middle shape has the same number of shapes on each side of it.
- Count the shapes from the left. Read the row from left to right.cube, apple, heart, star, ball
- Find the shape with two on each side. Two shapes are on the left and two are on the right.shape 3: heart
- Write the answer. heart, because it has two shapes on each side
Check. Two shapes are on the left (cube and apple) and two on the right (star and ball). ✓
Watch out. Count from the left end, then count from the right end to check.