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Prepositions after adjectives

Halfway: through, between, up, down, or to?

Halfway combines with different prepositions depending on whether you describe progress, distance, or position.

Quick answer

How to use halfway

Use halfway through for progress in an activity or period, halfway between for a position separating two places or times, halfway up/down for position on a vertical path, and halfway to for partial progress toward a destination or goal.

We are halfway through the course.
The café is halfway between the station and the museum.
She stopped halfway up the hill.
They are halfway to completing the project.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
halfway through + activity/period

Showing progress in something

Use halfway through to mean that 50 percent of an activity, event, book, film, or period has passed.

I was halfway through the report when she called.
We are halfway through the season.
2
halfway between + two points

Showing a middle position

Use halfway between to describe a location or time exactly in the middle of two things.

Their house is halfway between London and Oxford.
The meeting falls halfway between lunch and dinner.
3
halfway up/down + place

Describing position on a slope or route

Use halfway up or halfway down to describe a point in the middle of an upward or downward path.

There is a cabin halfway up the mountain.
He slipped halfway down the stairs.
4
halfway to + destination/goal

Showing partial progress toward a goal

Use halfway to when someone has completed part of a journey or process toward an endpoint.

She is halfway to recovery.
We are halfway to our sales target.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
halfway through
They are halfway through the training programme.
Progress in an activity, process, or period.
halfway between
The village lies halfway between the two cities.
A middle position separating two points.
halfway up/down
A small shop sits halfway down the street.
A middle point on a vertical or directional route.
halfway to
The team is halfway to victory.
Partial progress toward a destination or result.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using halfway between for progress

Between usually refers to position, not completion of an activity.

✕ We are halfway between the movie. ✓ We are halfway through the movie.

Omitting the second point after between

Between normally needs two points or groups.

✕ The hotel is halfway between. ✓ The hotel is halfway between the airport and downtown.

Using halfway through for physical location

Through often refers to progress inside an activity or enclosed route, not a position on a hill or road.

✕ They stopped halfway through the mountain. ✓ They stopped halfway up the mountain.

Using halfway to without a clear goal

To should introduce a destination or result.

✕ We are halfway to. ✓ We are halfway to finishing the project.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. We are ___ the book already.
2. The restaurant is ___ the station and the river.
3. She became tired ___ the hill.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say halfway through the road?

Usually no. For physical position on a road, halfway down the road or halfway along the road is more natural.

What is the difference between halfway through and halfway to?

Halfway through refers to progress inside an activity or period. Halfway to refers to progress toward a goal or destination.

Can halfway be used without a preposition?

Yes. You can say things like We stopped halfway, but a preposition often adds clearer detail.

"handmade by" or "handmade in"? "hands-on with" or "hands-on in"? "handy for" or "handy in"? "happy with", "happy about" or "happy for"? hard for, on, at, of or in? harmful to, for, in, by or of? "harmless from" or "harmless to"? harsh on, in, for, with or to? "hateful to", "hateful towards" or "hateful of"? "hazardous to" or "hazardous for"? "head-to-head with" or "head-to-head in"? healthy for, in, with, at or by?

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