Between vs. In Between

Between vs. In Between Between vs. In Between Between vs. In Between By Maeve Maddox A reader wants to know how between and in between differ in usage: Please explain the usage of the term â€Å"in between.† It’s been many years since I heard anyone say this. I always thought it was unnecessary to combine the words â€Å"in† and â€Å"between†. What’s the difference if you say that one thing is between another thing as opposed to saying that it’s â€Å"in between†? When between functions as a preposition, placing in before it is nonstandard usage. The following headlines, for example, are incorrect: Incorrect: Woman dies walking in between subway cars Correct : Woman dies walking between subway cars Incorrect: You dont need to enter spaces in-between the numbers/letters. Correct : You dont need to enter spaces between the numbers/letters. Incorrect: How Many Hurdles are In Between a Thief and Your Phone Data? Correct : How Many Hurdles are Between a Thief and Your Phone Data? The addition of in is acceptable when the phrase â€Å"in between† functions as a noun or an adjective. 1. In-between as noun Josie feels like an in-between, trapped between her family’s Italian culture and the Australian culture of her peers. (noun meaning, â€Å"a person who doesn’t belong in either of two groups†) Many times, parents feel like the only choice is to have [the baby] fall asleep in your arms or cry it out, but there really is an in-between. (noun meaning, â€Å"an alternative that lies between two extremes†) 2. In-between as adjective An â€Å"in-between  hop† is a baseball term that indicates a bounced baseball that reaches an infielder at the midpoint of its upward bounce. (adjective describing hop) College students on holiday face  an in-between world.  (adjective describing world) Bottom line: When using between as a preposition, don’t preface it with in. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Words with More Than One SpellingStory Writing 101Inspiring vs. Inspirational