All the three of them were at/in the graveyard/cemetery.

[Aamir Tariq]

1. All the three of them were at the graveyard this morning.
   
2. All the three of them were in the graveyard this morning.
   
3. All the three of them were at the cemetery this morning.
   
4. All the three of them were in the cemetery this morning.

I am confused about the preposition to be used with graveyard and cemetery.

Kindly tell me about the grammatical as well as the most natural one. And if there is any other way of expressing the same thing in a more natural way, tell me about that as well.

Regards,
Aamir the Global Citizen

 

[bhaisahab]

If you delete "the" after "All", they will all be correct and equally natural.

 

[Barb_D]

With "at" they were alive. (Unless they were awaiting imminent burial.)

With "in" they are more likely to be dead.

 

[Rover_KE]

Note that a graveyard is

a burial ground, often associated with smaller rural churches, as distinct from a larger urban or public cemetery.

(Random House Learners' Dictionary)

 

[GoesStation]

Note that a graveyard is

(Random House Learners' Dictionary)

I don't think many AmE speakers would make the distinction, but it's worth knowing.