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> ～が前 **を** 歩いていました

I read [this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/48063/whats-the-
difference-between-particle-%e3%82%92-and-%e3%81%ab-when-used-for-location)
answer but I feel like this case is different because 前 is not a place but a
relative position. I'm used to seeing に used for position, for example when
giving directions "左にあります". What would be the difference if I were to say "～が前
**に** 歩いていました"? Are we using を because 前に could be confused with "before" in
time? When should we use を for the position instead of に?
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particle-に particle-を
Difference between を and に for position (前を)?
The answer in your link applies to your sentence, too. See [this
question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/3243/5010), too. 前 is a
relative place that may move along with the "parent object", but it's still a
place. If someone keeps walking in front of you for some time, を as a location
marker should be used, because he is keeping inside your 前. The same is true
with 後ろ, 右, 下 and so on.

On the other hand, に used with a verb of motion marks a **destination**. For
example, ビルの前 **に** 歩く means walking **to** the front of a building from some
remote place ( **EDIT** : ビルの前まで歩く is more common for this meaning). ビルの前
**を** 歩く means walking in front of a (large) building.
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The particle を is used with certain verbs of motion, such as 行く, 歩く, and 走る,
to indicate where someone or something moves through. It is said to indicate a
_point of passage_. It doesn’t matter whether that point is expressed in
absolute terms or relative to something else.

The particle に, on the other hand, is used with verbs that describe the
presence or existence of someone or something, most typically いる and ある.

〜の前 **に** 歩いていました is not totally wrong because of the compound form 歩い **ている**
, but its focus is on いる (presence) rather than 歩く (motion).

I can think of an example like this.

> 玄関を出ると、家の前 **に** カブトムシが歩いていました。

Although this sounds a bit awkward and is probably considered ungrammatical,
it’s understood with little difficulty in everyday conversation. The main
focus of the main clause is that there was a beetle in front of the house. It
happened to be walking but was, for the obvious reason, too slow to look
“passing” in front of the house when you found it. It’s hard to imagine a
similar situation with people walking.

You can still use を to describe the same scene.

> 玄関を出ると、家の前 **を** カブトムシが歩いていました。

Actually, this sounds more natural however slow the beetle may have been. The
sentence puts greater focus on the _passing_ of the beetle, and that’s usually
what you would expect when you choose to say **歩いて** いました instead of just
いました.

By the way, で may also be used with 歩く.

> 玄関を出ると、家の前 **で** カブトムシが歩いていました。

In general, this particle is used to indicate a place where some action
occurs, and therefore, the above sentence puts greater focus on the beetle’s
action of walking and where that was happening, compared to the earlier
sentence with を.

* * *

When 歩く is not in the form of 歩い **ている** but in its basic form (i.e. 歩く), it
is not usually used with に.

The most natural choice would be を.

> 毎日、家の前 **を** 歩きます。

You could use で but it changes the nuance.

> 毎日、家の前 **で** 歩きます。

In this sentence, walking is seen as an action in its own right, or something
you do for the sake of it, perhaps as part of your physical exercise, rather
than as a means of moving from one place to another, and that action takes
place within the boundary described as 家の前.

* * *

に is not usually used with 歩く even in cases where it would indicate a
destination. 駅 **に** 歩く sounds weird. 駅まで歩く sounds much more natural.
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answer