Usage of Prepositions of Time: At, In & On
Common prepositions of time: in, at & on.
- The preposition ‘at’ denotes a specific time.
- The preposition ‘on’ denotes a particular day or date.
- The preposition ‘in’ denotes a much broader time frame, like a month or a year, a decade, etc.
Let us now have a look at some sentences where the common prepositions of time- at, in, and on are used.
AT |
Specific Time | At 9.00 | She’ll see you at 9.00. |
At midnight | There will be a storm at midnight. | |
Expressions | At the same time | Both teams arrived at the same time. |
At the moment | She is busy at the moment. | |
At this time | Why is he here, at this time? | |
At that time | At that time, I was out of cash. | |
At some point | At some point, I’ll buy this house. | |
At sunset | This beach looks serene at sunset. | |
At lunchtime | I will meet you at lunchtime. | |
At night | I feel lonely at night. |
ON |
A Day | On Friday | The meeting is scheduled for Friday. |
A Date | On March 24th | My birthday is on 24th March. |
Repetitive Days | On Wednesdays | My art classes are scheduled for Wednesdays. |
On their anniversary | They brought a cruise on their anniversary. | |
One Day + Time Of Day | On Saturday | Do you want me to join you at the party on Saturday? |
On Sunday afternoon | He told me on Sunday afternoon. | |
On Tuesday night | Where did you go on Tuesday night? | |
Expressions | On time | She always comes on time. |
On the hour | The shuttle to Paris departs on the hour. | |
On the dot | The meeting started on the dot. |
IN |
Months | In May | They are getting married in May. |
Seasons | In winter | It is too cold in winter. |
Years | In 2018 | She graduated in 2018. |
Centuries | In the 1600s. | India underwent changes, with the arrival of the British on India in the 1600s. |
Long periods | In the Ancient Ages. | People lived here in the ancient ages. |
Expressions | In the future | In the future, I will be buying this land. |
In a few days | The cargo will arrive in a few days. | |
In 20 minutes | They are reaching in 20 minutes. | |
In the afternoon | She is playing in the afternoon? | |
In the evening | It’s really present in the evening. |
NOTE – No use of at, in, or on when we say last, next, every, or this.
- I went to Paris last June. (not last June)
- I go home every Christmas. (not at every Easter)
- They will come this evening. (not this evening)
- She’s coming back next Thursday. (not next Thursday)
Prepositions Of Time: Usage of ‘In’, ‘At’ & ‘On’
One of the most difficult and even confusing parts of speech is prepositions. A preposition is a brief word that indicates a noun’s time, place, direction, etc. At, on, and in are the three prepositions of time that you will learn about in this article.
Table of Content
- What is a Prepositions of Time?
- Prepositions of Time Examples
- Usage of Prepositions of Time: At, In & On
- Preposition of Time Exercises
- Solutions