What is a preposition?
A preposition is a small word before a noun or pronoun.
Examples:
in
on
at
after
to
with
Example sentence:
I am going to London in July.
Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or pronoun with other words in a sentence.
What is a preposition of time?
A preposition of time indicates WHEN something happens.
In this lesson, you will learn how to use the following prepositions of time:
in
on
at
Let’s look at each one in more detail.
in
in + month
We use the preposition “in” before a month.
List of the 12 months of the year in English:
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.
Examples:
We always go to New York in March.
My birthday is in December.
in + season
We also use the preposition “in” before a season.
The 4 seasons in British English are:
spring, summer, autumn and winter
The 4 seasons in American English are:
spring, summer, fall and winter
Very important – The first letter of a season is in lower case. It’s a small letter. It is NOT a capital letter.
Examples:
Jane often goes skiing in the winter.
I love going to Paris in the spring.
in + year
We also use the preposition “in” before a year.
Examples:
They got married in 2015.
Mark was born in 1984.
in + part of day
We also use the preposition “in” before a part of the day.
Common parts of the day:
the morning
the afternoon
the evening
Example sentences with a preposition of time:
We had a meeting in the afternoon.
I’ll wash the car in the morning.
on
on + day of the week
We use the preposition “on” before a day of the week.
The 7 days of the week in English are:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Important – the first letter is a CAPITAL letter.
If the event is a unique (one-time) event, the day of the week is singular.
Examples:
I have a meeting with my manager on Friday. (only next Friday)
The bank is closed on Monday. (only next Monday)
If the event is a regular event, the day of the week is plural:
Examples:
I have a meeting with my manager on Fridays. (every Friday)
The bank is closed on Mondays. (every Monday)
on + date
We also use the preposition “on” before a specific date.
Examples:
I received the letter on March 21st.
My exam is on February 12th.
She was born on the 30th April.
on + special day
We also use the preposition “on” before a special day or day of a festival.
Examples:
I had a party on my birthday.
I visited my grandparents on Christmas Day.
What are you doing on New Years Day?
at
at + clock time
We use the preposition “at” to define a clock time.
Examples:
Let’s meet at 3 o’clock.
The train arrives at 2:20 pm.
We have a meeting at 4 pm.
at + festival / special time of year
We use at before a general festival or time of year.
Examples:
I saw my sister at Christmas.
I’m going to New York at Easter.
But if we refer to a single specific day during a festival, we use “on”:
I went to Church on Christmas Day.
I ate lots of chocolate on Easter Sunday.
at the beginning of
Example:
At the beginning of the meeting, we discussed recruitment.
at the end of
Example:
At the end of the evening, we went out for a drink.
at the weekend
Example:
He is going to play football at the weekend.
at night or in the night?
“at night” refers to any night in general:
Example:
I enjoy walking in Paris at night.
“in the night” refers to a short specific moment during the night.
Examples:
I woke up in the night.
She heard a strange noise in the night.
Other lessons
IELTS online course and writing corrections
Prepositions of place IN, ON and AT
Prepositions of time “by” and “until”
FOR and DURING – English prepositions
How to make polite requests in English
