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

Video lesson