PREPOSISIONS OF PLACE & TIME

PREPOSITIONS
A. Prepositions of Time: at, in, on
We use:
at for a PRECISE TIME
in for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
on for DAYS and DATES
at
in
on

PRECISE TIME
MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
DAYS and DATES

at 3 o`clock
in May
on Sunday

at 10.30am
in summer
on Tuesdays

at noon
in the summer
on 6 March

at dinnertime
in 1990
on 25 Dec. 2010

at bedtime
in the 1990s
on Christmas Day

at sunrise
in the next century
on Independence Day

at sunset
in the Ice Age
on my birthday

at the moment
in the past/future
on New Year`s Eve

* Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions:
Expression
Example

at night
The stars shine at night.

at the weekend
I don`t usually work at the weekend.

at Christmas/Easter
I stay with my family at Christmas.

at the same time
We finished the test at the same time.

at present
He`s not home at present. Try later.

* Notice the use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions:
in
on

in the morning
on Tuesday morning

in the mornings
on Saturday mornings

in the afternoon(s)
on Sunday afternoons

in the evening(s)
on Monday evening

*When we say last, next, every, this we do not also use at, in, on.
I went to London last June. (not in last June)
He`s coming back next Tuesday. (not on next Tuesday)
I go home every Easter. (not at every Easter)
We`ll call you this evening. (not in this evening)
B. Prepositions of Place: at, in, on
In general, we use:
at for a POINT
in for an ENCLOSED SPACE
on for a SURFACE
at
in
on

POINT
ENCLOSED SPACE
SURFACE

at the corner
in the garden
on the wall

at the bus stop
in London
on the ceiling

at the door
in France
on the door

at the top of the page
in a box
on the cover

at the end of the road
in my pocket
on the floor

at the entrance
in my wallet
on the carpet

at the crossroads
in a building
on the menu

at the front desk
in a car
on a page

*Notice the use of the prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions:
at
in
on

at home
in a car
on a bus

at work
in a taxi
on a train

at school
in a helicopter
on a plane

at university
in a boat
on a ship

at college
in a lift (elevator)
on a bicycle, on a motorbike

at the top
in the newspaper
on a horse, on an elephant

at the bottom
in the sky
on the radio, on television

at the side
in a row
on the left, on the right

at reception
in Oxford Street
on the way


THE END