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Prepositions and questions, part 3 of 5
Prepositions of Time: In, On, At (Dates and Times)
In goes with months, years, and parts of the day (in May), on with days and dates (on Monday), and at with clock times (at 5 pm).
The idea
What a preposition of time is
It is the word that says when something happens. Choose by the size of the time.
- Long: in. Our trip is in August.
- One day: on. The exam is on Thursday.
- A moment: at. Dinner is at seven.
When to use it
To say what time, what day, or what month something happens and make plans clearly. These expressions go with it:
Parts of the day
- in the morning
- in the afternoon
- in the evening
- at night
Moments
- at noon
- at midnight
- on the weekend
- on time
No preposition
- this morning
- next week
- every day
- tomorrow
Examples
- Birthdays
My birthday is in June.
- Clock times
The movie starts at eight.
- Your routine
I get up at 6:30.
- Days of the week
We have class on Mondays.
- Vacations
We go to the beach in summer.
- Bedtime
I go to bed at eleven.
How to build it
3 steps
- Long? inMonths, years, seasons, parts of the day:in May, in 2030, in the morning
- One day? onDays of the week and dates:on Friday, on March 3
- A moment? atClock times, noon, midnight, and night:at 7:30, at night
When it happens
- SentenceThe museum opens
- in / on / atat
- timeten.
No preposition
- SentenceI see Grandma
- this / next / everyevery
- timeSunday.
The rule
In, on, or at
| Preposition | With | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| in | months, years, seasons, parts of the day | in May, in 2030, in summer, in the afternoon |
| on | days of the week, dates, a special day | on Tuesday, on March 3, on my birthday |
| at | clock times and moments | at 5 pm, at noon, at midnight, at night |
No preposition
| Word | Example | Not |
|---|---|---|
| this | this Friday | on this Friday |
| next | next month | in next month |
| every | every day | in every day |
| tomorrow, today | tomorrow morning | in tomorrow |
How to pronounce it
in
/ɪn/Short /ɪ/.
on
/ɑn/In the US it sounds like /ɑn/.
at
/æt/In a sentence it is weak: /ət/.
Check
The class is (blank) Monday. Which one goes in the blank?
Don't confuse it with at for place
I'm at the station.
Place: a point
I'm free at five.
Time: a clock time
Look at the next word: a place follows the rule of part 1; a time follows the rule here.
Part 1: prepositions of placeIn real life
In the US people say on the weekend. In Britain you will hear at the weekend: both are fine.
Frequently asked questions
Is it in the night or at night?
For normal habits, at night: I work at night. In the night is heard for something during one night, but at night is the usual form.
Why does next week have no preposition?
Because next, this, every, today, and tomorrow already say when: next week, this Friday, every day. On next week is not used.
How do I say something will happen after five minutes?
In five minutes: in plus the time left. The bus comes in five minutes.
In short
- Months, years, parts of the day: in May, in the morning.
- Days and dates: on Friday, on May 5.
- Clock times and night: at 6 pm, at night.
- No preposition with this, next, every: next week.