ESEN
Which one to use?Beginnerexpressionconnector
At the endvsIn the end
'At the end of' locates a moment at the final point of something specific; 'in the end' is a connector meaning 'finally'.
Side-by-side comparison
At the end
expression"At the end" points to the last moment of something concrete and named. It almost always needs "of" after it: "at the end of the meeting", "at the end of the day".
There is always a short break at the end of each lesson.
The credits roll at the end of the film, stay seated if you want to see them all.
She felt proud at the end of the marathon, even though it took her four hours.
In the end
connector"In the end" means "finally" or "after all". It needs no complement. Use it to summarize the final outcome of a situation.
We argued about where to eat for a while, but in the end we just ordered pizza.
She tried three different diets, and in the end the simplest one worked best.
In the end, what matters most is that you enjoyed the experience.
Common mistake
- •The most common mistake: "In the end of the meeting" is wrong.
- •When there is a complement ("of + something"), always use "at the end of".
- •"In the end" is used alone, without a complement: "In the end, she decided to stay".
Trick to remember it
- •The "of" test: can you add "of + something" after? It is "at the end of".
- •Does it stand alone without a complement? It is "in the end".
- •"At the end of the film" vs "In the end, she was right".
Quick rule
- •"At the end of" + something specific = at the final point of (always with "of").
- •"In the end" = finally, after everything (alone, no "of").
Did you know?
"At the end of the day" is one of the most discussed corporate clichés in the English-speaking world. Originally a poetic variant of "in the end". Over the past twenty years it became one of the most overused filler phrases in presentations and political speeches. The Guardian topped its list of "the most irksome clichés in English" with it in 2013. Despite this, it remains one of the most frequent expressions in everyday business English.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
There's a surprise _____ the film. Don't leave before the credits!
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
We argued about where to eat for an hour, but _____ we just ordered pizza.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
Before / AftervsWhile / When
'Before' and 'after' mark temporal sequence; 'while' and 'when' mark simultaneity or connection between two actions.
InvsOn / At
'In' goes with broad periods; 'on' goes with specific days and dates; 'at' goes with exact moments.
SincevsAgo
'Since' marks the starting point of something active until the present; 'ago' indicates distance into the past from now.
AvsAn
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy