Lesson: Using At / On / In with Time
Prepositions of time help us talk about when something happens.
The three most common prepositions are: At on in
A. Using AT
We use at for: exact times festivals
special expressions
Structure
at + exact time
Examples
The train arrives at 7:30.
My father usually sleeps at midnight.
We met the teacher at lunchtime.
The movie starts at 6 o’clock.
Common Expressions with AT
at night
I enjoy reading books at night.
at Christmas / at Eid / at Diwali
Families wear new clothes at Christmas
at the moment / at present
She is busy at the moment.
at the same time
Both students answered at the same time.
at the age of
He learned swimming at the age of ten.
at the beginning of
The school reopens at the beginning of June.
at the end of
Everyone clapped at the end of the play.
B. Using ON
We use on for:
days
dates
specific parts of days
Structure
on + day/date
Examples
My sister was born on July 18th.
We have football practice on Tuesday.
The meeting is on New Year’s Day.
They visited us on Sunday evening.
More Examples
on Friday morning
I have a music class on Friday morning.
on Saturday night
We watched a cricket match on Saturday night.
on weekends
My cousins travel on weekends.
C. Using IN
We use in for:
months
years
centuries
long periods of time
parts of the day
Structure
in + longer period
Examples
My uncle moved to Canada in 2015.
Flowers bloom beautifully in spring.
The temple was built in the 18th century.
Many changes happened in the 1990s.
Parts of the Day
in the morning
I go jogging in the morning.
in the afternoon
We usually relax in the afternoon.
in the evening
My grandmother tells stories in the evening.
D. No At / On / In with “Last” and “Next”
We do not use at, on, or in before:
last
next
Examples
I met her last Sunday.
We are going to Delhi next month.
He joined the company last year.
E. In + Period of Time (Future Meaning)
We use:
in + time period
to mean “after this amount of time.”
Examples
The bus will arrive in ten minutes.
She will finish the work in two days.
My brother will return in a week.
F. In + Time Taken
We also use in to show how long something takes.
Examples
She learned French in six months.
The workers completed the bridge in two years.
He solved the puzzle in five minutes.