Prepositions of Place: at, in, on

Prepositions of Place: at, in, on

In general, we use:

at for a POINT

in for an ENCLOSED SPACE

on for a SURFACEatInon

POINTENCLOSED SPACE /

Place having some boundary

(physical or virtual boundary)SURFACE

at the cornerin the gardenon the wall

at the bus stopin Londonon the ceiling

at the doorin Franceon the door

at the top of the pagein a boxon the cover

at the end of the roadin my pocketon the floor

at the entrancein my walleton the carpet

at the crossroadsin a buildingon the menu

at the entrancein a caron a page

Look at these examples:

Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.

The shop is at the end of the street.

My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late.

When will you arrive at the office?

Do you work in an office?

I have a meeting in New York.

Do you live in Japan?

Jupiter is in the Solar System.

The author's name is on the cover of the book.

There are no prices on this menu.

You are standing on my foot.

There was a "no smoking" sign on the wall.

I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.

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

atinon

at homein a caron a bus

at workin a taxion a train

at schoolin a helicopteron a plane

at universityin a boaton a ship

at collegein a lift (elevator)on a bicycle

at the topin the newspaperon a horse

at the bottomin the skyon the radio, on television

at the sidein a rowon the left, on the right

at receptionin Oxford Streeton the way

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 DATESatinon

PRECISE TIMEMONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES, Particular DECADE, Particular SEASON and LONG PERIODSDAYS and DATES

at 3 o'clockin Mayon Sunday

at 10.30amin summeron Tuesdays

at dinnertimein 1990on 25 Dec. 2010

at bedtimein the 1990son Christmas Day

at sunrisein the next centuryon Independence Day

at sunsetin the Ice Ageon my birthday

at the momentin the past/futureon New Year's Eve

There are 2 more examples I want to show you which are not for longer periods.

"In" for a time in the future. The example is: "I'll do it in 5 minutes". What this means is "I'll do it 5 minutes from now". We could also say in 2 hours or in 5 days or whatever time.

"In" for time needed. We can use the same example as before, "I'll do it in 5 minutes", except here, it means something completely different.

Here it means "I need" or "it will take me" 5 minutes to do the job or the task that I'm talking about. And again, we can say in 2 hours or in 5 days or whatever time we're talking about.

Look at these examples:

I have a meeting at 9am.

The shop closes at midnight.

Jane went home at lunchtime.

In England, it often snows in December.

Do you think we will go to Jupiter in the future?

There should be a lot of progress in the next century.

Do you work on Mondays?

Her birthday is on 20 November.

Where will you be on New Year's Day?Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions:

ExpressionExample

at nightThe stars shine at night.

at the weekendI don't usually work at the weekend.

at Christmas/EasterI stay with my family at Christmas.

at the same timeWe finished the test at the same time.

at presentHe's not home at present. Try later.

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

inon

in the morningon Tuesday morning

in the morningson 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)

ii) Using On

We use "on" for days and dates. Two examples here.

Number 1, "on Friday", shows us that we can use "on" for days of the week. We could also say "on Saturday" or "on Sunday" or on whatever day.

Number 2 is dates in the year, and the example is "on 23rd March", although speakers of American English will probably say "March 23rd" without the "on".

So that's "on": days and dates. Let's go finally to "at".

iii) Using At

And we use "at" for talking about particular times. 6 examples on this page.

Number 1, "at 6 o'clock", shows that we can use "at" for times of day. We could also say "at 7.30", or "at 10.45" or whatever time.

Number 2 is "at midday" or "at midnight", again times of day.

Number 3 shows we use "at" for mealtimes. The example here is "at lunch". We could also have "at breakfast" or "at dinner".

Number 4 is "at sunrise" or "at sunset".

Number 5 is "at night". Be careful here because we can't say "at day". Instead, we would probably say "during" the day.

And Number 6 shows we can use "at" for religious festivals. The picture example here is "at Christmas". We could also say "at Eid" or "at Vesach" or "at Diwali", and so on.

Now I said before that we can use "at" for particular times, like times of day, at midday / midnight, at mealtimes, at sunrise / sunset, at night and at religious festivals.

I want to show you one final example, and this is Number 7: "at the weekend" (two people lying on the grass), although in American English, we would probably say "on the weekend".

So that's the end of Part 1; here is the PDF which you can download. As you can see it has all the examples for In, On, At for time plus the pictures to make them easier to remember.

Instructions:For each question, choose the single best answer. Make your choice by clicking on its button. You can change your answers at any time. When the quiz is graded, the correct answers will appear in the box after each question.The script that makes this quiz work was graciously provided by Professor Bradley Kjell of the Computer Science Department at Central Connecticut State University.Top of Form

1.My best friend lives ON Boretz Road.a.in

b.on

c.at

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

2.I'll be ready to leave IN about twenty minutes.a.in

b.on

c.at

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

3.Since he met his new girlfriend, Juan never seems to be AT home.a.on

b.in

c.at

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

4.The child responded to his mother's demands ______ throwing a tantrum.a.with

b.by

c.from

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

5.I think she spent the entire afternoon ______ the phone.a.on

b.in

c.at

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

6.I will wait ______ 6:30, but then I'm going home.a.from

b.at

c.until

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

7.The police caught the thief _____ the corner of Cascade and Plum Streets.a.in

b.at

c.from

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

8.My fingers were injured so my sister had to write the note _____ me.a.for

b.with

c.to

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

9.I am not interested _____ buying a new car now.a.to

b.for

c.in

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

10.What are the main ingredients ______ this casserole?a.about

b.to

c.of

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

11.My best friend, John, is named ______ his great-grandfather.a.after

b.to

c.about

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

12.Grandpa stayed up ______ two in the morning.a.since

b.for

c.until

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

13.My parents have been married ______ forty-nine years.a.since

b.for

c.until

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

14.He usually travels to Philadelphia _______ train.a.by

b.at

c.with

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

15.You frequently see this kind of violence ____ television.a.with

b.in

c.on

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

16.I told Mom we'd be home ______ an hour or so.a.to

b.in

c.at

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

17.I was visiting my best friend _____ the hospital.a.of

b.at

c.in

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

18.The professor _______ South Africa amazed the American students with her stories.a.from

b.of

c.in

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

19.I'll see you ____ home when I get there.a.in

b.by

c.at

Bottom of Form

Top of Form

20.It's been snowing ________ Christmas morning.a.since

b.for

c.until

1) Stop worrying your exam - everything will be fine. Correct!

2) I've waited Judy for 30 minutes. I'm going home. Correct!

3) Stop talking and concentrate your work. Correct!

4) Don't forget to pay the newspaper. Correct!

5) He explained the computer program me. Correct!

6) I don't know what we'll do at the weekend. It depends the weather. Correct!

7) She will arrive Bejing at 3pm. Correct!

8) I like to listen the radio when I wake up. Correct!

9) He borrowed 20 his brother. Correct!

10) Who does this coat belong .Correct!

11) She left without paying the meal. Correct!

12) It was so hot I couldn't concentrate my book. Correct!

13) Mothers always worry their children. Correct!

14) Please explain the meaning of this word your classmates. Correct!

15) I'm fed up of waiting spring. Correct!

16) That car belongs my father. Correct!

17) She listens opera on the tube. Correct!

18) Which university you go to depends your exam results. Correct!

19) A lot of people borrow money the bank. Correct!

20) When she arrived the pub, it was already closed. Correct!

Bottom of Form

_1482106081.unknown

_1482106097.unknown

_1482106105.unknown

_1482106109.unknown

_1482106111.unknown

_1482106112.unknown

_1482106110.unknown

_1482106107.unknown

_1482106108.unknown

_1482106106.unknown

_1482106101.unknown

_1482106103.unknown

_1482106104.unknown

_1482106102.unknown

_1482106099.unknown

_1482106100.unknown

_1482106098.unknown

_1482106089.unknown

_1482106093.unknown

_1482106095.unknown

_1482106096.unknown

_1482106094.unknown

_1482106091.unknown

_1482106092.unknown

_1482106090.unknown

_1482106085.unknown

_1482106087.unknown

_1482106088.unknown

_1482106086.unknown

_1482106083.unknown

_1482106084.unknown

_1482106082.unknown

_1482106049.unknown

_1482106065.unknown

_1482106073.unknown

_1482106077.unknown

_1482106079.unknown

_1482106080.unknown

_1482106078.unknown

_1482106075.unknown

_1482106076.unknown

_1482106074.unknown

_1482106069.unknown

_1482106071.unknown

_1482106072.unknown

_1482106070.unknown

_1482106067.unknown

_1482106068.unknown

_1482106066.unknown

_1482106057.unknown

_1482106061.unknown

_1482106063.unknown

_1482106064.unknown

_1482106062.unknown

_1482106059.unknown

_1482106060.unknown

_1482106058.unknown

_1482106053.unknown

_1482106055.unknown

_1482106056.unknown

_1482106054.unknown

_1482106051.unknown

_1482106052.unknown

_1482106050.unknown

_1482106033.unknown

_1482106041.unknown

_1482106045.unknown

_1482106047.unknown

_1482106048.unknown

_1482106046.unknown

_1482106043.unknown

_1482106044.unknown

_1482106042.unknown

_1482106037.unknown

_1482106039.unknown

_1482106040.unknown

_1482106038.unknown

_1482106035.unknown

_1482106036.unknown

_1482106034.unknown

_1482106025.unknown

_1482106029.unknown

_1482106031.unknown

_1482106032.unknown

_1482106030.unknown

_1482106027.unknown

_1482106028.unknown

_1482106026.unknown

_1482106021.unknown

_1482106023.unknown

_1482106024.unknown

_1482106022.unknown

_1482106017.unknown

_1482106019.unknown

_1482106020.unknown

_1482106018.unknown

_1482106015.unknown

_1482106016.unknown

_1482106014.unknown

_1482106013.unknown