Prepositions of Time
Use in, on, and at correctly with time expressions.
At
Use 'at' with exact times and some fixed expressions.
- at 6 o'clock
- at noon
- at night
- at the weekend
On
Use 'on' with days and dates.
- on Monday
- on July 4th
- on my birthday
In
Use 'in' with months, years, seasons, and longer periods.
- in June
- in 2024
- in summer
- in the morning
For, since, during, before, after
Other common time prepositions: 'for' + a duration, 'since' + a starting point, 'during' + an event, and 'before/after' + a point in time.
- I've lived here for five years.
- She has worked here since 2018.
- It happened during the meeting.
- Call me before noon.
- We can talk after lunch.
More examples in context
Time prepositions are easy to mix up, so seeing them side by side helps.
- The store is closed on Sundays.
- I'll be back in ten minutes.
- We got married in 2019.
- The train leaves at 7:45 sharp.
- She was born on a Tuesday.
- He's been studying since 6 AM.
Common mistakes to avoid
These are frequent time-preposition errors, and how to correct them.
- ✗ I was born in Monday. → ✓ I was born on Monday.
- ✗ See you in the night. → ✓ See you at night.
- ✗ I've known her since three years. → ✓ I've known her for three years.
- ✗ The meeting is in 5 o'clock. → ✓ The meeting is at 5 o'clock.
Quick practice
Choose the correct time preposition, then check your answer.
- We usually travel ___ summer. (answer: in)
- The bank closes ___ 4 PM. (answer: at)
- I haven't seen him ___ last year. (answer: since)
- She's been waiting ___ two hours. (answer: for)
- The party is ___ Saturday evening. (answer: on)