english4theworld learners' centre grammar reference


PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

AT - IN- ON - NO PREPOSITION

When do we use AT?

We use at with clock times, religious festivals, mealtimes and other specific times.

Examples:

  • at 6 o'clock
  • at Christmas / Easter
  • at breakfast / lunch / dinner / dinner time
  • at night / the weekend / weekends / half-term

When do we use IN?

We use in with seasons, years and centuries, periods in history, months, parts of the day and certain expressions of future time.

Examples:

  • in (the) summer / (the) winter
  • in 1955 / the twenty-first century / the next century
  • in the Middle Ages
  • in March / December
  • in the morning(s) / the afternoon(s) / the evening(s)
  • in the near future / the next few days / the coming months / two weeks' time / a year from now / a few minutes

When do we use ON?

We use on with days, dates and special days - in fact, any expression which contains the word day or is part of a specific named day.

Examples:

  • on Sunday / Thursday
  • on March 19th 1955 / January 1st
  • on Christmas Day / New Year's Eve / my birthday / our wedding anniversary / Monday morning / Saturday night

When do we use NO PREPOSITION?

We use no preposition with the following time expressions:

  • Time expressions with this e.g. this afternoon / week / month / year / century
  • Time expressions with last e.g. last night / week / March / year / Friday
  • Time expressions with next e.g. next week / month / year / Sunday
  • Tomorrow and time expression with tomorrow e.g. tomorrow night / morning
  • Yesterday and time expression with yesterday e.g. yesterday afternoon / morning

We use no preposition with other specific days or weeks in a month on a calendar when you do not say the name of the day (e.g. Monday) or the date (the 19th):

Examples:

  • today / the day after tomorrow / the day before yesterday / the week / before last / the week after next

We use no preposition with time expressions that contain every, all, each, some, any and one.

Examples:

  • We go on holiday every August.
  • I stayed at home all weekend.
  • He spends each Christmas with his parents.
  • Some weekends I stay in and work.
  • I can see you any evening this week.
  • One Saturday night we'll try that new restaurant.

 

 

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