When do I use 'in', 'on', and 'at' for time?

Use 'at' for specific times (at 3 o'clock, at noon), 'on' for days and dates (on Monday, on July 4th), and 'in' for longer periods (in January, in 2024, in the morning).

When do I use 'in', 'on', and 'at' for place?

Use 'at' for specific locations (at the bus stop), 'on' for surfaces (on the table), and 'in' for enclosed spaces (in the room, in the car).

Are there exceptions to preposition rules?

Yes: 'at night' (not 'in the night'), 'on the weekend' (American) vs 'at the weekend' (British), 'in the street' vs 'on the street' (both acceptable).

What is the difference between 'in time' and 'on time'?

'On time' means punctual: 'The train arrived on time.' 'In time' means early enough: 'We arrived in time for the movie.'

How do I use prepositions with transport?

Use 'on' for public transport: 'on the bus.' Use 'in' for private vehicles: 'in a car.' Use 'by' for general: 'by train' (no article).

What prepositions do I use for home, work, and school?

Use 'at' for general presence: 'at home', 'at work.' Use 'in' for inside: 'in the house.' Use 'to' for movement: 'go to work.'

How do I use 'between' and 'among'?

Use 'between' for two specific things: 'between the bank and post office.' Use 'among' for a group: 'among friends.'

What is the difference between 'in the corner' and 'at/on the corner'?

'In the corner' for inside corners of a room. 'At/on the corner' for street corners: 'The café is on the corner of Main Street.'

CEFR A2

Prepositions of Time & Place

Learn how to use common prepositions like in, on, at, under, and next to to improve your speaking skills.

Learn Prepositions of Time and Place

What You Will Learn

Prepositions connect nouns to time and location. Master in, on, at and other common prepositions to speak more accurately.

Use in, on, at correctly for time expressions

Use in, on, at correctly for place and location

Learn prepositions with transport and buildings

Understand exceptions and fixed expressions

What Are Prepositions of Time and Place?

IN for longer periods (months, years, seasons). ON for days and dates. AT for exact times and set phrases.

in March / in 2024 / in summeron Monday / on 15th May / on my birthdayat 3pm / at night / at Christmas

Tip

Think of it as zooming in: IN (the biggest containers of time) → ON (specific days) → AT (the most precise points in time). The preposition gets more precise.

Prepositions are small words that show the relationship between a noun and time or location. The most common ones are in, on, and at. Each has specific rules for time and place.

Prepositions for Time

"At 3 PM" (exact time)

"On Monday" (days)

"In January" (months)

Prepositions for Place

"On the table" (surface)

"In the box" (inside)

"At the station" (point)

Key Pattern!

at = specific point, on = surface/day, in = inside/period

✓ IN the morning (part of day)

✓ ON Monday (day)

✓ AT 9 AM (exact time)

📖 A Day Out

On Saturday morning, we met at the bus stop at 9 o'clock.

We sat on the bus and arrived in the city centre in about 30 minutes.

We had lunch at a restaurant on the corner of Park Street.

In the afternoon, we walked between the shops and sat among the flowers in the park.

Prepositions help us describe exactly when and where things happen — in, on, and at are your best friends!

How to Use Prepositions of Time

Learn which preposition to use for different time expressions.

AT – Specific Times

At 3 o'clock

At noon

At midnight

At the moment

At Christmas (period)

ON – Days and Dates

On Monday

On 15th May

On my birthday

On time (punctual)

On the weekend (US)

IN – Longer Periods

In January

In 2024

In the summer

In the morning

In time (early enough)

Try It

Complete these sentences with in, on, or at:

I wake up ___ 7 o'clock every day.

My birthday is ___ March.

We have English class ___ Monday.

💡 💡 Check your answers

at (specific time)

in (month)

on (day of the week)

How to Use Prepositions of Place

Learn which preposition to use for different locations and positions.

AT, ON, IN for Place

AT – Specific Locations

point/position

ON – Surfaces

surface

IN – Enclosed Spaces

enclosed space

"I'm at the door." (point)

"The book is on the table." (surface)

"She's in the kitchen." (room)

Other Place Prepositions

Above/Below

under the table

above the door

below the window

Side Position

next to me

beside the river

between two chairs

Front/Back

in front of the house

behind the tree

opposite the bank

Want to try a Prepositions quiz?

Practice with multiple choice questions

Time & Place Quick Reference

Use this chart to quickly check which preposition to use.

Time Prepositions Chart

Exact Time

"Meet me at 5 PM."

Days

"We shop on Saturdays."

Months

"It's cold in December."

Seasons

"We swim in summer."

Place Prepositions Chart

Points

"Wait at the bus stop."

Surfaces

"Keys are on the table."

Enclosed Spaces

"Milk is in the fridge."

Between Things

"Sit between us."

Practice with New Examples

There are several books on the shelf between the two dictionaries.

Put some sugar in the bowl next to the three cups of tea.

We need a little information about the event in the brochure under those papers.

Ready to test your Prepositions knowledge?

Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

Common Mistakes

❌ I'll see you in Monday.

✓ I'll see you on Monday.

❌ The cat is in the table.

✓ The cat is on the table.

❌ I live at London.

✓ I live in London.

❌ We meet at the morning.

✓ We meet in the morning.

❌ The keys are on the drawer.

✓ The keys are in the drawer.

Master Prepositions sentence building!

Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

Practice Tips

Remember: at = point, on = surface/day, in = inside/period

Memorise fixed expressions: at night, at home, on time, in the morning

For transport: on (public), in (private), by (general)

Draw a timeline and map to visualise when to use each preposition

Read sentences aloud — prepositions sound natural when practised in phrases

Speaking Practice

To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

I wake up at 7 o'clock every morning.

The meeting is on Monday afternoon.

She was born in December 1995.

The book is on the table.

My dog is hiding under the bed.

Put the books on the shelf between the vases.

The sugar is in the bowl next to the teapot.

I am playing tennis in the park on Sunday morning at 9am.

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