Prepositions of time and place
At, on and in for time and for place in one table, the phrases that don't follow the pattern, and time words with no preposition.
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At, on and in are used both for time and for place, and the idea behind them is similar. At is a point, on is a day or a surface, and in is a longer period or a space with something around it. This page puts the two uses side by side.
The main table
Time | Place | |
|---|---|---|
at | six o'clock, midnight | the door, the bus stop |
at | lunchtime | work, home, school |
on | Monday, 14 March | the table, the wall |
on | my birthday | the left, the right |
in | the morning, July | the kitchen, a box |
in | winter, 2019 | Leeds, Spain |
For time: at a clock time, on a day or a date, in a part of the day, a month, a season or a year. For place: at a point or a place where we do something (work, study, catch a bus), on a surface or a side, in a space with something around it, a town or a country.
- The film starts at eight. Let's meet at the cinema.
- The shop is closed on Sundays. It's on the left.
- My birthday is in June. My parents live in Wales.
- Incorrect: I was born at 1995.
- Correct: I was born in 1995.Years take in.
- Incorrect: The meeting is in 3 May.
- Correct: The meeting is on 3 May.Dates take on, like days.
Phrases to learn as they are
Some common phrases don't follow the table. Learn them as phrases.
Time | Place |
|---|---|
at night | on the bus, the train, a plane |
at the weekend | in a car, a taxi |
at Christmas, at Easter | on the first floor |
on Friday morning | in the photo, in the picture |
In the morning, but at night. In the morning, but on Friday morning: when there is a day, the day decides. In American English, people say on the weekend.
- I can't sleep at night when it's hot.
- She reads on the train to work.
- Incorrect: See you in Monday morning.
- Correct: See you on Monday morning.With a day, use on, even with morning or evening.
No preposition: next, last, this, every
Don't use at, on or in before a time phrase with next, last, this, every (next week, last year, this morning, every Monday), or before today, tomorrow, yesterday. For places we still use them: in this room, on the next page. The same is true of home after a verb of movement: go home, come home, get home.
- I'm working from home this week.
- We moved here last year.
- What time did you get home?
- Incorrect: See you on next Friday.
- Correct: See you next Friday.No preposition before next.
- Incorrect: I usually go to home after the gym.
- Correct: I usually go home after the gym.After go, home has no to.
At or in a place
For a building, both words are possible. At means you are there for the usual activity. In means you are inside it. For the town or the country where someone lives or is, use in.
- I'm at the airport. My flight leaves in an hour.
- It's raining. Let's wait in the airport.
- We arrived in Rome late at night.
- We arrived at the hotel at midnight.
(Arrive in a town or a country, arrive at a building.)