Explanation
Exercises

🕒 At / In / On – Prepositions of Time

Preposition Usage Examples
At
  • Times of day
  • Mealtimes
  • Holidays (no “day”)
  • Fixed expressions
  • at 5 o’clock
  • at noon / at midnight
  • at lunch
  • at Christmas
  • at the moment
  • at the weekend (BrE)
In
  • Months
  • Seasons
  • Years, Decades, Centuries
  • Long periods
  • Parts of the day
  • in July
  • in winter
  • in 2023 / in the 90s / in the 20th century
  • in the Middle Ages
  • in the morning / in the evening
On
  • Specific days
  • Dates
  • Parts of specific days
  • on Monday
  • on July 4th
  • on Christmas Day
  • on my birthday
  • on Monday morning

🚫 No Preposition with: last, next, this, every

Don’t use at / in / on with words like last, next, this, every:

  • ✅ I saw him last week. ❌ in last week
  • ✅ I’m going on vacation next month. ❌ in next month
  • ✅ Let’s meet this Friday. ❌ on this Friday
  • ✅ I jog every morning. ❌ in every morning

📍 At – Specific Times & Expressions

Use at with times of day, mealtimes, and other specific points in time:

  • at 3 o’clock
  • at 10:30 am
  • at noon
  • at dinnertime / at bedtime
  • at sunrise / at sunset
  • at the moment

Common expressions with at:

  • at the weekend: I don’t usually work at the weekend.
  • at Christmas / Easter: I stay with my family at Christmas.
  • at the same time: We finished the test at the same time.
  • at present / at the moment: He’s not home at present. Try later.

🌳 In – Months, Seasons & Long Periods

Use in with months, seasons, years, decades, centuries, and longer periods:

  • in May
  • in the summer
  • in 1990 / in the 1990s / in the 20th century
  • in the Ice Age
  • in the past / in the future

📅 On – Days & Dates

Use on with specific days and calendar dates:

  • on Sunday / on Tuesday mornings
  • on 6 March / on 25 December 2010
  • on Christmas Day / on Independence Day
  • on my birthday / on New Year’s Eve

Parts of the day:

  • in the morning / in the afternoon / in the evening
  • at night (exception!)

🚫 Last / Next / Every / This – No Preposition

With these words, don’t use at / in / on:

  • ✅ I went to London last June. ❌ in last June
  • ✅ He’s coming back next Tuesday. ❌ on next Tuesday
  • ✅ I go home every Easter. ❌ at every Easter
  • ✅ We’ll call you this evening. ❌ in this evening

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Exercises:
1
2
3

At, in, on: Prepositions of time

Choose at, in, on to complete the sentences.
1 I’ll see you lunchtime.
2 She was born 1990.
3 The train departs 7:30 p.m.
4 We always go skiing winter.
5 He doesn’t work weekends.
6 The party is Saturday evening.
7 My birthday falls March.
8 They arrived Christmas Day.
9 The office opens 9 o’clock.
10 I like to relax the evening.

At, in, on: Prepositions of time

Choose the correct prepositions of time (at, in, on) to complete the sentences.
1
I have to meet the clients ____ lunchtime.
A.
B.
C.
2
We usually go on holiday ____ August.
A.
B.
C.
3
The meeting starts ____ 9 o’clock.
A.
B.
C.
4
My birthday is ____ March.
A.
B.
C.
5
They arrived ____ Christmas Day.
A.
B.
C.
6
He reads the newspaper ____ the morning.
A.
B.
C.
7
The deadline is ____ Friday.
A.
B.
C.
8
She studies English ____ the evening.
A.
B.
C.
9
We often travel ____ summer.
A.
B.
C.
10
I go running ____ Monday mornings.
A.
B.
C.

At, in, on: Prepositions of time

Complete the sentences using the correct prepositions of time: at, in, on.
1
I usually have cereal 7:30.
2
Trees lose their leaves autumn.
3
We exchange gifts Christmas Day.
4
He studies Russian the evening.
5
The office is closed Sundays.
6
They plan to travel July.
7
Our anniversary is April 15th.
8
We meet the weekend.
9
The train departs 7:45 Tuesday morning.
10
Dad comes home lunchtime weekdays.