Prepositions of Time in British English
In, on, at are the prepositions of time.
In this lesson, you’ll learn when to use each preposition and practise using them.
When to use each preposition of time?
On
- Days – on Monday, on Saturday
- Specific dates – on 21st May
- Specific occasions – on my birthday, on New Year’s Eve
In
- Years – in 2026, in the 70s
- Months – in September, in December
- Seasons – in summer, in winter
- Parts of the day – in the morning, in the evening
At
- Exact times – at 4pm, at 9:30am
- Specific points of the day – at noon, at midnight
- Weekend – at the weekend
- Celebrations – at Christmas, at Easter
Examples
My birthday is in May.
We are going to the zoo on Sunday.
Can you meet us at 1pm?
Remember: each preposition has a specific use.
Practise
Fill the gap with the correct preposition – in, on, at.
Common mistakes learners make
- Using the wrong preposition
- Confusing ‘at’ with ‘in’ for parts of the day
- Mixing up specific times and dates
Common mistakes learners make
- Using the wrong preposition
- Confusing ‘at’ with ‘in’ for parts of the day
- Mixing up specific times and dates
Watch: Preposition of time explained by a British tutor
In this video, Claire explains the prepositions plus more examples.
