Unit 6.2

Prepositions of Time

Prepositions

Introduction

Prepositions are small words that connect elements in a sentence. They are essential because they provide additional details about the sentence.

We use prepositions of time to locate an event in a time frame {see Common Prepositions, A1 level}.

Form

Prepositions of time don’t stand alone but act with other elements of the sentence to create what we can call prepositional phrases: at, on, in and by.

Example

At

Everyday at 7.00 clock I can see the stars.
He is going to the forest at Easter.
At weekends we take the dogs for a walk.

On

On Sundays, I usually relax with my friends by going to the coast.
She was born on the 1st of September in 1997.
The island sank on Sunday morning.

In

I always travel to famous forests in Finland in November.
In autumn it always rains.
In the evening the horses started to run.

By

Please, send me those tickets by Monday.
She has to finish her world map by next week.
Is Maria still in the garden? Yes, she will be back by evening.

Use

We use prepositions of time to locate an event in a specific moment or period.

At

Exact times (the moment, sunrise, noon, night, midnight, hours);
Special holiday periods (Christmas*, Easter…);
Weekend*.

On

Days of the week (Monday, Saturday, Wednesday…);
Dates;
Specific part of the day (on Sunday morning).

In

Months, years, centuries;
Seasons;
The morning, the afternoon, the evening.

By

Time-limited actions;
Projects with deadline;
Time of someone’s return.

*In American English you can find on instead of at.

Summary

Prepositions of time are used to locate the event in a time context.

The main prepositions of time are: at, on, in and by.

For example:
— “I will go to my grandparents’ house at Christmas.” = We use at to talk about special holiday periods.
— “I will go to my grandparents’ house on 25th of December.” = We use on to talk about dates.
— “I will go to my grandparents’ house in December.” = We use in to talk about months.
— “I will return from my grandparents’ house by December.” = We use by to talk about the time of someone’s return.

NOTE: In American English you can find Christmas and weekend with on instead of at.

Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.

At

On

In

By

At

On

In

By

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