PREPOSITION OF TIME

Preposition Use Examples

in months in July; in September
year in 1985; in 1999
seasons in summer; in the summer of 69
in
in the morning; in the afternoon; in
part of the day
the evening
duration in a minute; in two weeks
part of the day at night
time of day at 6 o'clock; at midnight
at
celebrations at Christmas; at Easter
fixed phrases at the same time
days of the week on Sunday; on Friday
date on the 25th of December*
on on Good Friday; on Easter Sunday;
special holidays
on my birthday
a special part of a day on the morning of *

Exercise : Use in/ on/ at

1. Peter is playing tennis _____ Sunday.

2. My brother's birthday is _______ the 5th of November.
3. My birthday is ______ May.
4. We are going to see my parents_____ the weekend.
5. ______ 1666, a great fire broke out in London.
6. I don't like walking alone in the streets ______ night.
7. What are you doing ______ the afternoon?
8. I will have finished this essay _____ Friday.

Exercise : Use in / on / at
1. Jane is arriving ___January 26 ___ 2 o'clock ___ the afternoon.
2. It snows here every year ____ December. We always go outside and play in the snow ___ Christmas day.
3. Michael is leaving ____ Friday ____ noon.
4. Frankie started working for her law firm ____ 1995.
5. Normally, _____ New Year's Eve, it's tradition to kiss the one you love _____ midnight.
6. The telephone was invented _____ the 1870s.
7. The plane leaves tomorrow morning ____ 8:00 AM.
8. The hills here are covered with wildflowers ____ early spring.
9. We met at the restaurant _____ 6:30 and stayed ____ 10:30.

Exercise : Choose the right answer

1 I left work ______ ten o'clock last night.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

2 I saw Bob in the street ______ yesterday.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

3 I didn't get time to come and visit you ______ last Tuesday.
At
On
In
(no preposition)

4 He used to be a regular visitor ______ Tuesdays.

 At
On
In
(no preposition)

5 I phoned her up and spoke to her ______ Wednesday morning.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

6 I last saw him ______ the beginning of September.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

7 I saw him sometime ______ June.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

8 Were you at the last meeting ______ July 13?

At
On
In
(no preposition)

9 We bought the company ______ Thursday, 22 May.

 At
On
In
(no preposition)

10 I spoke to her ______ three weeks ago.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

11 I bought this computer ______ the start of the summer.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

12 I bought this computer ______ the summer.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

13 I bought this computer ______ last summer.

At
On
In
(no preposition)
14 This style was very popular ______ the 1970's.
At
On
In
(no preposition)

15 They were very popular ______ the middle of the 19th Century.
at
on
in
(no preposition)

16 I was still at school ______ 1993.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

17 I met him ______ January of last year.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

18 I knew Chris Smith quite well ______ when I was at university.

At
On
In
(no preposition)
19 I took over this job ______ the middle of last year.
At
On
In
(no preposition)

20 I was in a meeting ______ all day yesterday.

At
On
In
(no preposition)

Exercise: Choose the right answer from the sentences below.

1.- My birthday's ...... May

a) in
b) on
c) at
2.- The exam is ...... the tenth of December
a) in
b) on
c) at
3.- I always have dinner with my family ..... Christmas Day
a) in
b) at
c) on

4.- In Spain, they give each other presents ..... Christmas Eve
a) in
b) on
c) at
5.- The lecture finished ..... five thirty
a) at
b) on
c) in
6.- I like to go to a party ....... New Year's Eve
a) in
 b) on
c) at

7.- You must see Paris ..... the Spring

a) in
b) on
c) at
8.- He doesn't start work until late .... the afternoon
a) on
b) in
c) at
9.- Snow generally falls ..... February
a) in
b) on
c) at
10.- People give chocolate eggs as presents ...... Easter
a) on
b) in
c) at
11.- I have lessons .... Mondays and Wednesdays
a) in
b) on
c) at
12.- It's always colder ....... November than September
a) on
b) in
c) at
13.- Their first child was born ..... the spring
a) on
b) at
c) in

14.- People celebrate Guy Fawkes' Night ..... the fifth of November
a) on
b) in
c) at
15.- I'll see you ..... ten o' clock
a) at
b) on
c) in

16.- She died ..... 1993

a) on
b) in
c) at
17.- It gets very cold ..... winter
a) on
b) at
c) in
18.- She was born ..... 1985
a) at
 b) on
c) in
19.- In England they say .... the weekend
a) on
b) at
c) in
20.- In America they say..... the weekend
a) at
b) on
c) in
21.- Her birthday's ..... June
a) in
b) on
c) at
22.- I'll be seeing them ...... a month's time
a) on
b) in
c) at

23.- I leave home very early ..... the morning

a) on
b) at
c) in
24.- She's going on holiday ...... Xmas
a) in
b) at
c) on
25.- The Black Death occurred ..... the Middle Ages
a) in
b) on
c) at
26.- Leaves fall ..... Autumn
a) on
b) at
c) in
27.- The law was changed ..... the nineteenth century
a) in
b) on
c) at

28.- He'll be here ..... a moment

a) in
b) on
c) at
29.- Term finishes ..... a Thursday for some reason
a) at
b) in
c) on
30.- Their wedding is .... the eleventh of July
a) in
 b) on
c) at
31.- The film starts ........ eight o' clock
a) in
b) on
c) at
32.- Mayday is celebrated .... May the first
a) in
b) on
c) at
33.- The play starts ..... half past seven
a) at
b) on
c) in
34.- The strike started .... the fifteenth of May
a) in
b) on
c) at
35.- More people have heart attacks ..... Monday morning than at any other time
a) on
b) in
c) at
36.- She got pregnant ....... eighteen
a) at
b) in
c) on
37.- The results come out .... July
a) on
b) in
c) at
38.- There is a public holiday ........ May the first
a) on
b) in
c) at

39.- She was born ..... Christmas Eve

a) on
b) at
c) in

40.- The flower blossoms .... early April

a) on
b) at
c) in

41.- She left her job ....... August

a) in
b) on
c) at
42.- Her birthday is ..... a Tuesday this year
 a) on
b) at
c) in
43.- We met ...... a foggy day in March
a) on
b) at
c) in
44.- Their car was broken into ..... Saturday night
a) in
b) at
c) on
45.- The contract was signed ..... 1984
a) in
b) on
c) at
46.- They're leaving ...... June
a) on
b) in
c) at
47.- He was born ..... 1968
a) in
b) on
c) at