Prepositions of Time: AT – IN – ON - Kiến Thức Cho Người lao Động Việt Nam

“Prepositions of time such as “at”, “in” and “on” are words used to indicate when an event or action takes place. This article will explore the usage of these prepositions and provide examples to help better understand when to use them correctly in sentence construction.

Prepositions of Time

Generally, in shows the “largest” time, on shows dates and time, and at usually shows the “smallest” time.

English speakers use in to refer to a general, longer period of time, such as months, years, decades, or centuries. For example, we say “in April,” “in 2017” or “in the 21st century.”

Moving to shorter, more specific periods of time, we use on to talk about particular days, dates, and holidays . You may hear, “I went to work on Monday,” or “Let’s have a picnic on Memorial Day.”

For the most specific times, and for holidays without the word “day,” we use at. That means you will hear, “Meet me at midnight,” or “The flowers are in bloom at Easter time.”

List of Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of Time with In

Here are some examples of prepositions of time that include “in”:

in the morning
in the afternoon
in the evening
in the summer
in the fall
in the winter
in the spring
in the decade
in the century
in the past
in the future
in (a specific) month (e.g. in August, in February)
in (a specific) year (e.g. in 2022, in 1999)
in (a specific) time period (e.g. in the last hour, in the next week)
in (a specific) part of the day (e.g. in the morning, in the night)
in a while
in the mean time
in the middle of something
in the course of something
in the duration of something

Prepositions of Time with On

Here are some examples of prepositions of time that include “on”:

on Monday
on Tuesday
on Wednesday
on Thursday
on Friday
on Saturday
on Sunday
on (specific date) (e.g. on June 1st, on January 14th)
on (specific holiday) (e.g. on Christmas, on New Year’s Eve)
on (specific occasion) (e.g. on her birthday, on the day of the exam)
on (a specific) day of the week (e.g. on Fridays, on Mondays)
on (a specific) day of the month (e.g. on the 15th, on the 30th)
on (a specific) day of the year (e.g. on Valentine’s Day, on Halloween)
on (a specific) time of the day (e.g. on the morning, on the night)

Prepositions of Time with At

Here are some examples of prepositions of time that include “at”:

at night
at dawn
at sunrise
at sunset
at noon
at midnight
at (specific time) (e.g. at 3:00 PM, at 6:30 AM)
at (a specific) clock time (e.g. at half past two, at quarter to six)
at (a specific) point in time (e.g. at the beginning, at the end)
at (a specific) part of the day (e.g. at bedtime, at mealtime)
at (a specific) moment in time (e.g. at the moment, at this time)
at the same time

Let’s look at the usage for in, at, on.

How to Use Prepositions of Time IN/ ON /AT | Images

Prepositions of Time IN/ ON /AT

NOTE

Do not use in/at/on before “next” or “last”.

We will get married next year.
Their baby was born last March.

Conclusion

In conclusion, prepositions of time are words that indicate the relationship between a specific time and an action or event. They are an important part of the English language and are used to communicate specific details about when things happen. Understanding and using prepositions of time correctly can help improve communication in both written and spoken English. Additionally, it’s also important to note that some of the prepositions of time can be used for place too.