Prepositions of Time Exercises: In, On and At
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When do we use in, on and at?
Use at for a clock time, on for a day or date, and in for a month, year or season. Some everyday phrases have their own pattern.
- At + time:
- The lesson starts at eight o'clock. Use at for a clock time.
- On + day or date:
- We meet on Monday. My birthday is on July 5. Use on for days and dates.
- In + longer period:
- School starts in September. The school trip is in 2027. It is cold in winter.
- Parts of the day:
- Say in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening, but at night.
- The weekend:
- On the weekend is common in American English. At the weekend is common in British English. Both are correct.
Examples
The bus leaves at seven o'clock.
At comes before a clock time.
I have English class on Tuesday.
On comes before a day of the week.
The game is on April 12.
Use on for an exact date.
My birthday is in June.
In comes before a month without a date.
The school trip is in 2027.
Use in for a year.
It is warm here in summer.
Use in for a season.
I do my homework in the morning.
Morning, afternoon and evening take in the.
The stars come out at night.
At night is the usual expression for night in general.
We visit Grandma on the weekend.
On the weekend is common in American English; at the weekend is common in British English.
Audio uses a synthetic voice.
Practice exercises
Choose the time preposition
Choose the answer that completes each sentence.
1.The film starts ___ six o'clock.
2.We have art class ___ Friday.
3.My birthday is ___ August.
4.The party is ___ May 3.
5.It gets cold here ___ winter.
6.I go to bed ___ night.
Fill the gaps
Type in, on or at. The weekend question accepts both common forms.
Correct one word
Choose the wrong preposition and replace it with the correct one.
13.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
14.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
15.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
16.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
Listen and choose
Listen to each sentence and choose when the action happens.
17.What time does the class start?
18.Which day do they play football?
19.Which month is her birthday?
20.When does the person read?
Remember the time: at, on, in
Start with the size of the time. A clock time is small, so use at: the bus leaves at seven o'clock. A day or exact date takes on: we meet on Tuesday; the game is on April 12.
A longer period takes in. My birthday is in June, the school trip is in 2027, and it is warm in summer. Parts of the day usually take in the: in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. For night in general, say at night.
For a weekend, American English often uses on the weekend and British English often uses at the weekend. Both are correct. When a time phrase begins with this or next, you usually do not need a preposition: this Friday, next week.
Frequently asked questions
Do we use in, on or at with days?
Use on with days of the week: on Monday, on Tuesday and on Friday.
Is it in the morning or at the morning?
Say in the morning. The other parts of the day are in the afternoon and in the evening, but we usually say at night.
Is it on the weekend or at the weekend?
Both are correct. On the weekend is common in American English; at the weekend is common in British English.
Answer key
1. The film starts ___ six o'clock.
Answer: at
A clock time takes at: at six o'clock.
2. We have art class ___ Friday.
Answer: on
A day of the week takes on: on Friday.
3. My birthday is ___ August.
Answer: in
A month without a date takes in: in August.
4. The party is ___ May 3.
Answer: on
An exact date takes on: on May 3.
5. It gets cold here ___ winter.
Answer: in
A season takes in: in winter.
6. I go to bed ___ night.
Answer: at
At night is the usual phrase for night in general.
7. The train leaves ___ 9:30.
Answer: at
Use at before a clock time.
8. We play tennis ___ Saturday.
Answer: on
Use on before a day.
9. My school starts ___ September.
Answer: in
Use in before a month.
10. She reads ___ the evening.
Answer: in
The phrase is in the evening.
11. They sleep ___ night.
Answer: at
The usual phrase for night in general is at night.
12. We see our friends ___ the weekend.
Answer: on
On the weekend is common in American English; at the weekend is common in British English.
13. We meet in Monday.
Answer: We meet on Monday.
Monday is a day, so say on Monday.
14. The shop opens on eight o'clock.
Answer: The shop opens at eight o'clock.
A clock time takes at.
15. Her birthday is at November.
Answer: Her birthday is in November.
A month without a date takes in.
16. I read in night.
Answer: I read at night.
For night in general, say at night.
17. Listening question 17: My class starts at eight o'clock.
Answer: At eight o'clock
The speaker says at eight o'clock.
18. Listening question 18: We play football on Friday.
Answer: Friday
The speaker says on Friday.
19. Listening question 19: Her birthday is in May.
Answer: May
The speaker says in May.
20. Listening question 20: I read at night.
Answer: At night
The person says at night.