The English Prepositions of Time and Dates: a free printable worksheet on the English prepositions of Time and Date with grammar rules and exercises
The English Prepositions of Time and Dates
Table of Contents
Level:
This lesson can be used on all ages of beginner to elementary students.
Prepositions of Time – at, in, on
We use:
- at for a PRECISE TIME
- in for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
- on for DAYS and DATES
at PRECISE TIME | in MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS | on DAYS and DATES |
---|---|---|
at 3 o’clock | in May | on Sunday |
at 10.30am | in summer | on Tuesdays |
at noon | in the summer | on 6 March |
at dinnertime | in 1990 | on 25 Dec. 2010 |
at bedtime | in the 1990s | on Christmas Day |
at sunrise | in the next century | on Independence Day |
at sunset | in the Ice Age | on my birthday |
at the moment | in the past/future | on New Year’s Eve |
Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions:
Expression | Example |
---|---|
at night | The stars shine at night. |
at the weekend* | I don’t usually work at the weekend. |
at Christmas*/Easter | I stay with my family at Christmas. |
at the same time | We finished the test at the same time. |
at present | He’s not home at present. Try later. |
*Note that in some varieties of English people say “on the weekend” and “on Christmas”.
Notice the use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions:
in | on |
in the morning | on Tuesday morning |
in the mornings | on Saturday mornings |
in the afternoon(s) | on Sunday afternoon(s) |
in the evening(s) | on Monday evening(s) |