Practice
English practice: prepositions of time
Sign in to saveYour bus leaves at 7:15, your appointment is on Thursday, and your holiday begins in August. The time word after the blank gives you a useful clue.
Choose at, on, or in for a precise time, a day or date, and a longer period of time.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
on Thursday morning /ɒn ˈθɜːz.deɪ ˈmɔː.nɪŋ/
The short answer
Use at for a precise time, on for a day or date, and in for a longer period. Say at 8:00, on Monday, and in July.
The library closes at quarter past five.
Why it works: Quarter past five is one clock time, so it takes at.
5 more examples
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The swimming pool opens at quarter past seven.
A clock time is a precise point, so use at.
Not this:The swimming pool is busiest
in the evening. What changes: The evening is a general period, not one exact time. -
Our neighbors are coming on Thursday.
Thursday is a named day, so use on.
Not this:Our neighbors are coming
in May. What changes: May is a month, so use in. -
The school concert is on 21 March.
A full date names one day, so use on.
Not this:The school concert is
in March. What changes: In March gives the month without naming the day. -
My aunt moved to the city in 2028.
A year is a long time period, so use in.
Not this:My aunt moved to the city
on 5 January 2028. What changes: The full date identifies one day within the year. -
The street is quiet at night.
At night is a common fixed time phrase.
Not this:The street is busy
in the morning. What changes: Morning is a broad part of the day, so it usually takes in.
Read the full guide
Start with the expression after the blank. A clock time usually needs at. A weekday or calendar date usually needs on. A month, year, season, or broad part of the day usually needs in. Then check for familiar exceptions such as at night and next week.
Sort the time expression first
Before you choose a preposition, identify the kind of time expression. A clock time is a point. A weekday or date is one day. A month, year, season, or part of the day is a larger period.
The train leaves at 6:40.
At 6:40 gives one point on the clock. In July gives a period with many possible days.
Which preposition usually goes before a clock time?
Use at: The train leaves at 6:40.
Use at for a point in time
Use at with clock times, noon, and midnight. It also appears in common phrases such as at night. Learn those short phrases together, because night does not follow the usual pattern for parts of the day.
The meeting starts at noon.
At noon names one point in the day. In the afternoon names a wider period.
Choose the right word: The movie begins ___ 8:30.
Use at because 8:30 is a clock time.
Use on for days and dates
Use on with weekdays and calendar dates. Use on when a weekday comes before a part of the day too. The day controls the whole phrase in on Friday evening and on Sunday morning.
We have a family meal on Sunday.
In the evening is general. On Sunday evening gives one evening on a named day.
Choose the right word: Her birthday is ___ 4 November.
Use on because 4 November is a calendar date.
Use in for longer periods
Use in with months, years, seasons, and general parts of the day. These expressions contain more than one possible moment, so they describe a period rather than a single point or one named day.
The new term begins in September.
In September names the month. On 8 September names one day in that month.
Choose the right word: They first met ___ 2024.
Use in because 2024 is a year.
Check common phrases before you answer
Some frequent time phrases need a little extra care. Say at night, but in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening. Do not normally add a preposition before next, last, this, every, or each.
I will send the form next week.
Next week already places the action in time, so in next week is not the usual phrase.
Choose the complete phrase: on next Monday or next Monday?
Use next Monday. Do not add on.
Before you go
Remember this
Use at for a point in time, on for a day or date, and in for a longer period. Check the whole phrase for common patterns such as at night, in the morning, on Monday morning, and next week with no preposition.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "English practice: prepositions of time"
When do I use at for time?
Use at for a precise point in time, especially a clock time such as at 6:40. It is also used in fixed phrases such as at noon, at midnight, and at night.
The swimming pool opens at quarter past seven.
Why do we say on Tuesday but in September?
Use on with a named day or a date, so Tuesday takes on. Use in with a month, year, season, or broad part of the day, so September takes in.
The swimming pool is busiest in the evening.
Do dates use on or in?
Use on with a full calendar date because it identifies one day, as in on 21 March. Use in when you name only the wider month or year, such as in March or in 2028.
Our neighbors are coming on Thursday.
Why do we say at night but in the morning?
At night is a common fixed phrase. Morning, afternoon, and evening usually take in when you mean a general period: in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening.
Our neighbors are coming in May.
Do next week and last Monday need a preposition?
Usually no. Do not normally add at, on, or in before next, last, this, every, or each in time phrases. Say next week, last Monday, this evening, every day, and each month.
The school concert is on 21 March.