Prepositions of Time
Level A1 · Prepositions
Use at for precise times and for a few fixed expressions treated as one single occasion rather than a period: at 6 o'clock, at night, at the weekend (UK), at Christmas. Even though a weekend or Christmas lasts more than a moment, English treats the whole occasion as one point in time.
Use in for longer periods: in July, in 2024, in the morning, in winter.
Use on for days and dates: on Monday, on 3 July, on my birthday.
Some time expressions take no preposition at all: next/last/this + time word (next week, last month, this morning), every + time word (every day), and standalone words like today, tomorrow, yesterday, tonight: I'll call you next week, not I'll call you in next week.
The most common mistake is using one preposition for everything, copying a single word from your own language: don't say in Monday or at July — each time expression has its own fixed preposition to learn.
Other fixed expressions to know:
- at: at the same time
- in: in time, in advance
- on: on time, on holiday