GRAMMAR

Prepositions
HOW TO USE IN, ON & AT
How to use in, on and at?
TWO OF THE MOST COMMON CONTEXTS
IN WHICH IN, AT, AND ON ARE USED
INVOLVE IDENTIFYING WHERE
SOMEONE OR SOMETHING IS (PLACE)
AND WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENED

GRAMMAR: PREPOSITIONS
(TIME). THE CHARTS BELOW EXPLAIN
WHEN THESE PREPOSITIONS SHOULD
BE USED IN THE NUMEROUS
SITUATIONS OF TIME AND PLACE.
 In, on & at as
prepositions of place
I’m working at the bakery.
The shop is at 455 Main Street.
AT A VERY SPECIFIC
AT POINT, LOCATION, OR
PLACE
Someone is at the door.
Is she at a concert tonight?
Read the title at the top of the page.

The painting is on the wall.

ON A SURFACE. Her ring is on her middle finger.
EXCEPTIONS: GENERAL
ON STREET NAMES AND Do you like anything on the menu?
CLOSE TO A RIVER
I live on Grove Street.
GRAMMAR: PREPOSITIONS

The restaurant is on the river.

She has a penny in her pocket.

IN AN ENCLOSED I left my wallet in the car.
SPACE, OR A GENERAL
IN AREA THAT CONTAINS
BORDERS OR
The children are in the garden.
BOUNDARIES
They live in New York City.
I’m staying in France this summer.
NOTES
WHEN REFERRING TO BUILDINGS OR OTHER
CONFINED AREAS, BOTH PREPOSITIONS “AT”
AND “IN” CAN BE USED, DEPENDING ON THE
CONTEXT. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DESCRIBE
THE GENERAL LOCATION OF WHERE
SOMEONE/SOMETHING IS, YOU SHOULD USE
“AT.” FOR EXAMPLE, “MARY IS AT THE

GRAMMAR: PREPOSITIONS
SCHOOL.” HOWEVER, IF YOU NEED TO
EMPHASIZE THAT SOMEONE/SOMETHING IS
INSIDE THE BUILDING OR AREA, YOU CAN
USE “IN.” FOR INSTANCE, “MARY IS IN THE
SCHOOL.”
 In, on & at as
prepositions of time
SPECIFIC TIMES:
HOURS/MINUTES OF We’ll meet you at 6 o’clock.
THE DAY
AT TIMES OF DAY: (E.G.
DAWN, MIDNIGHT,
The show starts at 4:45.
NOON, SUNRISE,
BEDTIME) I hate driving at night.

The party is on May 5th.

SPECIFIC DAYS AND
DATES: They work out on Mondays.
DATES
ON DAYS OF THE WEEK I relax on the weekend.
WEEKENDS*
He left on Christmas day.
GRAMMAR: PREPOSITIONS

HOLIDAYS
BIRTHDAYS
We met on Easter.

MORE GENERAL
She grew up in the 90s.
TIMESMONTHS
SEASONS It was cold in the Ice Age.
YEARS
IN CENTURIES He was angrier in the past.
TIME PERIODS
PAST/FUTURE I’ll meet with you in an hour.
FUTURE TIMES
It was dark in the morning.
NOTES
IN HAS EXCEPTION FOR TIMES OF DAY, IT
HAS TO BE USED WITH: MORNING,
AFTERNOON, EVENING
IN AMERICAN ENGLISH, THE PREPOSITION
“ON” IS USED WITH WEEKENDS AND
HOLIDAYS, AS SHOWN ABOVE. HOWEVER,
IN BRITISH ENGLISH AND OTHER

GRAMMAR: PREPOSITIONS
VARIETIES, THE PREPOSITION “AT” CAN BE
USED WITH WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS
(I.E., “I WENT TO THE PARK AT THE
WEEKEND” AND “I STAY IN LONDON AT
CHRISTMAS.”