Lesson 30 of 46

in, on, at for time

Pick the right preposition for times, days, and periods.

The rules

  1. 1.Use at for exact times and points: at 5 pm, at noon, at night.
  2. 2.Use on for days and dates: on Monday, on 5 May, on my birthday.
  3. 3.Use in for months, years, seasons, and parts of the day: in May, in 2024, in summer, in the morning.
  4. 4."In 10 minutes" means after 10 minutes from now.

Common mistakes and fixes

Incorrect: See you in Monday.

Correct: See you on Monday.

Days take "on".

Incorrect: I wake up on 6 am.

Correct: I wake up at 6 am.

Exact times take "at".

Incorrect: I was born at 1998.

Correct: I was born in 1998.

Years take "in".

Watch out: Think small to large: at (a point), on (a day), in (a longer period).

Quick quiz

1. The meeting is ___ 3 pm.
2. My birthday is ___ March.
3. Let's talk ___ Friday.

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