On
Used to express a surface of something:
- I put an egg on the kitchen table.
- The paper is on my desk.
Used to specify days and dates:
- The garbage truck comes on Wednesdays.
- I was born on the 14th day of June in 1988.
Used to indicate a device or machine, such as a phone or computer:
- He is on the phone right now.
- She has been on the computer since this morning.
- My favorite movie will be on TV tonight.
Used to indicate a part of the body:
- The stick hit me on my shoulder.
- He kissed me on my cheek.
- I wear a ring on my finger.
Used to indicate the state of something:
- Everything in this store is on sale.
- The building is on fire.
At
Used to point out specific time:
- I will meet you at 12 p.m.
- The bus will stop here at 5:45 p.m.
Used to indicate a place:
- There is a party at the club house.
- There were hundreds of people at the park.
- We saw a baseball game at the stadium.
Used to indicate an email address:
- Please email me at abc@defg.com.
Used to indicate an activity:
- He laughed at my acting.
- I am good at drawing a portrait.
In
Used for unspecific times during a day, month, season, year:
- She always reads newspapers in the morning.
- In the summer, we have a rainy season for three weeks.
- The new semester will start in March.
Used to indicate a location or place:
- She looked me directly in the eyes.
- I am currently staying in a hotel.
- My hometown is Los Angeles, which is in California.
Used to indicate a shape, color, or size:
- This painting is mostly in blue.
- The students stood in a circle.
- This jacket comes in four different sizes.
Used to express while doing something:
- In preparing for the final report, we revised the tone three times.
- A catch phrase needs to be impressive in marketing a product.
Used to indicate a belief, opinion, interest, or feeling:
- I believe in the next life.
- We are not interested in gambling.
| AT |
|---|
| specific time | at 5:00 | See you at 5:00! |
| at 12:30 | The meeting starts at 12:30. |
| at noon | We serve lunch at noon. |
| at midnight | I’ll be asleep at midnight! |
| (expressions) | at the moment | She’s busy at the moment. |
| at the same time | Both flights arrived at the same time. |
| at this time | We have no positions available at this time. |
| at that time | At that time, they were in Rome. |
| at some point | At some point, he’ll complete his PhD. |
| at any time | Don’t call my cell at any time. |
| at sunrise | The air is so clean at sunrise. |
| at sunset | I love walking by the beach at sunset. |
| at lunchtime | The café was crowded at lunchtime. |
| at dinnertime | We’ll talk about it at dinnertime. |
| at suppertime | The kids will be back home at suppertime. |
| at night | By the way, Jack called at night. |
| ON |
|---|
| one day | on Monday | The concert is on Friday. |
| one date | on Jan 5th | I’m seeing my dentist on May 10th. |
| repetitive days | Tuesdays | My yoga class is on Tuesdays. |
| on Independence Day | I love watching the fireworks on Independence Day! |
| on your birthday | What did you do on your birthday? |
| on their anniversary | He gave her a gold necklace on their anniversary. |
| one day + time of day | on Monday morning | Do we have a class on Monday morning? |
| on Tuesday afternoon | We last spoke on Tuesday afternoon. |
| on Friday evening | On Friday evening, we usually go out for dinner. |
| on Thursday night | Where did you go on Thursday night? |
| (expressions) | on time | We made it to the exam on time. |
| on the dot | The organizers started the conference on the dot. |
| on the hour | The clock chimes on the hour. |
| IN |
|---|
| months | in July | They’re getting married in July. |
| seasons | in summer
in the summer | The kids love playing outside in summer.
We go camping in the summer. |
| years | in 2005 | They moved to London in 2005. |
| centuries | in the 1700s | Alaska was discovered in the 1700s. |
| long periods | in the Middle Ages | The printing press was invented in the Middle Ages. |
| (expressions) | in the past | In the past, I used to drive to work. |
| in the future | In the future, I’ll buy a house. |
| in a few days | She’ll be back in a few days. |
| in five minutes | He’s going to call back in five minutes. |
| in the morning | I woke up early in the morning. |
| in the afternoon | Does she sleep in the afternoon? |
| in the evening | I’m going to the library in the evening. |
| NO PREPOSITION |
|---|
| last | Last Friday, we were in London. |
| next | I have a doctor’s appointment next week. |
| this | He’s coming over this Thursday. |
| every | We watch TV every night. |
| today | Today is a brand new day. |
| tomorrow | Sorry, I can’t meet you tomorrow. |
| the day before yesterday | She was in the hospital the day before yesterday. |
| the day after tomorrow | We’re flying to Mexico the day after tomorrow. |
| soon | See you soon! |
| later | Call me later! |
| recently | Recently, my eyes have been bothering me. |
| nowadays | Nowadays, he’s kind of depressed. |
| as we speak | They’re getting married, as we speak! |
| long ago | I knew someone like that long ago. |
| a week ago | We signed the deal a week ago. |
| a year from now | I’m not sure where I’ll be a year from now. |
https://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-expressions-using-at-on-and-in-prepositions-of-time/
