Prepositions of Time: On, In, At – A1 English Grammar Exercises

With easy A1 grammar explanations and exercises, you can learn how to use English time prepositions like “on,” “in,” and “at.” It’s easy to practice your English!

Prepositions of Time: On, at, in

Prepositions of time tell us when something happens. On, at, and in are the most common.
Each one goes with a different kind of time expression.

Using “At”

We use “at” for certain times and some special phrases.

Use “at” with:

Clock times: at 7 o’clock, at 10:30, at midnight
Festivals and holidays (without “day”): at Christmas, at Easter
Expressions: at night, at the weekend, at lunchtime, at the moment

Examples:

The lesson starts at 9 o’clock.
I go to bed at midnight.
We relax at the weekend.

Using “On”

We use on for days and dates.

Use “on” with:

Days of the week: on Monday, on Friday, on Sunday
Specific dates: on July 5th, on 14 February
Special days: on my birthday, on Christmas Day, on New Year’s Eve

Examples:

I have English class on Tuesday.
We met on 10 May.
She was born on her birthday, of course!

Using “In”

We use in for months, years, seasons, and longer periods of time.

Use “in” with:

Months: in January, in September
Years: in 2020, in 1998
Seasons: in summer, in winter
Parts of the day: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
Long periods: in the past, in the future

Examples:

I was born in 2001.
We go on holiday in August.
She likes reading in the evening.

Summary Table

Preposition	Used for	Examples
At	Exact times / special periods	at 6:30, at night, at Christmas
On	Days / dates	on Monday, on 25 March, on New Year’s Day
In	Months / years / seasons / parts of the day	in July, in 2024, in summer, in the morning