PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
AT ON
We use at with times We use on with dates and days
at 5 o’clock - at 11.45 - at midnight - at lunchtime on 12 March - on Friday(s) - on Friday morning(s)
Tom usually gets up at 7 o’clock. on Sunday afternoon(s) - on Saturday night(s)
on Christmas Day (but at Christmas)
We use at in these expressions
at night - at Christmas - at the moment / at present - at the same time - at
weekends - at the age of...
IN DURING
We use in for longer periods of time We use during + noun to say when something happens
in April - in 1986 - in winter - in the 19th century - in the 1970s - in the during the film - during our holiday - during the night
morning(s) / in the afternoon(s) / in the evening(s) We met a lot of interesting people during our holiday.
I fell asleep during the film.
In + period of time = a time in the future:
Jack will be back in a week.
The train will leave in a few minutes.
In + how long it takes to do something
I learned to drive in four weeks.
FOR SINCE
We use for + a period of time expressing duration We use since + a starting point, a specific time
for six years - for two hours - for a week since April - since 1992 - since 8 o’ clock
I’ve lived in this house for six years. They have been watching TV for two It has been raining since one o’ clock. They’ve known each
hours. other since they were at school.
UNTIL FROM - TO
We use until/till to say how long a situation continues We use from - to + beginning and end of a period
Let’s wait until it stops raining. I stayed in bed until half past nine. Last evening we watched TV from 5 to 8 o’ clock.
, Prepositions – Time
English Usage Example
• on days of the week on Monday
• in months / seasons in August / in winter
time of day in the morning
year in 2006
after a certain period of time (when?) in an hour
• at for night at night
for weekend at the weekend
a certain point of time (when?) at half past nine
• since from a certain point of time (past till now) since 1980
• for over a certain period of time (past till now) for 2 years
• ago a certain time in the past 2 years ago
• before earlier than a certain point of time before 2004
• to telling the time ten to six (5:50)
• past telling the time ten past six (6:10)
• to / till / marking the beginning and end of a period of time from Monday to/till Friday
until
• till / until in the sense of how long something is going to last He is on holiday until Friday.
• by in the sense of at the latest I will be back by 6 o’clock.
up to a certain time By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.
AT ON
We use at with times We use on with dates and days
at 5 o’clock - at 11.45 - at midnight - at lunchtime on 12 March - on Friday(s) - on Friday morning(s)
Tom usually gets up at 7 o’clock. on Sunday afternoon(s) - on Saturday night(s)
on Christmas Day (but at Christmas)
We use at in these expressions
at night - at Christmas - at the moment / at present - at the same time - at
weekends - at the age of...
IN DURING
We use in for longer periods of time We use during + noun to say when something happens
in April - in 1986 - in winter - in the 19th century - in the 1970s - in the during the film - during our holiday - during the night
morning(s) / in the afternoon(s) / in the evening(s) We met a lot of interesting people during our holiday.
I fell asleep during the film.
In + period of time = a time in the future:
Jack will be back in a week.
The train will leave in a few minutes.
In + how long it takes to do something
I learned to drive in four weeks.
FOR SINCE
We use for + a period of time expressing duration We use since + a starting point, a specific time
for six years - for two hours - for a week since April - since 1992 - since 8 o’ clock
I’ve lived in this house for six years. They have been watching TV for two It has been raining since one o’ clock. They’ve known each
hours. other since they were at school.
UNTIL FROM - TO
We use until/till to say how long a situation continues We use from - to + beginning and end of a period
Let’s wait until it stops raining. I stayed in bed until half past nine. Last evening we watched TV from 5 to 8 o’ clock.
, Prepositions – Time
English Usage Example
• on days of the week on Monday
• in months / seasons in August / in winter
time of day in the morning
year in 2006
after a certain period of time (when?) in an hour
• at for night at night
for weekend at the weekend
a certain point of time (when?) at half past nine
• since from a certain point of time (past till now) since 1980
• for over a certain period of time (past till now) for 2 years
• ago a certain time in the past 2 years ago
• before earlier than a certain point of time before 2004
• to telling the time ten to six (5:50)
• past telling the time ten past six (6:10)
• to / till / marking the beginning and end of a period of time from Monday to/till Friday
until
• till / until in the sense of how long something is going to last He is on holiday until Friday.
• by in the sense of at the latest I will be back by 6 o’clock.
up to a certain time By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.
