Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time show when something happens. The three most common are at, on, and in.

At

Use at for:

Pattern	Example
Clock time	at 9:00, at 7:30 pm
Noon	at noon
Midnight	at midnight
Night	at night
Meal times	at dinnertime, at lunchtime

• The meeting starts at 9:00.
• I am usually asleep at midnight.
• We watch TV at night.

On

Use on for:

Pattern	Example
Days	on Monday, on Thursdays
Dates	on September 10, on July 1
Weekends	on the weekend, on weekends
Special days	on Christmas Day, on my birthday

• We have free time on Monday.
• She has class on September 10.
• I study English on weekends.

Note: American English often uses on the weekend or on weekends. British English often uses at the weekend.

In

Use in for:

Pattern	Example
Time of day	in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
Months	in June, in December
Years	in 2015, in 2024
Seasons	in the summer, in the winter

• I take a shower in the morning.
• My birthday is in June.
• We go camping in the summer.

Quick Summary

Preposition	Use for
at	clock times, noon, midnight, night
on	days, dates, weekends
in	parts of the day, months, years, seasons

Memory trick: Think of time as a point, a line, or a box. At = a point in time. On = a line (a day). In = a box (a period of time).

No Preposition with Next, Last, This, and Every

Do not use at, on, or in before next, last, this, or every.

Better	Not
I have class next Monday.	I have class on next Monday.
We went shopping last weekend.	We went shopping on last weekend.
She is busy this morning.	She is busy in this morning.
I study English every day.	I study English on every day.

Saying the Date

We use ordinal numbers to say dates.

• My birthday is on February 12 (or February 12th).
• We say: “February twelfth.”

Number	Ordinal
1	first
2	second
3	third
4	fourth
5	fifth
6	sixth
7	seventh
8	eighth
9	ninth
10	tenth
11	eleventh
12	twelfth

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Common Mistakes

Mistake	Better	Why
I wake up in 7:00.	I wake up at 7:00.	Use at for clock times.
My birthday is in Monday.	My birthday is on Monday.	Use on for days.
School starts on September.	School starts in September.	Use in for months.
I study on every day.	I study every day.	No preposition before every.

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Practice

Exercise 1 — Choose the Correct Preposition

1 / 16

The class begins ___ 8:30 am.

AinBatCon

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Summary

• Prepositions of time show when something happens.
• Use at for clock times and exact points: at 8:30, at noon, at midnight.
• Use on for days and dates: on Monday, on July 1, on my birthday.
• Use in for longer time periods: in the morning, in June, in 2026, in winter.
• Do not use a preposition before next, last, this, or every: next Monday, last weekend, every day.
• Use ordinal numbers when saying dates: February twelfth, July first.

Keep practicing by saying your daily schedule with at, on, and in.