Learn English- Online English Courses - Unit 24

Grammar

Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time show the time something happens. For example: "I get up at 7.00" shows the time I get up.

Some of the most common prepositions of time are: in, on, at, from, to.

In

In is used for morning, afternoon, and evening. For example:
- I study Japanese in the afternoon.
- He gets up early in the morning.

In is also used for other periods of time, including months, seasons, years, centuries, and ages. For example:
- My birthday is in March.
- The Portuguese came to Japan in 1542.
- Flowers grow in spring.

On

On is almost always used for some kind of day. For example:
- My birthday is on March 29th.
- I go to church on Sunday.
- We visit my family on New Year's Day.
Compare: He gets up early in the morning.
But: He gets up early on Monday morning.

At

At is used for a particular time. For example:
- I study Spanish at 2.00.
- He gets up at 7.30.
- I come home at lunchtime.

At is also used for used for night.
Compare: I sleep in the afternoon.
But: I sleep at night.

From - to

From and to are used to show the start and end of a defined period of time. For example:
- I work from 9.00 to 5.00.
- Our vacation is from January 5th to February 1st.

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Click below for exercises using prepositions of time.

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