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IN,ON,AT

For now, let’s focus on when to use IN, ON, and AT.

When English speakers talk about time and place, there are three little words that often come up: in, on, and at. These common words are prepositions that show a relationship between two words in a sentence.

Here are a few rules to help you understand when to use in, on, and at in a sentence.

English speakers use “in” to refer to a general, longer period of time, such as months, years, decades, or centuries.

For example, we say “in April,” “in 2015” or “in the 21st century.”

Moving to shorter, more specific periods of time, we use “on” to talk about particular days, dates, and holidays .

You may hear, “I went to work on Monday,” or “Let’s have a picnic on Memorial Day.”

For the most specific times, and for holidays without the word “day,” we use at.

That means you will hear, “Meet me at midnight,” or “The flowers are in bloom at Easter time.”

Review:


IN is generally used for longer periods of time (centuries, years, and months);

ON is used for days;

AT is used for more specific moments, such the time.

Here are some simple examples to help you understand when to use “in,” “on,” and “at” in English:

  1. IN:
    • Example: We will have a meeting in an hour.
    • Example: I love going to the beach in the summer.
  2. ON:
    • Example: The party is on Saturday.
    • Example: My birthday is on June 5th.
  3. AT:
    • Example: The meeting is at 3:00 PM.

Characters:
Lena (L)
Mike (M)

L: Hi, Mike! Where are you going this weekend?

M: Hi, Lena! I’m going to the park on Saturday. It’s a beautiful place.

L: That sounds fun! What are you going to do there?

M: I plan to have a picnic with my friends. We’ll sit on the grass and enjoy some sandwiches.

L: Sounds great! I love picnics. Do you go to the park often?

M: Yes, I do. I live near the park, so I go there almost every weekend. It’s just at the end of my street.

L: Lucky you! I live in the city, and the nearest park is far away. I can only visit the park on special occasions.

M: That’s okay, Lena. You can still enjoy the city life. Do you like living in the city?

L: Yes, I do. I live in a tall apartment building, and I have a nice view of the city from my balcony.

M: Wow, that must be amazing. I live in a house with a garden, and I love spending time in my backyard.

L: That’s great! I always wanted to have a garden. I think it would be wonderful to relax in one.

M: You can come to my house sometime and relax in my garden. We can sit in the shade of the trees.

L: That sounds fantastic, Mike! I’ll come over next weekend. Thank you for the invitation.

M: You’re welcome, Lena. I look forward to having you over.