The English prepositions in, on, and at are a number of the most typical phrases in our language, however they’ll simply get blended up. Confusion can come up as a result of not solely are all of them prepositions of place, however they’re additionally all prepositions of time; being prepositions of each time and place could make these two-letter phrases troublesome to make use of.
On this information, we clarify the way to use in, on, and at. We focus on the foundations for every as prepositions of each time and place and share some examples of in, on, and at sentences. Let’s begin with reviewing how English prepositions work generally.
English prepositions: in, on, and at
In English, prepositions are a kind of phrase class that exhibits relationships between different phrases in a sentence. Prepositions can describe when one thing occurred (“in the morning”) or the place one thing occurred (“at the workplace”), in addition to clarify connections (“mom of three puppies”) or give additional particulars (“a film with subtitles”).
Prepositions are at all times adopted by a noun. This noun acts because the object of a preposition as a result of it’s what the preposition refers to. Combining the preposition and the article of the preposition creates a prepositional phrase, which additionally contains any adjectives or determiners the noun makes use of.
For instance, the prepositional phrase “behind the tall tree” contains the preposition behind, the article of the preposition tree, the article the, and the adjective tall.
There are 4 forms of prepositions:
What makes in, on, and at difficult is that they’re prepositions of each time and place. Which means each has at the least two totally different meanings, and all of these meanings can simply get blended up. To make issues harder, in, on, and at aren’t interchangeable—you must study all of the usages for every to keep away from complicated them.
English preposition: in
In: preposition of time
As a preposition of time, in is used with the next phrases and ideas:
- prompt and second
- seconds, minutes, and hours
- quantities of days
- months
- seasons
- years
- teams of years (many years, centuries, and so on.)
- the previous, current, and future
- instances of day: morning, afternoon, night
- evening (particular time)
In: preposition of time examples
- in a number of moments
- in a few minutes
- in 5 days
- in August
- in the summertime
- in 3200 BCE
- in lower than a decade
- sooner or later
- within the night
- in the midst of the evening
In: preposition of place
As a preposition of place, in is used with the next phrases and components:
- basic places
- places inside giant locations like cities, nations, and continents
- class
- the sky and ambiance
- outer area
In: preposition of place examples
- within the eating room
- in Tanzania
- in my third class
- within the blue sky
- within the farthest reaches of area
English preposition: on
On: preposition of time
As a preposition of time, on is used with the next phrases and ideas:
- days of the week
- instances of day used with days of the week
- yearly occasions like birthdays and holidays
- particular dates
- weekend (American English)
On: preposition of time examples
- on Tuesday
- on Saturday night
- on our anniversary
- on Lunar New Yr
- on January 19 (on the nineteenth of January)
- on the weekend
On: preposition of place
As a preposition of place, on is used for the next phrases and concepts:
- issues on the floor of one thing else (tables, partitions, and so on.)
- places close to a physique of water
- mountains
- flooring of a constructing
- corners
- streets
- planets
On: preposition of place examples
- on the ceiling
- on the Amazon River
- on Mount Hood
- on the fifth flooring
- on Foremost Avenue
- on Mars
English preposition: at
At: preposition of time
As a preposition of time, at is used for:
- clock instances
- mealtimes
- instances of day: daybreak, nightfall
- evening (unspecific time)
- weekend (British English)
At: preposition of time examples
- at 8 p.m.
- at dinner
- at nightfall
- at evening
- on the weekend
At: preposition of place
As a preposition of place, at is used with these classes:
- exact places
- occasions
- particular addresses
At: preposition of place examples
- on the dinner desk
- on the homecoming dance
- at 720 Foremost Avenue
When to not use in, on, or at
Don’t use with subsequent and a time
When utilizing subsequent as an adjective earlier than a time, you may omit in, on, or at. The sentence will work with out a preposition of time.
Don’t use the final and a particular time
Equally, you may as well omit in, on, or at when utilizing final as an adjective earlier than a time interval, so long as you’re speaking a couple of particular time.
Nevertheless, in the event you’re utilizing final with an unspecified time, you continue to want a preposition. Sometimes, if the phrase with final makes use of an article or different determiner, it’s unspecific and will embody in, on, or at.
Take into account that the phrase “finally” acts as an adverb, so these guidelines for prepositions don’t apply to it.
Final evening, at our final assembly, we picked a bunch identify finally!
In, on, and at FAQs
What are English prepositions?
In English, prepositions are a kind of phrase class that exhibits relationships between different phrases in a sentence. Prepositions can describe when one thing occurred (“in the morning”) or the place one thing occurred (“at the workplace”), in addition to clarify connections (“mom of three puppies”) or give additional particulars (“a film with subtitles”).
What kind of prepositions are in, on, and at?
The phrases in, on, and at are prepositions of each time and place. Which means each has at the least two totally different meanings, and all of these meanings can simply get blended up.
Can in, on, and at be used interchangeably?
The prepositions in, on, and at aren’t interchangeable. Every has its personal guidelines and prompt usages. Nevertheless, typically the identical phrases or sentence can use totally different prepositions, though the which means will change barely.
