Grammar: Prepositions

Prepositions

a) At / on / in (Time)

We use:

Examples:

• I start school at five o'clock (time)
• I go to the tennis club on Fridays (days)
• My birthday is on the 13th of August (dates)
• I usually go on holiday in August (months)
• I was born in 1980 (years)
• In Summer, I like going swimming (seasons)

Expressions with "at":

At night / At the weekend / At Christmas / At the same time / At the moment

Expressions with "in":

In the morning (s) / In the afternoon (s) / In the evening (s) / In a few minutes / In six months

We do not use "at / on / in" before "last / next / this / every":

• We'll see you next Friday
• I went on holiday last summer

b) In / at and on (place)

We use:

Examples:

• In Spain the people speak Castilian (country)
• We took these photos in the mountains (geographical region)
• I used to live in London (city)
• Selfridges is in Oxford Street (street)
• It is very hot in the living room (room)
• I was at my friend's house (specific place)
• I live at 32 Bradgate, Cuffley, Herts (address)
• We'll meet at the station (public place)
• James is at the supermarket (shops)
• They were at the theatre yesterday (social event)
• Does this train stop at Paddington? (place)
• Last night I ate at a restaurant (building)
• I am lying on an island (surface)
• The fly is on the ceiling (surface)
• I am sitting on the floor (surface)

Expressions with "in":

In a line / in a queue / in a street / In a picture / In the world / in the sky / In a book / In a letter / In a car (taxi)

• I was waiting in the queue for two hours
• I read it in a book
• I got in the car

Expressions with "on":

On the right (left) / On the first (second, etc.) floor / On the menu / On the coast / On a bus (train, plane, ship, bicycle, horse)

• My house is the first on the left and I live on the third floor
• I got on the bus

Expressions with "at":

At home (work, school, university, college) / At somebody's house / At the station (airport) / At sea

• We were at sea for 3 months