Prepositions 'in' 'at' 'on' in English

In this chapter the prepositions 'in', 'at' and 'on' will be explained.These prepositions can be used in different ways, not just in terms of place.

Lesson outline

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1.The English preposition 'in'
1.1. 'in' as a preposition of place
1.2.'in' as a preposition of time
1.3.Other uses of 'in'
2.The English preposition 'on'
2.1.'on' as a preposition of place
2.2.'on' as a preposition of time
2.3.Other uses of 'on'
3.The English preposition 'at'
3.1.'at' as a preposition of place
3.2.'at' as a preposition of time
3.3.Other uses of 'at'
4.Exercises
4.1.English fill in exercise prepositions 'at' 'in' 'on'
4.2.Exercise choose the English prepositions 'at' 'in' 'on'

The English preposition 'in'

The English preposition 'in' can mainly be used in two ways:

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1) 'in' as a preposition of place

First of all the preposition 'in' is often used to indicate a less specific location or place. The table below shows the different uses of 'in'.

Usage	Example
Open or closed spaces	They were having dinner in a restaurant. She sits in the classroom with her friends.
Geographic locations	I live in England. You have been in Ireland for two years.
Inside objects	The shoes are in the box. I sit in the car.
Rooms/parts in the house	My mother is sitting in the living room. They are in their bedrooms.

2) 'in' as a preposition of time

The preposition 'in' is also used as a preposition of time. It indicates time in an unspecific way. The table below shows how 'in' is used to indicate time.

Usage	Example
Years	She was born in 1998. They made a great profit in 2015.
Months	The summer starts in June. My birthday is in January.
Seasons	Did you do that in the winter? In the autumn of 2008, we went to Barcelona.
Parts of the day	In the morning we go for a run. In the evening they go out for dinner.
Periods of time	I will see a docter in two days. We see him in three hours.

3) Other uses of 'in'

Besides as a preposition of place and time, 'in' has some other uses. The table below shows other situations in which the preposition 'in' is used.

Usage	Example
Shape, color or size	These shoes come in three different sizes. The girls sat in a circle.
Belief, opinion, interest or feeling	I believe in God. We are not interested in drinking.

The English preposition 'on'

The English preposition 'on' can mainly be used in two ways:

1) 'on' as a preposition of place

The preposition 'on' is used to refer to a specific place or situation.

Usage	Example
Surfaces	There is a beautiful lamp on this ceiling. Can you put the groceries on the kitchen table?
Public transportation	I am already on the bus. He left his bag on the metro.
Floors of a building	They live on the first floor. You can find the toilets on the third floor.
Body parts	I wear a watch on my left arm. She has lipstick on her lips.
Media	I watch a lot of series on television. He was on TV last night.

2) 'on' as a preposition of time

The preposition 'on' is used as a preposition of time to refer to days of the week and dates.

Usage	Example
Days of the week	The school is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. I come home on Tuesday.
Dates	My birthday is on the 29th of January. The party is on the 14th of May.
Holidays with 'day'	My mother came to visit me on Labor Day. We woke up early on Christmas Day.

3) Other uses of 'on'

Besides as a preposition of place and time, 'on' has some other uses. The table below shows the other situations in which the preposition 'on' is used.

Usage	Example
To indicate the state of something	The school is on fire. These shoes were on sale.
Devices or machines	My father is on the phone right now. I like to play games on the computer.

The English preposition 'at'

The English preposition 'at' can mainly be used in two ways:

1) 'at' as a preposition of place

The preposition 'at' is used in front of nouns that describe spaces to indicate that the person is inside.

Usage	Example
Closed spaces	He will meet us at the cinema. We are waiting for her at the airport.
After the verb 'arrive' when we refer to places or spaces that are not cities or countries.	What time did you arrive at the office? I will arrive at the university around 9 o'clock.

2) 'at' as a preposition of time

The preposition 'at' is also used as a preposition of time. The following table shows in what situations the preposition 'at' is used.

Usage	Example
Time	We will meet at 3 o'clock. I woke up at noon.
Holidays / parties (Easter, Christmas)	My mother buys gifts for us at Christmas. I will see my family at Easter.

3) Other uses of 'at'

Besides as a preposition of place and time, 'at' has some other uses. The table below shows the other situations in which the preposition 'at' is used.

Usage	Example
Activities	My brother laughed at my dancing. They are good at playing basketball.
Email addresses	You can email me at web@co.com Please send my boss an email at boss@job.com