Prepositions “In On At”, give reference of space movement and time. They locate something in time and in space.
Some rules help to understand the prepositions, but the best way to use them correctly is by paying attention to their use.
In this post we will focus on three prepositions: “In, On, and At” and how to use them.
Place Prepositions In On At
Observe the example:
Aaron is
in the bedroom.
This information gives the location of Aaron.
Where? …in the bedroom.
Observe the next sentences:
- My Picture is on the wall.
- There is some milk in the bottle.
- I talk to Martha at school.
- The dogs are on the street.
- My new job is in Japan.
They give the location of the object of the sentence.
In
Indicates limited space:
- There’s some water in the bottle.
- The birds are in the cage.
- Julies lives in Canada.
- I buy clothes in the mall.
- There is a fly in my soup.
On
- Indicates surface contact:
- My computer is not on the desk.
- The paintings are on the wall.
- The lamp is on the ceiling.
- There are clothes on the floor.
- The old man is sitting on the bench.
2. Indicates the used of machines and devices:
- He is on the phone.
- My favorite is on TV tonight.
- I’m working on the computer.
- I’m listening to the song on the radio.
- I saw the new on the internet.
3. Indicates streets and avenues:
- I live on Afonso Pena Avenue.
- There are a lot of trees on the street.
- We are walking on the beach.
- Ana lived on Oak Street.
- The building is on President Kennedy Avenue.
At
Indicates the exact position or location of something.
- The man is at the door.
- Let’s sit at the table.
- Meet me at the restaurant.
- The children are at the zoo.
- We saw your friend at the saloon.
Time Prepositions In On At
In
Time prepositions indicate a period of time, month or year.
- Andrea studies in the morning.
- James’ birthday is in April.
- Bill always travels in winter.
- Nancy came from London in 2015.
- Usually, Carnival is in February.
On
Specifies days and dates.
- Sue has classes on Wednesdays.
- The course starts on the 15th of August.
- My family has supper on Christmas day.
- Edna’s birthday is on March 17th.
- I am traveling on Monday, but I will be back on Saturday.
At
Indicates time:
- Dinner is at 7 pm.
- The bus leaves at 6 am.
- The baby sleeps at 7 pm.
- The employees have lunch at midday.
- yesterday I went to sleep at midnight.
Specific days and holidays:
- We meet at Christmas.
- The workers talk at lunchtime.
- I will read you a story at bedtime.
- We go to parades on Thanksgiving.
- You can talk at night.
Obs.: Don’t use prepositions before time adverbs:
- Today
- Yesterday
- Last
- Next
- Tomorrow
- This
Examples:
- The party is next week.
- Our meeting was yesterday.
- We went out last Saturday.
- I talked to Melissa this morning.
- My wedding is tomorrow.
Let’s practice?
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