In, on, at
Using in, on and
at with places
in
We use in when something is around, on all sides:
- in the car
- in the playground
- in your pocket
- in the garden
- in the kitchen
- swimming in the pool
in + town/country:
- Jill lives in London.
- Madrid is in Spain.
in + street (British English):
- in Ship Street
- in Queens Road
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on
We use on for a surface:
- lying on the rug
- a number on the door
- egg on your shirt
And we use on for a line:
- Bath, on the River Avon
- a village on this road
- a town on the border
on + floor
on + street (U.S. English)
- on Sixth Street
- on Beacon Avenue
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at
We use at for a position, a point in space:
- someone at the door
- sitting at my desk
- at the intersection
We also use at for events:
- See you at the concert
- at the meeting
- at the party
at + house/address
- at 23 Station Street
- at Jack's house
at + place on a journey
- Does this train stop at Lewes?
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Using in, on and
at with time
Look at these examples:
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- It happened on Wednesday.
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- It happened at one o'clock.
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Now compare the following:
in
in + year/month/season:
- in 2015
- in January
- in summer
- in the 16th Century
in + a week or more:
- in the spring break
- in the winter term
in + part of the day:
- in the mornings
- in the afternoon
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on
on + day/date:
- on Tuesday
- on the 31st October
- on this day
on + a signle day:
- on Christmas Day
- on my birthday
on + day + part of day:
- on Monday morning
- on Thursday evenings
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at
at + clock time/meal:
- at seven o'clock
- at half past three
- at lunch (time)
- at that time
- at the moment
at + two or three days:
- at the weekend (U.S. English: on the weekend)
- at Christmas
- at Easter
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Look at these examples using night:
- I woke up in the night. (= in the middle of the night)
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- It happened on Tuesday night.
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- I can't sleep at night. (= when it is night)
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We don't use in, on or at before
this, next, last,tomorrow,
yesterday, and every:
- I leave school this year.
- We fly to Milan tomorrow.
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- It will arrive next Tuesday.
- They went yesterday morning.
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- Sarah came last weekend.
- I go there every winter.
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in time or on time?
in time means early enough:
- She arrived at school in time to see her friends before class.
- Are we going to be in time to see the previews.
- He left just in time to catch the next bus.
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on time means at the right time or on schedule:
- The train arrived on time.
- The concert started on time.
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Other meanings of in
We can use in for the time it takes to complete something:
- She won the race in 4 minutes.
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- How many cakes could you eat in a day?
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We can also use in for a future time measured from the present:
- I'll be ready in twenty minutes. (= 20 minutes from now)
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- He's going to college in 5 days.
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