Preposition of Time: Using At, On, and In

Prepositions are the parts of speech that can be confusing and challenging at times. Prepositions are short words used to denote the time, location, direction, etc. of a noun. In this article, you will be introduced to the three prepositions of time –  at, on and in.

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What Is a Preposition of Time?

A preposition of time is a preposition used to indicate when a particular action takes place. The most common prepositions of time are at, in and on.

Let us look at each of these in detail.

Usage of At, In, and On

The three prepositions seem to confuse many English language users as they have the same function. What you should know is that they cannot be used interchangeably as they refer to different time frames.

  • The preposition ‘at’ is used to refer to a specific time.
  • The preposition ‘on’ is used to refer to a particular day or date, such as on Sunday, on May 25th.
  • The preposition ‘in’ refers to a broader time frame, such as a month or a year, a decade, etc.

Refer to the below-provided examples to understand the usage of these terms.

AT
Specific time At 7:00 I will see you at 7:00!
At 10:30 The party starts at 10:30.
At noon I shall meet you at noon.
At midnight I will be there at midnight.
(Expressions) At the moment He is busy at the moment.
At the same time They both arrived at the same time.
At this time You are here at this time?
At that time At that time, I was out of station.
At some point At some point, I will buy this car.
At any time Don’t go to her place at any time.
At sunrise I will meet you at sunrise.
At sunset This place looks beautiful at sunset.
At lunchtime I will see you at lunchtime.
At dinnertime I will talk to you at dinnertime.
At suppertime He might come to my place at suppertime.
At night She called me at night.
ON
A day On Sunday The picnic is planned on Sunday.
A date On May 18th My birthday is on May 18th.
Repetitive days On Saturdays My dance classes are scheduled on Saturdays.
On Republic Day I love watching the parade on Republic Day.
On your birthday I will see you on your birthday.
On their anniversary He gifted a puppy on their anniversary.
One day + time of day On Friday morning Do you want to join me for the party on Friday morning?
On Saturday afternoon I told her on Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday evening On Sunday evening, I will meet her.
On Monday night Where did you go on Monday night?
(Expressions) On time We submitted the project on time.
On the dot The program started on the dot.
On the hour The clock chimes on the hour.
IN
Months In December I am getting married in December.
Seasons In summer

In the summer

 It is too hot in summer.

We can plan in the summer.
Years In 2019 They moved to the U.S. in 2019.
Centuries In the 1900s The movies of the 1900s were amazing.
Long periods In the Middle Ages This was done in the Middle Ages.
(Expressions) In the past In the past, I used to live in this house.
In the future In the future, I am planning to buy this car.
In a few days I will come back in a few days.
In ten minutes He is coming in ten minutes.
In the morning I will meet you in the morning.
In the afternoon He is sleeping in the afternoon?
In the evening I am going to her place in the evening.

Frequently Asked Questions on Prepositions of Time

Q1

What is a preposition of time?

A preposition of time is a preposition used to indicate when a particular action takes place.

Q2

Which preposition can I use to refer to a particular day?

In order to refer to a particular day, you can use the preposition ‘on’. For example, I will meet you on Monday.

Q3

What do the prepositions at, in and on refer to?

The prepositions at, in , and on are used to refer to the time.