4 BPREPOSITIONS OF

TIME AND PLACE

BASIC PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

GENERAL RULES FOR IN, ON, AT + LOCATION

In + length of time

•Month

•Year

•Season

•Century

+ period of time (in 2 days)

On + a more specific time

At + most specific point in time

•Clock time

•Day

•Date

exact time at3 o’clockmidnight

the moment

days and dates on

Monday4th July

my birthdayChristmas day

periods in

Marchsummer

1997the ’60s

the morning / afternoon / evening

exceptions atweekends / the weekend

Christmas / Easternight

COMPLETE THE GAPS

• I arrived __ 8 pm.• What did you do __ Easter?• __ summer they go to the sea.• We saw him __ Thursday.• Did you see her __the last week?• It was __ the morning.• They study __ night.• We finished __ the same time.• I sometimes go to the cinema ___ weekends.• I stayed at home ____ my birthday.• My mother’s birthday is ___ the 4th of August.

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE AND MOVEMENT

IN, ON, AT … THREE LITTLE WORDS…THREE BIG HEADACHES

In, on, at + location

In (inside)

On (on the surface, touching)

At (physically present, but not necessarily inside)

GENERAL RULES

In +•A room

•A city

•A state

•A country

•A continent

On +

•Floor•Street

At +•Buildings

•Events

•Address

•Familiar places (home, school, work)

verbs preposition + home

place be / stay / work at / in be at home

starting and stopping

leave - leave - home

arrive at / in arrive - home

movement go / drive / walk to go - home

Prepositions with some verbs

COMPLETE THE GAPS

• We went __ home.• She walked __ work.• My husband is ___ work now.• The bus left __ the station.• She arrived __ Rome.• They live ___ the United States.• They came back __ home.• Did you stay __ home?• We stayed __ a hotel.• Do they live __ Italy?• He is ____ room 104.