General rules on prepositions of time (at, in, on) and place (at, in, to)

1. 4 B
PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
AND PLACE

2. BASIC PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

3. 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

4. exact time at
3 o’clock
midnight
the moment
days and
dates
on
Monday
4th July
my birthday
Christmas day
periods in
March
summer
1997
the ’60s
the morning / afternoon / evening
exceptions at
weekends / the weekend
Christmas / Easter
night

5. 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.

6. PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE AND MOVEMENT

7. 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)

8. 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)

9. 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

10. 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.