Prepositions of place and time - in, on & at

Prepositions of place and time - in, on & at

​Prepositions of place

Prepositions of place describe where one person or thing is in relation to another:

• Your watch is in the drawer.

• The keys are in the car.

• (+ town/country) in Warsaw, in Poland, in hospital, in prison, in the newspaper, in a book

• Your watch is on the table.

• My office is on the third floor.

• London is on the river Thames.

• on the floor, on the ceiling, on the wall, on the left, on the right, on page 20, on a train, on a plane, on a bus (but in the car)

​At

We use at to describe the exact or approximate position of something:

• It's at the end of the car park.

• The train stops at Preston.

• Can we sit at a window table?

• at the top/bottom/end of...; at a wedding/concert/meeting; at the office/station/airport

We can use at or in with buildings, but the meaning is different.

• I can't talk. I'm at the cinema (I'm watching/going to watch a film.)

• I'm waiting for Karen in the cinema. (I'm inside the building)

Multiple Choice

Most of the restaurants in the town can be found ... Lavender Road.

• in

• at

• on

Multiple Choice

It was pouring with rain outside so I had to wait for Joe ....... the theatre.

• at

• in

• on

​Prepositions of time

We use:

• in for a point within a longer period of time

  • I get to Australia in the morning.

    • to talk about a completed period of time

      • They finished painting the hall in only two days.

• on to introduce dates and days

  • We arrive on Thursday.

  • The course ends on 11th July.

• at to introduce the time

  • The flight's at 6 o'clock.

​We say AT NIGHT and not IN NIGHT

​With some time expressions (e.g. this/last/next/every morning, week, year etc.) we don't use a preposition:

• The French market comes in every March.

• The French market comes every March.

• What time did you have breakfast this morning?

• The new gym opened last month.

Multiple Choice

I prefer not to go to meetings ..... Friday afternoons.

• in

• at

• on