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What is Their Main Difference?
The main difference between the prepositions 'in' and 'at' is in their degree of specificity.
Talking about Location
Both 'in' and 'at' can be used as prepositions of place. "In" emphasizes being inside or within a defined area (a room, city, country, container, etc.).
"At" refers to a point or location without focusing on being inside, and is often used for specific places or events (e.g., at the office, at the park, at the concert). For example:
She has been living in Zurich.
The keys are in the box.
He is currently at Lexington street.
Here, the location of the subject is specified.
I am at the door.
In other words, "in" emphasizes being within boundaries, whether physical (inside a room or box) or abstract (inside a country or organization). For example:
The keys are in the drawer.
The book is in the backpack.
Talking about Time
'In' and 'at' can also be used as prepositions of time to talk about dates and time. We use 'in' to talk about non-specific times such as 'morning,' 'evening,' 'afternoon'. 'At', on the other hand, is used to indicate a specific moment in time such as 'noon', 'midnight,' or even a specific hour. Take a look at the following examples:
I always read in the morning.
She was born in 1990.
He will meet us at 7 o'clock.
The event starts at midnight.
Are They Interchangeable?
The answer is no. Replacing 'in' with at' or vice versa will change the meaning and even affect the grammaticality of the sentence as certain verbs are used with one and not the other. So you must pay attention to their differences and use each in the appropriate context.
Quiz:
Which sentence uses the preposition "in" correctly to refer to a place?
He is in the dining room.
She is in the bus stop waiting for the bus.
Which sentence uses the preposition "at" correctly to refer to time?
We always go to the gym at the morning.
The concert starts at 8 o'clock.
Which of the following sentences uses the prepositions "in" and "at" correctly according to their meanings?
She has been living at New York.
The book is at the backpack.
The keys are in the box.
I left my phone in the kitchen table.
Which of the following sentences uses the prepositions "in" and "at" correctly according to the rules of time?
He will meet us in 7 o'clock.
She was born in 1990.
I always read at the morning.
We will arrive at morning.
Sort the words into the correct order to form a meaningful sentence.
Match each sentence beginning with the correct time phrase to complete the sentence accurately according to the prepositions.
Complete the sentence with the correct preposition ("in" or "at"):
The train is scheduled to arrive
9:30 PM.
I enjoy taking long walks
the evening.
We are going on vacation
the summer.
They arrived
midnight.
Complete the table below by filling in the blanks with the correct preposition, in or at, based on the context.
| sentence | preposition |
|---|---|
The documents are stored ___ the cabinet. | |
She arrived ___ the station early. | |
We had dinner ___ the restaurant last night. |
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