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What Are Prepositions of Time?
Prepositions of time help us talk about a specific time and they describe when or for how long something happens in the present, the future, or the past. They show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and a specific time or time period.
Main Prepositions of Time
The English language has three main prepositions of time and some other prepositions of time. Let us discuss the main ones first:
At
using 'at' to talk about time
'At' is used to talk about a specific time, such as:
- Hours and minutes
- Precise times, like midday, midnight, dawn, sunrise etc.
- Holidays or festivals that are two or more days, like Christmas and Easter
Take a look at some examples:
I get up
I start my work
The meeting starts
We say 'at noon' because noon is a specific hour; it is 12 o'clock in the morning.
We go to a lot of parties
On
using 'on' to talk about time
'On' is used to talk about a specific day, such as:
- Days of the week
- Specific dates
- Special holidays or festivals that are one day, like Independence Day
Take a look at some examples:
I go to English class
I was born
She receives a paycheck
I eat cake with my friends and open presents
Tip!
We can use both 'at' and 'on' with Christmas as a holiday, but the meanings are different. Generally, 'on Christmas' is used to talk about the specific day, while 'at Christmas' is used to refer to the holiday period.
In
'In' is used to talk about longer periods of time, such as:
- Months
- Seasons
- Years
- Decades
- Centuries
- Length of time, like 'in the past', 'in an hour', 'in the Ice Age'
Take a look at some examples:
Jane and Alan are getting married
We're travelling to Italy
World War II started
What kind of music was popular
The scientific revolution happened
Do you think men can travel to Mars
Parts of the Day
We normally divide a day into different parts, e.g., morning, afternoon, noon, etc. Using prepositions with them is a little tricky because there's an exception to the rule. Study the table carefully:
| in | the morning |
|---|---|
| in | the afternoon |
| in | the evening |
| at | night |
As you can see, we cannot use the preposition 'in' with 'night'. We must use 'at night'.
Also, note that parts of the day like noon, midnight, or sunrise are not time periods, they are specific times of the day.
Bats only hunt
I go jogging
Tip!
When we want to mention both the day of the week and the specific part of that day, we must use the preposition 'on'.
On + Day of the week + Part of the Day
There's a great movie to watch
Mary's baby was born
When Not to Use Prepositions
Remember that we do not use these three time prepositions with the following time expressions:
Take a look at some examples:
She's got a dentist appointment
I go to gym
I'm moving out of the apartment
I ate a pancake with syrup
At the Weekend or On the Weekend?
Both are correct. The choice depends on the variety of English you are using. 'At the weekend' is used in British English, while in American English 'on the weekend' is the common expression.
The museum is open
The museum is open
Other Prepositions of Time
Now that we have covered the three main prepositions, let's go through other prepositions of time in the English language, namely:
By
'By' means 'no later than the time mentioned'. When we use 'by' with a specific time, it means on or before the mentioned time. 'By' indicates a deadline for an event. Take a look at the examples:
He said he'll be here
He must be here before seven o'clock. The deadline is 7:00.
All students must submit their proposals
Students must submit their proposals no later than May 28th.
Until
'Until' (also till, til, 'til) is both a preposition and a conjunction. When it is used as a preposition, it talks about an action that is continuous and stops at a specific time. It refers to the duration of an action before a specific time. For example:
We stayed awake and talked
Here, it means up to midnight, for a continuous duration.
Mark lived in London
Mark spent a duration of time living in London, and then stopped living in London in 2010.
From...to
'From...to' shows the duration of an event or activity. 'From' shows the start time and 'to' shows the finish time. You can also use 'until' or 'till' instead of 'to'. Take a look at the examples:
The class is
The meeting is
Or 'The meeting is from 6 o'clock until 8 o'clock'.
Since
'Since' shows a period of time that started in the past and continued until a later time in the past, or until the present. It is used with the present perfect or past perfect tense. Pay attention to the examples:
They've worked here
She's been off work
For
As a preposition of time, 'for' indicates duration of time. It can be used for all tenses, past, present, or future. But mainly, it is used in perfect tenses. For example:
He lived in New York
I'm only going to stay
Before
'Before' as a preposition of time, shows that something happened, is happening, or happened at or during a time earlier than the time of speaking. Pay attention to the examples:
He had to leave home
I want to study
After
'After' is the opposite of 'before'. It shows that something happened, is happening, or happened at or during a time following another period of time.
They arrived
Let's leave
During
'During' is used to say when something happens. It indicates the length of a period of time. It can also mean at some point in that period of time.
People listened to a lot of jazz
Paul and Susan didn't talk much
Between
'Between' as a preposition almost always comes with the word 'and'; i.e. 'between A and B'. It shows a limited time period within two points in time. For example:
There's a big sale on Macy's
The train should arrive
Within
'Within' is a preposition that indicates that something happens before or at the end of a particular period of time. It suggests that the action will happen in a shorter amount of time than the duration of the period mentioned. Take a look at the examples:
According to the diet, you should lose 7 lb.
He should be under surveillance
Past
'Past' is one of the prepositions used to tell time, especially in British English (in American English, 'after' is also used). For example:
It's half
The movie starts at twenty minutes
Review
A preposition of time is a preposition that helps you discuss a specific time period such as a 'date on the calendar,' 'one of the days of the week,' or the certain time something takes place. There are 3 main prepositions of time that are numbered from 1 to 3 in our table. You can see other prepositions of time in the following table, too.
| 1. at | 2. on | 3. in | 4. by | 5. until (till, til, ’til) | 6. from...to | 7. since |
| 8. for | 9. before | 10. after | 11. during | 12. between | 13. within | 14. past |
Here are the usages of 'at' as a time preposition.
| at | 1. hours and minutes | 2. precise times, like midday, midnight, dawn, sunrise etc. | 3. holidays or festivals that are two or more days, like Christmas and Easter I get up at 8 o'clock. |
|---|
Here are the usages of 'on' as a preposition of time:
| on | 1. days of the week | 2. specific dates | 3. special holidays or festivals that are one day, like Independence Day |
|---|
Here are the usages of 'in' as a preposition of time.
| in | 1. months | 2. seasons | 3. years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4. decades | 5. centuries | 6. length of time, like in the past, in an hour, in the Ice Age |
Here are some time expressions in which you should not use a preposition at all.
| 1. tomorrow | 2. today | 3. yesterday | 4. tonight |
| 5. this + time expression (like this morning, this evening) | 6. last + time expression (like last night, last Friday) | 7. next + time expression (like next morning) | 8. every + time expression (like every afternoon) |
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