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  4. In / On / At for time
Parts of Speech & Usage

In / On / At for time

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In, on, and at are prepositions of time. They are used to talk about when something happens. The difference depends on how specific the time is.

At → exact time

Use at for precise moments.

  • At 3 p.m.
  • At noon
  • At midnight
  • At the weekend (British English)
  • The meeting is at 10:00.
  • I wake up at 7 a.m.

On → days and dates

Use on for specific days and dates.

  • On Monday
  • On July 5th
  • On my birthday
  • We have a meeting on Friday.
  • She was born on June 12th.

In → longer periods

Use in for longer periods like months, years, seasons, and parts of the day.

  • In 2024
  • In July
  • In summer
  • In the morning
  • I was born in 1995.
  • We will travel in August.

Important exceptions

  • At night (not “in the night”)
  • On the weekend (American English)
  • In the morning / afternoon / evening

Key idea

  • At → precise moment
  • On → day or date
  • In → longer period

💡 Tip

  • Think of a timeline:
  • At = a point
  • On = a day
  • In = a block of time

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 10Score: 0/10

The meeting starts ___ 9 a.m.

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