Preposition of Time

A preposition of time is usually a word used to specify the relative time of something with respect to a specific time, time frame or time period.

Kinds of Prepositions of Time

Preposition of Time are usually used according to both the time frame related and specified to:

1. At is a preposition of time used to describe something related at a specific time or time frame.

   • at a clock time:

     at two o'clock, at 10.00am, etc.

     • The meeting will start at two o' clock.

     • The meeting will start at 10.00am.

   • at a time instant:

     at the moment, at present, at the same time,  etc.

     • Tom is not here at the moment.

     • Mary cannot visit the English teacher at present.

     • Tom and Mary get sick at the same time.

   • at a time frame:

     at noon, at midnight, at lunchtime, at dinnertime. at bedtime, at sunrise, at sunset, at midday, etc.

     • The conference will commence at noon.

     • The offer expires at midnight.

     • Tom chooses to exercise at lunchtime.

     • Tom usually come at dinnertime.

     • Children learn faster with a book at bedtime.

     • The lake is best seen at sunrise. 

     • The mountain is best seen at sunset. 

     • The competition will close at midday.

   • at a very specific time frame:

     at night, at the weekend, etc.

     • Tom often runs alone at night.

     • Mary loves cooking at the weekend.

   • at a general time frame of a holiday or festival that related generally to the period and not the day only:

     at Christmas, at Easter, at the New Year, etc.

     • Tom often stays with his family at Christmas.  

     • Tom and Mary decide to go out at Easter.

     • Tom want to see the fireworks at the New Year.

   • at a specific part of a time frame or period:

     at the end, at the beginning, etc.

     • Tom will return at the end of the week. 

     • Mary will arrive at the beginning of June. 

2. On is a preposition of time used to decribe something related on a specific day or days, or a specific time frame of a period.

   • on a specific time frame:   

     on Christmas, on the weekend, on Tuesday morning, on Tuesday mornings, on the same day, etc.

     • Tom often runs on the weekend.

     • Mary loves cooking on Tuesday morning.

     • Mary always cooks on Tuesday mornings.

     • Tom and Mary return on the same day.

   • on a specific time frame of a period: 

     on the morning of the sixth of March, on a beautiful summer's evening, etc.

     • Tom will leave on the morning of the sixth of March.

     • Tom went for a walk on a beautiful summer's evening.

   • on a date:   

      on 6th March, on 25 Dec, 2001, etc.

     • Tom will leave on 6th March.

     • Tom will leave on 25 Dec, 2001.

   • on a day or days: 

     on Tuesday, on a Tuesday, on Tuesdays, etc.

     • Tom wants to run alone on a Tuesday.

     • Mary decides to cook on Tuesday.

     • Tom always run alone on Tuesdays.

   • on a special day:

     on Christmas day, on his birthday, on New Year's Eve, on the weekend, on the last weekend, etc.

     • Mary loves cooking on Christmas day.

     • Tom often runs alone on his birthday.

     • Mary loves cooking on New Year's Eve.

     • Mary usually does a lot of cooking on the weekend.

     • The event will take place on the last weekend before Christmas.

3. In is a preposition of time used to decribe something related in a long period of time frame.

   • in a part of a day:

     in morning, in a morning, in the morning, in the mornings, in the afternoon, in the evening, in the night, etc.

     • Tom wants to take a walk in a morning.

     • Tom prefers to have a walk in morning.

     • Tom usually goes for a walk in the morning.

     • Tom always have a walk in the mornings.

     • Tom goes for a walk in the afternoon.

     • Tom usually goes for a walk in the evening.

       Tom often wakes up in the night.

   • in a month of a year:

     in April, in May, etc.

     • Tom will leave in April.

     • Tom will leave in May.

   • in a season of a year:

     in Summer, in the Summer, etc.

     • Tom always swims in Summer.

     Tom will go to England in Summer.

   • in a year or years:

     in 1901, in the 1970s, etc.

     • Tom was born in 1901.

     • Tommy and Mary are common given names in 1970s.

   • in a specific period:

     in about one minute,  in three days, in three days' time, in a year's time,  etc.

     • Tom will arrive in one minute.

     • Mary will arrive in three days.

     • Tom will come again in three days' time.

     • Tom hopes to regain the Cup  in a year's time.

   • in a specific part of a period:

     in the beginning, in the end, etc.

     • Tom does not understanding what was happening in the beginning.

     • Tom finally bought a new machine in the end.

   • in a general longer time frame of time or day:

     in the day, in the next few days, in the next few hours, in the past, in the future, etc.

     • Mary plans to arrive in the day.

     • Mary will arrive in the next few days.

     • Mary will return in the next few hours.

     • Tom has learned from mistakes made in the past.

     • Tom will work even harder in the future.

   • in a specific longer period of time frame:

     in the next century,  in the nineteenth century, in the Ice Age, etc.

     • Cancer will continue to be a major public health problem in the next century.

     • Stereographs were popular in the nineteenth century.

     • Woolly mammoths were one of the giant grazers in the Ice Age.

4. •  

Guidelines of Prepositions of Time

1. Prepositions of time, at, on, and in are normally not used in related to a particular or typical time, time frame, or period for time expressions beginnng with each, every, next, last, some, this, that, one, any, all, etc.

   • Mary saves some money each week for Christmas gifts.

   • Tom plays football every Saturday.

   • Tom will visit Mary next Sunday.

   • Tom had a dream last night.

   • Tom can be available some Saturday nights.

   • Tom and Mary will get married this June.

   • Tom had seen Mary that day.

   • Tom was required to work one hour early.

   • Tom is able to work any morning.

   • Tom have to work all Sunday.

2. In general, at is used to related something at a specific time frame precisely, on is used to related something on a specific time frame generally, and in is used to related something in a specific time frame wholly

   • at

     • at a precise time of a period:

       • a definite clock timee, e.g. at two o'clock, at 10.00am, etc.

     • a relateivetime instantt, e.g.  at the moment, at present, at the same time,  etc.

     • at a precise time frame of a period:

       • a named time frame, e.g. at noon, at midnight, at lunchtime, at dinnertime. at bedtime, at sunrise, at sunset, at midday, etc.

       • a named time frame of a period, e.g. at night, at the weekend, etc.

       • a general time frame of a period, e.g. at Christmas, at Easter, at the New Year, etc.

       • a specific part of a timed period, e.g. at the end, at the beginning, etc.

   • on

     • on a specific day or days:

     • on a date,  e.g.  on 6th March, on 25 Dec, 2001, etc.

     • on a named day or days, e.g on Tuesday, on a Tuesday, on Tuesdays, etc.

     • on a special day, e.g. on Christmas day, on Christmas, on his birthday, on New Year's Eve, on the weekend, on the last weekend, etc.

     • on a specific time frame of a period:

       • on a specific time frame,  e.g. on Christmas, on the weekend, on Tuesday morning, on Tuesday mornings, on the same day, etc.

       • on a specific time frame of a period,  e.g. on the morning of the sixth of March, on a beautiful summer's evening, etc.

   • in

     • in a specific period:

       • in a part of a day,  e.g. in morning, in a morning, in the morning, in the mornings, in the afternoon, in the evening, etc.

       • in a month of a year,  e.g. in April, in May, etc.

       • in a season of a year, e.g. in Summer, in the Summer, etc.

       • in a year or years, e.g. in 1901, in the 1970s, etc.

       • in a specific period, e.g. in about one minute,  in three days, in three days' time, in a year's time,  etc.

       • in a general longer time frame of time or day, e.g.  in the day, in the night, in the next few days, in the next few hours, in the past, in the future,

       • in a specific longer period of time frame, e.g. in the next century,  in the nineteenth century, in the Ice Age, etc.

     • in a specific part of a period

     • in a specific part of a period, e.g. in the beginning, in the end, etc.

3. The difference of using at and on in a time expression for a holiday and weekend.

   • for a holiday

     • At is used to specify the period of a holiday especially in a general sense.

       e.g. at Christmas, at the New Year,  etc.

     • On is used to specify the particular special day especially in a specific sense.

       e.g. on Christmas day, on New Year's Eve,  etc.

   • for a weekend

     • At is used to specify a weekend especially in a general sense.

       e.g. at the weekend,  etc.

     • On is used to specify a particular weekend especially in a specific sense.

       e.g. on the last weekend, on the weekend,  etc.

     • However, on the weekend can also be used as at the weekend in a general sense.

4. The difference of using at and in in a time expression for a night and a time period.

   • for a night

     • At is used to specify any night in a general sense.

       e.g. at the weekend, at Christmas, at the New Year,  etc.

     • In is used to specify one particular night  in a specific sense.

       e.g. on the last weekend, on Christmas day, on New Year's Eve, etc.

   • for a time period

     • At is used to specify the special moment at a particular point of a time period.

       e.g. at the beginning, at the end, at start, at finish, etc.

     • In is used to specify one particular part in a long time flame of a time period.

       e.g. in the beginning, in the end, etc.

5. The difference of using on and in in a time expression for a part of a day.

   • for a night

     • On is used to specify a particular part of a day in a specific sense.

       e.g. on Tuesday morning, on the afternoon of the sixth of March, s, on the same day, on a beautiful summer's evening, etc.

     • In is used to specify a part of a day in a general sense.

       e.g. in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, etc.

6. The general differnece of time expressions when using together with  at, on, and in.

   • Time expresseion without an article is used to specify something in a general sense.

     •  Tom prefers to have a walk at noon.

     •  Tom prefers to have a walk on Tuesday.

     •  Tom prefers to have a walk in morning.  

   • Time expresseion in plural form is used to specify something in repeating sense.

     • Tom always have a walk at noons.

     • Tom always have a walk on Tuesdays.

     • Tom always have a walk in mornings.

     • Tom always have a walk in the mornings.

   • Time expresseion with an indefinite article is used to specify something in a typical sense.

     • Tom wants to take a walk at an afternoonn.

     • Tom wants to take a walk on a Tuesday.

     • Tom wants to take a walk in a morning.

   • Time expresseion with a definite article is used to specify something in a specific sense.

     • Tom usually goes for a walk at the weekend.

     • Tom usually goes for a walk on the Tuesday before Christmas.

     • Tom usually goes for a walk in the morning.