Notice that some time words need the prepositions ‘in’, ‘on’, ‘at’.
Be careful, many times we use ‘on’ with months, but that’s not correct, we should use ‘in’. We do not put a preposition before some time words like ‘next’.
Here is a list of the time words that need the preposition ‘in’:
- Years:
In 1980, in 2017.
- Months:
In May, in August.
- Decades:
In the eighties, in the 1990s.
- Centuries:
In the 18th century, in the 20th century.
- Seasons:
In summer, in spring.
- In these parts of the day:
In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening.
- Length of Time:
In 10 minutes, in a half of hour.
Look at the prepositions of time used with the parts of the day, there’s a difference for ‘night’.
In the morning |
I go to the gym in the morning. |
In the afternoon |
I often take a cup of tea in the afternoon. |
In the evening |
I study English in the evening. |
At night |
I like to watch TV in bed at night. |
Here is a list of the time words that need the preposition ‘on’:
- Days:
On Sunday, on your birthday, on Independence Day.
- Days + morning / afternoon / evening / night:
On Saturday morning.
- Dates:
On the 5th of May.
Here is a list of the time words that need the preposition ‘at’:
- Precise time:
At 10am, at noon, at 5:30, at night.
At lunchtime, at dinnertime, at breakfast time.
- Holiday periods:
At Easter, at Christmas.
Choose the correct answer. The dash (-) means there is no need of preposition.
Adapted from
https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/time-prepositions-exercise-1.html
Put each time expression in the correct column.
Activity 1
You have explored the time words that need and don’t need a preposition. In this exercise, you are going to practice using prepositions of time on a text.
Drag the best options to complete the sentences. You have two attempts to answer the exercise. Once you have finished, you can check your score.
Activity 2
Listen to the daily routine of an American boy. Then answer the questions.
Adapted from ESCL Pages Making English Langauge fun to learn. (2016). Write ten sentences daily routine in English. Retrieved 20/04/17
from
http://www.eslpages.com/skills/writing/write-ten-sentences-daily-routine-in-english
Additional activity
You can watch this video that shows the life of an American boy:
VideoActivity 3
In this activity, you will write sentences using a preposition of time with the following words.
1. 2017: ____________________
2. 8 o’clock: _________________
3. 20th Century: ______________
4. the morning: ______________
5. next week: ________________
6. spring: ___________________
7. Christmas: ________________
8. every day: ________________
9. The 4th of July: _____________
10. night: ___________________
Activity 4
Write a paragraph about the daily activities you do during the week or the weekend using prepositions of time. Then read aloud your work and record your voice.
Once you are ready, record your voice and evaluate yourself using the rubrics.
Self-assessment 1
In this exercise, you are going to use your knowledge on using prepositions of time.
Self-assessment 2
If there is no need for using a preposition, then write a dash (-).
McCarthy M. Dell, F. (2010). Basic Vocabulary in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Murphy, R. (2006).Basic Grammar in Use, A Self Study Reference and Practice Book for Elementary Students of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Murphy, R. (2007). Essential Grammar in Use, A Self Study Reference and Practice Book for Elementary Students of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Sellen, D. (2006). Grammar Tour. A Reference and Practice Grammar for Elementary to Intermediate. Italy: Black Cat
Viney, B., et al. (2002). Grammar Practice for Elementary Students. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
