Contents
Prepositions of time help you understand when actions take place. This reference covers what prepositions of time are, provides a list of examples, and includes useful images and a video. By learning these, you can make your sentences more accurate and fluent.
Prepositions like “in,” “on,” and “at” indicate specific time frames. Each has particular uses that illustrate the relationships between events and their timing. Explore this reference to expand your vocabulary and improve your grasp of time-related prepositions.
Prepositions of Time
What is a Preposition of Time?
A preposition of time is a preposition that allows you to discuss a specific time period.
Examples include:
- On Monday
- On a cold day
- At night
- At the moment
- In January
- In the past
List of Prepositions of Time with Examples
Learn prepositions of time with useful grammar rules and example sentences.
During
- Used when something happens within the time something else is happening
- We stayed at a student hostel during the conference.
For
- We use for with a period of time.
- I’m just going to bed for two hours or so.
Until/Till
- Means up to a certain time
- We’ll wait till/until half past six for you.
Since
- Refers back to a point in time when something began.
- The factory has been here since the 1970s.
From…to
- We use from…to to show when something starts and finishes.
- Her visit will extend from Monday to Thursday.
Ago
- We use ago to refer to how far back in time something happened.
- He left the house over an hour ago.
Before
- We use before to refer to any time previous to a specific point in time.
- She’s always up before dawn.
By
- We use by when we want to say “not later than”.
- He had promised to be back by five o’clock.
After
- We use after when we want to say “later in time than”.
- I felt fairly relaxed after taking the medicine.
To
We use to in telling the time, when we refer to the number of minutes before the hour.
- It’s a quarter to two.
We can use to with the meaning of “until” when we are talking about time.
- It’s just three days to Halloween.
Past
- Refers to the amount of time past the hour.
- It’s five past ten.
Between…and
- We use between…and to talk about time that separates two points.
- The team have a lot of work to do between now and Sunday.
Within
- Refers to a span of time during which something may occur.
- You should receive a reply within seven days.
Prepositions of Time IN ON AT
Prepositions of Time: IN
You use IN for general and longer periods of time.
In + Parts of the day Examples:
- In the morning
- In the afternoon
- In the evening
In + Months Examples:
- In January
- In February
- In December
In + Seasons Examples:
- In (the) spring
- In (the) summer
- In (the) fall/autumn
- In (the) winter
In + Years Examples:
- In 1980
- In 1968
In + Decades Examples:
- In the 1960s
- In the seventies
In + Centuries Examples:
- In the 15th century
- In the 21st century
In + Weeks Examples:
- In a week
- In 2 weeks
In + Periods of time Examples:
- In the past
- In the next century
- In the future
- In the 10 years time
- In the middle ages
- In a few minutes
- In a moment
- In an hour
- In 3 hours
- In six months
- In a year
In + Holidays Example:
- In the Easter holiday
Prepositions of Time: ON
You use ON for more specific periods of time.
On + Days Examples:
- On Monday
- On Thursday
- On Sunday
On + Dates Examples:
- On April 3rd
- On 1st January 2013
- On the 10th
- On the first day
- On the last day
On + Holidays with “day” Examples:
- On New Year’s day
- On Christmas day
- On Easter day
On + Specific days Examples:
- On my birthday
- On holiday
- On my wedding day
- On that day
On + Day + Part of day Examples:
- On Sunday morning(s)
- On Friday afternoon(s)
- On Monday evening(s)
On + Time Examples:
- On the weekend (U.S.)
- On weekdays
- On time
- On a summer evening
- On a cold day
- On my lunch break
Prepositions of Time: AT
You use AT for the most specific times.
At + Hours Examples:
- At 7 am
- At 12 o’clock
- At 5 pm
At + Parts of the day Examples:
- At night
- At noon/ midday
- At midnight
- At bedtime
- At lunch time
- At dinner time
- At dinner
- At lunch
- At sunrise/sunset
- At dawn
At + Holidays without “day” Examples:
- At Easter
- At Christmas
- At New Year
At + Time Examples:
- At present
- At the weekend (U.K)
- At breakfast
- At the moment
- At this moment
- At the same time
- At that time
Prepositions of Time (IN ON AT) Images
Prepositions of Time (IN ON AT) Video
- Active vs. Passive Voice Exercises – Active vs. Passive Voice Worksheet - December 25, 2023
- Phrase Exercises – Phrase Worksheet - December 23, 2023
- Sentence Exercises – Sentence Worksheet - December 23, 2023