Prepositions in, on, at in English

Today at Global 4 idiomas we would like to talk about the use of prepositions in English, as they are a fundamental part of the language and help us to establish relationships between words in a sentence. Among the most common are the prepositions in, on, and at. In this article, we will explore in detail the differences between them, and help you to differentiate between them.

Preposition in

Use of in to indicate place

The preposition in is used to refer to a place within an enclosed area or space. Common examples include:

I am in the room. (I am in the room.)
She lives in New York. (She lives in New York.)
There are apples in the basket. (There are apples in the basket.)

When we talk about countries, cities or enclosed spaces, in is the appropriate preposition.

Use of in to indicate time

In is also used to refer to longer periods of time, such as months, years, centuries and parts of the day:

I was born in December. (I was born in December.)
They met in 1999. (They met in 1999.)
She usually reads in the morning. (She usually reads in the morning.)

Other applications of in

In is also used in expressions such as:

In trouble (in trouble)
In love (in love)
In a good mood (in a good mood)

Preposition at

Use of at to indicate place

At is used to refer to specific locations or specific points:

He is at the door. (He is at the door.)
Let's meet at the bus stop. (Let's meet at the bus stop.)
She is at school. (She is at school.)

If it is a precise point, at is the best option.

Use of at to indicate time

At is used when talking about specific times of the day or specific events:

The train arrives at 5 PM. (The train arrives at 5 PM.)
We have a meeting at noon. (We have a meeting at noon.)
She goes to bed at night. (She goes to bed at night.)

Other applications of at

Some common expressions with at include:

At home (at home)
At work (at work)
At the moment (at this moment)

Preposition on

Use of on to indicate place

On is used when something is on a surface:

The book is on the table. (The book is on the table.)
There is a picture on the wall. (There is a picture on the wall.)
She left her phone on the bed. (She left her phone on the bed.)

It is also used to indicate specific locations on streets or avenues:

The shop is on Main Street. (The shop is on the main street.)

Use of on to indicate time

On is used with specific days and dates:

I was born on Monday. (I was born on Monday.)
Our anniversary is on July 4th. (Our anniversary is 4 July).
We have a meeting on Christmas Day. (We have a meeting on Christmas Day).

Other applications of on

Some common expressions with on include:

On TV (on television)
On the phone (on the phone)
On time (in time)

Key differences between in , at and on

To avoid confusion, here is a quick comparison of their main uses:

Use	`In`	`At`	`On`
Place	Within an enclosed space	Specific point	On a surface
Weather	Long periods (months, years)	Specific moments	Dates and days
Example	She is in the room.	She is at the bus stop.	She is on the table.

Tips for remembering the use of in, at and on

For places:
- Use in for enclosed spaces or countries/cities.
- Use at for specific locations.
- Use on for surfaces or streets.
For time:
- Use in for long periods (months, years, centuries).
- Use at for specific times or moments.
- Use on for specific days and dates.
Memorise common expressions
- Many combinations with these prepositions are fixed, so it is useful to learn them by heart.

Practical exercises

To reinforce your learning, try to complete these sentences with the correct preposition:

My birthday is ___ April.
She is waiting ___ the bus stop.
There is a book ___ the table.
We met ___ 2010.
He is ___ the office.

Solutions: (1) in, (2) at, (3) on, (4) in, (5) in.

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