How to Use Prepositions: In, On, At and More

Prepositions are words like in, on, and at. They fix something in time, space, or direction, showing when an event happens, where an object sits, or which way it moves. One preposition can be used in different ways, so it helps to learn them situation by situation.

Key takeaways

• For time, use at for clock times, on for days and dates, and in for months, years, and longer periods.
• For place, use at for a point, on for a surface, and in for enclosed spaces or larger areas.
• Use to for movement towards a place.
• The right preposition often differs from your first language, so learn them by situation.

How to use prepositions

Time

1. Use at for clock times and exact moments.

• ✓ Let’s meet at 7 pm.
• ✗ Let’s meet on 7 pm.

2. Use on for days and dates.

• ✓ The test is on Monday.
• ✗ The test is in Monday.

3. Use in for months, years, and longer stretches of time.

• ✓ I started the course in July.
• ✗ I started the course at July.

Place

4. Use at for a specific point.

• ✓ Wait for me at the bus stop.
• ✗ Wait for me in the bus stop.

5. Use on for a surface or a line.

• ✓ The clock is on the wall.
• ✗ The clock is in the wall.

6. Use in for enclosed spaces and larger areas.

• ✓ She lives in Tokyo.
• ✗ She lives at Tokyo.

Movement

7. Use to for movement towards a place.

• ✓ We drove to the airport.
• ✗ We drove at the airport.

Test yourself

Prepositions are easy to overlook, but the right one makes your meaning clear at once. Practise them out loud and get instant feedback on Speechful. Start practising free →