Prepositions
Prepositions – Proper uses
In English, there are many prepositions ( in, on, at ), with little logic as to why one should be used, rather than another. Consequently, the only way to know which should go where is to learn the individual uses. The following table demonstrates the common usage of prepositions in relation to time and place:
|
In
|
On
|
At
|
|
|
Time
|
In months and years:
in January in 1975
During the day/night:
in the morning in the afternoon
in the evening
in the nighttime
In a time period:
in a second
in a minute
in two hours in a week/month
Miscellaneous:
in the meantime
in those days
in time
in time for…
|
On days of the week:
on Monday on Tuesday
On specific dates:
on September 10th on 4 April 2015
On holidays:
on the 4th of July on Purim
on Independence Day
Miscellaneous:
on time on vacation
on vacation
on maternity leave
|
At a specific time:
at five o’clock at 6:15
at noon
at midnight
at sunrise / at sunset
During the day/night:
at night
Miscellaneous:
at the moment at that time at first at last |
|
Place
|
————————-
In countries and cities:
in India in Madrid
In a specific room,
in a building or in an office:
in my office in the conference center
in the hall
Miscellaneous:
in a book |
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On a specific street:
on Marshall Ave. on Ha’Shalom Street
On the floors of a building:
on the second floor on the fourth floor
Miscellaneous:
on a page on-line on a website
on the left
on the right
on the way
to go on a trip
|
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At a specific address:
at 125 Maple Street at Newcomb Rd. #13
At an event:
at a party
at a conference
at the movies
at a meeting
Miscellaneous:
at home at work
at the office
at the station
at the door
at the top
at the bottom
|
Exercise 1. Circle the correct answer.
a. Could you please leave it (on / at / in) the hall?
b. He wanted to discuss it (on / at / in) 9 o’clock this morning.
c. They said it should be here (on / at / in) time.
d. Let’s discuss it privately (on / at / in) my office.
e. They are located (on / at / in) number 64, Arlozorov.
f. It needs to be delivered to a company (on / at / in) Haifa.
g. We met (on / at / in) the summer of 1969 and have been friends since.
h. I saw him (on / at / in) the conference (on / at / in) Paris.
Exercise 2. Fill in the correct prepostions
a. My office is ____ Yuval Street, ____ the 2nd floor.
b. I’d like to meet ____ 12.00 O’clock, ____ the restaurant.
c. They are located _____ the USA, , ____ Illinois, Chicago.
d. ____ first I wasn’t sure, but ____ those days you had no choice.
e. It’s ____ Thursday ____ half past two ____ the conference center.
f. Call me ____ the evening if you have to.
g. They’ll be here ____ a few minutes.
h. We started manufacturing ____ 1963 ____ our Munich plant.
Answer Key:
Exercise 1: a.in/ b.at/ c.on/ d.in/ e.at/ f.in/ g.in/ h.at, in
Exercise 2: a.on, on/ b.at, in or at/ c.in, in, in/ d.At, in/ e.on, at, in/ f.in/ g. in/ h.in, in or at
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