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Prepositions

Master in, on and at for time and place, plus common verb + preposition pairs.

Beginner 2 min read

What Is It?

Prepositions are short words that show relationships of time, place and direction: in, on, at, to, from, under, between. The trickiest trio is in, on and at.

Why Do English Speakers Use It?

One small word can change the meaning completely (arrive at vs arrive in), and many verbs and adjectives need a fixed preposition.

When to Use It

Time: at 7 o’clock, on Monday, in July
Place: at the bus stop, on the table, in the kitchen
Movement: to school, into the room, across the road
After certain words: depend on, listen to, good at, afraid of

When NOT to Use It

Don’t use a preposition before this, next, last, every, today, tomorrow or yesterday: “See you next Friday”, not “on next Friday”.

Sentence Structure

	Time	Place
at	clock times, night, the weekend	a point: at the door, at work
on	days and dates: on Sunday, on 21 February	a surface: on the wall, on the bus
in	months, years, seasons: in May, in 2025	inside an area: in the room, in Dhaka

Grammar Rules

Arrive at a building or point; arrive in a city or country. Never “arrive to”.
In the morning / afternoon / evening, but at night.
On the bus / train / plane, but in a car / taxi.
After a preposition, use a noun or an -ing verb: interested in learning.
Learn verb + preposition pairs as one unit: wait for, look at, belong to.

Real-Life Examples

The class starts at 9 a.m. on Saturdays.
Monica was born in 2001.
Your keys are on the shelf in the hall.
We arrived in Chattogram late at night.

Common Learner Mistakes

I’ll call you in Monday.I’ll call you on Monday.
We arrived to the airport.We arrived at the airport.
It depends of the price.It depends on the price.

Quick Memory Tip

Picture a triangle: IN at the wide base (years, months), ON in the middle (days), AT at the sharp point (exact times).

Real Conversation

Joe: When is your interview?

Monica: It’s on Thursday at ten o’clock, in their office in Gulshan.

Joe: Good luck! Call me after the interview.

Interactive Practice

Pick an answer to check your understanding.

Question 1 of 5

My birthday is ___ 14 April.

Question 2 of 5

The meeting is ___ Monday.

Question 3 of 5

I’ll see you ___ 7 o’clock.

Question 4 of 5

She was born ___ 1998.

Question 5 of 5

Whether we go or not depends ___ the weather.

Final Mini Quiz

One last check before you mark the lesson complete.