A. If the word in bold in each sentence is correct, put a tick (✓). If it is wrong, write the correct word.
1 We first visited China on 2006. ……………….
2 My birthday is at the second of July. ……………….
3 Let’s meet on five o’clock, shall we? ……………….
4 School starts again in September. ……………….
5 There’s a party at Emily’s at Saturday. ……………….
6 What do you want to do on the morning? ……………….
7 Let’s go and see Grandma on Easter. ……………….
8 Where do you usually go in Christmas Day? ……………….
Answer
1 in 2 on 3 at 4 ✓
5 on 6 in 7 at 8 on
B. Complete using on, in or at.
1 There are lots of people …………………….. the restaurant.
2 The people who live …………………….. number 44 are away on holiday.
3 You should go to the Louvre when you’re …………………….. Paris.
4 Gorillas live …………………….. forests in Africa and eat fruit.
5 What does that sign …………………….. the wall say?
6 What did Ethan say …………………….. his letter?
7 Have you heard of the strange statues …………………….. Easter Island?
8 Do you really want to spend the whole day …………………….. the beach?
Answer
1 in 2 at 3 in 4 in
5 on 6 in 7 on 8 on
C. Look at the pictures and complete the sentences.
1 This photo was taken …………………….. winter.
2 We’re …………………….. a concert.
3 She’s …………………….. the sea.
4 It’s …………………….. page 62.
5 It’s …………………….. the middle.
6 He’s …………………….. an island.
7 It’s …………………….. the mountain.
8 They’re …………………….. a wedding.
Answer
1 in 2 at 3 in 4 on
5 in 6 on 7 on 8 at
D. Complete using the words in the box.
1 My aunt and uncle have decided to move ……………… New Zealand.
2 Do you want to go ……………… the theatre tomorrow?
3 We stayed ……………… a great hotel in Dubai.
4 Wait ……………… the end of the street and I’ll come and meet you.
5 You can come ……………… my house for dinner, if you like.
6 Connor was walking ……………… the corner shop when he realised he’d lost his wallet.
7 We drove all night and finally arrived ……………… Lisbon at eight o’clock.
8 Did you leave your book ……………… the teacher’s desk, so she can see it?
9 Look at those sheep ……………… that field over there.
10 It takes about six hours to fly ……………… Asia from here.
Answer
1 to 2 to 3 at/in 4 at 5 to
6 to 7 in 8 on 9 in 10 to
E. Circle the correct word.
1 I’m meeting Andy at / on the cinema in an hour.
2 Have you seen the new building at / in front of the school?
3 My new job starts in / on the first day of August.
4 We’re going to Martin’s to see their new baby in / on Wednesday evening.
5 See if there are any tomatoes at / in the fridge, will you?
6 We’ll all have computers connected to our brains at / in the future.
7 I don’t feel like playing chess at / on the moment.
8 I think there’s someone at / in the door. I’ll go and check.
Answer
1 at 2 in 3 on 4 on
5 in 6 in 7 at 8 at
F. Write one word in each gap.
Jetlag
When you travel (1) …………………. the other side of the world, jetlag is a real problem. You find yourself awake (2) …………………. the middle of the night and you feel like going to bed (3) …………………. the morning, just when everyone around you is getting up.
Jetlag happens when you go (4) …………………. a country where the time is very different. For example, you might leave London (5) …………………. midday and fly (6) …………………. Los Angeles. The flight takes about eleven hours, so when you arrive (7) …………………. Los Angeles airport, your body thinks you’re there (8) …………………. 11 pm. But Los Angeles is eight hours behind London, so you actually get there (9) …………………. 3 pm local time. So, (10) …………………. midnight Los Angeles time, your body (which still thinks it’s (11) …………………. London) says it’s 8 am. It takes a few days for your body clock to change.
Answer
1 to 2 in 3 in 4 to 5 at 6 to
7 at 8 at 9 at 10 at 11 in
Related Posts
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Linking words 2: reason, purpose and result
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Linking words 1
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – It and there
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Word formation 2: nouns (affixes)
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Word formation 1: verbs and adjectives (affixes)
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Non-defining relative clauses
Prepositions of Time and Place
| GOAL | What is your goal for the students?
Prepositions primarily describe two different types of relationships: time and place. This lesson will explain when to use a preposition, and how best to use it in a wide variety of situations. |
| LEARNING OUTCOMES | What will students be able to learn/know by the end of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
|
| GRAMMAR PRESENTATION (HOOK) 10 minutes |
How will you engage your students? How will you ‘hook’ them Realia/pictures/video/story etc.
Begin class by greeting students. I hope they don’t mind that I brought breakfast for the class today J Ask if they are familiar with McDonald’s (pass out sausage McMuffins and orange juice (realia) – cut sausage muffins in halves or quarters for students to dig into) While students are (hopefully) enjoying breakfast provided by teacher, inquire if they are enjoying their meal. Ask students if everyone knows where McDonald’s are located in the city? Elicit for locations of roads and areas in sections of Kelowna – all vocabulary for whiteboard. What time does McDonald’s lunch begin? When is McDonald’s closed? When does lunch start?Present vocabulary on whiteboard from the words provided by students or described by teacher. Additional realia used for controlled activity – cut-out questions for discussing in groups or pairs. Communicative practice realia – questions to ask (or interpret) during preposition game |
| TEACH NEW GRAMMAR POINT 10 minutes |
FORM
Noun or pronoun + (in, at, on) MEANING At is used for precise, specific periods of time and space. USE in – I eat in the kitchen. in – Class starts in 5 minutes. Introduce the words ‘at, in, and on’ which is the focus of the lesson. Hopefully students have already used these words when talking about prepositions of place so there should not be any need for pronunciation practice. Write three sentences on the whiteboard and ask students which word correctly completes each sentence (information gap). When does McDonald’s breakfast close?(non-specific time) When is McDonald’s closed? (small periods of time) When does McDonald’s lunch start? (specific time) Where is the nearest McDonald’s? (non-specific place) What road is the nearest McDonald’s located? (non-specific street place) What is the address of the nearest McDonald’s? (specific place) This should give an idea of how much the students already know about using these words. Briefly talk about how at is used when talking about precise times such as “3:00 PM’. In is used when talking about months, years, or other long periods of time for example “in July”. On is used for sentences with days or dates like “on Tuesday” or “on March 6th”. Students will be practicing prepositions of time in controlled and communicative activities. |
| CONCEPT CHECK | How will you ensure students understand new grammar point?
|
| CONTROLLED ACTIVITY
20 minutes |
What sort of controlled activity will you give students?
With whiteboard preposition sentence example(s) and rules clearly displayed for reference, students work together in pairs or groups to answer the correct preposition from the cut-out worksheet given to groups. They can talk it out within their group and ask questions to answer the material such as “is the noun specific, or is it non-specific?” There is also room on the worksheet for each student to create a couple of sentences using their own prepositional questions. Teacher gives students time to do worksheet while listening to students use and to correct by also asking if it is enclosed, surrounded or precise. The teacher will note usage of correct preposition, observing class participation and providing error correction or aid by focusing on the noun or pronoun when necessary to assist students in responding correctly. |
| COMMUNICATIVE (FREER) PRACTICE 20 minutes |
What sort of free activity will you give students?
From what the students have learned during the presentation and controlled practice of ‘in, on, at’ prepositions, split the class into groups to practice in front of the class. Students are to use the questions from the previous controlled activity, along with additional questions provided by students (teacher can include own prepositional questions as well). This game/activity is based on the idea that students should answer not the question being asked, but of the previous question |
| TEACHER FEEDBACK
TEACHER CLOSER TEACHER CORRECTION |
How will you close your lesson, correct students, and ensure your learning outcomes were met?
Close lesson by reminding students that at is specific, on is small and inare large, non-specific times or spaces. How will you assess your students? At the beginning of the next lesson, students can complete a few sentences using prepositions of time and space to briefly review the material. |
Prepositions of time and place are words that are used to indicate the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. In English, the most commonly used prepositions of time and place are “at,” “in,” and “on.”
AT, IN and ON are used as both time prepositions and place prepositions in English.
When English speakers talk about time and place, there are three little words that often come up: in, on, and at. These common words are prepositions that show a relationship between two words in a sentence.
But these little two-letter prepositions seem to create confusion. Here are a few rules to help you understand when to use in, on, and at in a sentence.
For describing time and place, the prepositions in, on, and at go from general to specific.
Prepositions of Time
Prepositions of time are words that indicate the relationship between a specific time and an action or event. The three most common prepositions of time are “at,” “in,” and “on.”
“At” is used to indicate a specific point in time, such as “at 3 o’clock.” “In” is used to indicate a period of time, such as “in the morning” or “in the year 2020.” “On” is used to indicate a specific day or date, such as “on Monday” or “on my birthday.”
Understanding the differences between these prepositions and when to use them correctly is important for clear communication in the English language.
Prepositions of Time
Let’s start by looking at how we talk about time. English speakers use in to refer to a general, longer period of time, such as months, years, decades, or centuries. For example, we say “in April,” “in 2015” or “in the 21st century.”
Moving to shorter, more specific periods of time, we use on to talk about particular days, dates, and holidays . You may hear, “I went to work on Monday,” or “Let’s have a picnic on Memorial Day.”
For the most specific times, and for holidays without the word “day,” we use at. That means you will hear, “Meet me at midnight,” or “The flowers are in bloom at Easter time.”
Prepositions of Place
Prepositions of place are words that indicate the location or position of something in relation to something else. The three most common prepositions of place are “at,” “in,” and “on.”
“At” is used to indicate a specific point or location, such as “at the corner of the street” or “at the store.” “In” is used to indicate an enclosed or surrounded space, such as “in the room” or “in the box.” “On” is used to indicate a surface or location, such as “on the wall” or “on the table.”
Understanding the differences between these prepositions and when to use them correctly is important for clear communication in the English language. Additionally, it’s important to note that the same prepositions that are used for time, can be used for place as well, and might have different meanings depending on the context.
Prepositions of Place
When English speakers refer to a place, we use in for the largest or most general places. You can say that “VOA is located in Washington, D.C.” And “for the best food, try the restaurants in Chinatown.”
For more specific places, like certain streets, we use the preposition on. You may know that President Obama lives on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.
Finally, we get to the most specific places. For exact addresses or intersections, we use the preposition at. If I invited you to visit us here at VOA, I would say, “Come to my office at 330 Independence Avenue.” To be exact, it’s at the corner of Independence and 3rd Street.”
(Source: voanews.com)
Note
In English, though, there is always an ‘exception to the rule.’ When talking about transportation, things get a little hard to understand. We use on for public vehicles like buses or trains, but also for smaller ones like a bicycle. “I rode there on my bicycle.” However, you ride in a car.
Still, it helps to know that English prepositions do have some rules.
Following the “general to specific” rule should help you most of the time.
Prepositions of Time and Place | Images
Verb + object
The verb and the object of the verb normally go together. We do not usually put other words between them:
I like children very much. (not ‘l like very much children’)
Did you see your friends yesterday?
Ann often plays tennis
Study these -examples. Notice how the verb and the object go together each time:
* Do you clean the house every weekend? (not ‘Do you clean every weekend the house?’)
* Everybody enjoyed the party very much. (not ‘Everybody enjoyed very much the party’)
* Our guide spoke English fluently. (not ‘…spoke fluently English’)
* I not only lost all my money — I also lost my passport. (not ‘I lost also my passport’)
* At the end of the street you’ll see a supermarket on your left. (not ‘…see on your left a supermarket’)
Place and time
Usually the verb and the place (where?) go together:
go home, live in a city, walk to work etc.
If the verb has an object, the place comes after the verb + object:
take somebody home, meet a friend in the street
Time (when?/how often?/how long?) normally goes after place:
Tom walks to work every morning. (not ‘Tom walks every morning to work’)
She has been in Canada since April.
We arrived at the airport early.
Study these examples. Notice how time goes after place:
* I’m going to Paris on Monday. (not ‘I’m going on Monday to Paris’)
* They have lived in the same house for a long time.
* Don’t be late. Make sure you’re here by 8 o’clock.
* Sarah gave me a lift home after the party.
* You really shouldn’t go to bed so ate.
It is often possible to put time at the beginning of the sentence:
* On Monday I’m going to Paris.
* Every morning Tom walks to work.
Some time words (for example, always/never/often) usually go with the verb in the middle of the sentence. See the next topic
EXERCISES
108.1 Is the word order right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong.
1. Everybody enjoyed the party very much. _RIGHT_
2. Tom walks every morning to work. _WRONG: to work every morning_
3. Jim doesn’t like very much football. —
4. I drink three or four cups of coffee every morning. —
5. I ate quickly my dinner and went out. —
6. Are you going to invite to the party a lot of people? —
7. I phoned Tom immediately after hearing the news —
8. Did you go late to bed last night? —
9. Sue was here five minutes ago. Where is she now? —
10. Did you learn a lot of things at school today? —
11. I met on my way home a friend of mine —
12. I fell yesterday off my bicycle —
108.2 Put the parts of the sentence in the right order.
1. (the party/very much/everybody enjoyed) _Everybody enjoyed the party very much._
2. (we won/easily/the game) —.
3. (quietly/the door /I closed) —.
4. (Diane/quite well /speaks/German) —.
5. (Tim/all the time television/watches) —.
6. (again/please don’t ask/that question) —.
7. (football/every weekend/does Ken play?) —.
8. (some money/I borrowed/from a friend of mine) —.
108.3 Complete the sentences. Put the parts in the right order.
1. (for a long time/have lived /in the same house)
They _have lived in the same house for a long time._.
2. (to the bank every Friday /go) I —.
3. (home/did you come/so late) Why —?
4. (her car/ drives /everyday /to work) Ann —.
5. (been/recently/to the cinema) I haven’t —.
6. (at the top of the page/your name/write) Please —.
7. (her name/after a few minutes/remembered) I —.
8. (around the town/all morning/walked) We —.
9. (on Saturday night/didn’t see you/at the party) I —.
10. (some interesting books/found/in the library) We —.
11. (the children/yesterday/to the zoo/took) Sally —.
12. (opposite the park/a new hotel/are building) They —.
108.1
3 Jim doesn’t like football very much.
4 right
5 I ate my dinner quickly.
6 Are you going to invite a lot of people to the party?
7 right
8 Did you go to bed late last night?
9 right
10 right
11 I met a friend of mine on my way home.
12 I fell off my bicycle yesterday.
108.2
2 We won the game easily.
3 I closed the door quietly.
4 Diane speaks German quite well.
5 Tim watches television all the time.
6 Please don’t ask that question again.
7 Does Ken play football every weekend?
8 I borrowed some money from a friend of mine.
108.3
2 I go to the bank every Friday.
3 Why did you come home so late?
4 Ann drives her car to work every day.
5 I haven’t been to the cinema recently.
6 Please write your name at the top of the page.
7 I remembered her name after a few minutes.
8 We walked around the town all morning.
9 I didn’t see you at the party on Saturday night.
10 We found some interesting books in the library.
11 Sally took the children to the zoo yesterday.
12 They are building a new hotel opposite the park.
by Adam Skimins 7th February 2020
- Article navigation:
- PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
- PREPOSITION OF MOVEMENT
- PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
A preposition of place is used to refer to a place where something or someone is located.
There are three main prepositions: in, on, at. They can be both prepositions of place and time.
IN – USAGE
We can use “in” when describing something inside. We can also use this preposition when we talking about locations in a larger area and workplaces when we see them as a physical location.
There is some paper in the litter box.
AT – USAGE
We can use “at” to referring a position or location which we see as a point and when we talking about locations at workplaces ( we see them as a place of activity.)
“At” can be used when we describe activities involving a group of people and with phrases which relate to school, college and university.
The shop is at the end of the street.
ON – USAGE
We can use “on” to referring a position on any surface and describing a position along a road or river or by the sea or by a lake.
“On” can be used when we talking about a floor. We can also use this preposition in reference to public transport.
There is a bee on the table.
| preposition of the place | meaning |
|---|---|
| behind | at the back of |
| between | something or somebody is on each side |
| in front of | the part that is in the direction |
| below/ under | lower than something or somebody |
| near | close to |
| next to | besides |
| above/ over | higher than something |
Here is a wall behind her back.
Our house is between the pharmacy and the school.
This city is 86 metres below sea level.
Our house is near the supermarket.
Our house is next to the supermarket.
The photo hangs above my door.
PREPOSITION OF MOVEMENT
Prepositions of movement show movement from one place to another place. We usually use them with verbs of motion.
| FROM | the place where it starts |
| INTO | entering something |
| OUT OF | leaving something |
| ONTO | moving to a place |
| UP | from low to high |
| DOWN | from high to low |
| ALONG | in a line; from one point to another |
| THROUGH | going from one point to the other point |
| ACROSS | from one side to the other side |
| TOWARDS | in the direction of something |
| OVER | above something or somebody |
| UNDER | below something |
| AROUND | in a circular way |
| PAST | going near something or somebody |
Do you come from Tokyo?
He jumped out of the window.
The cat jumped onto the roof.
He went up the hill.
He came down the mountain.
He’s walking along the street.
You shouldn’t walk through the cemetery.
You must go across this road.
We ran towards the sea.
You shouldn’t go into the room.
We flew over the mountains.
We walked under the bridge.
The earth goes around the sun.
The police drove past our buildings.
PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
A preposition of time allows you to discuss a specific period such as a date on the calendar, one of the days of the week, or the actual time something takes place.
The main preposition of time is: at, in, on.
They are used differently than prepositions of place (they have a different meaning).
| PREPOSITION “IN” | era/ century/ year/ month | in ancient times in the 19th century in 2020 in July |
|---|---|---|
| season | in winter in summer |
|
| part of a day | in the morning in the afternoon in the evening |
| PREPOSITION “ON” | day/ date | on Monday on 12th May |
|---|---|---|
| concrete day | on Christmas Day on Thanksgiving Day |
|
| part of a day during the concrete day | on Sunday morning on Friday night on Monday afternoon |
| PREPOSITION “AT” | hour | at seven o’clock at 6:39 at midnight |
|---|---|---|
| few days | at the weekend at Christmas |
|
| mealtimes | at lunchtime at breakfast |
|
| in expressions | at the moment at the same time at the end at the age of |
NEXT FRIDAY
Before expressions concerning next, last, this, that, every, yesterday tomorrow no prepositions shall be used.
See you next weekend.
I went to Paris last summer. What are you doing this weekend?
She plays volleyball every Saturday. There was a storm yesterday night.
What are you doing tomorrow evening?
FOR OR SINCE
The preposition “for” is used when refers to a time slot:
I’ve known Alice for four years.
She’s been here for two days.
We watched TV for 3 hours yesterday.
The preposition “since” means “from a particular time in the past until a later time or until now”:
I’ve known Alice since I was 15.
She’s been here since Friday.